brian.w

I am going to oz in jan to validate my visa,i been looking into opening an bank account with westpac before i go in the uk and once i am there collect the stuff or finish the application.
I am not sure what types of accounts there are right now,with opening from the uk,i did get some info about it way back from hifx when i was applying for my visa but was not ready back then,and im sure what ever info was sent back then im sure accounts have changed etc.

But i hear that you pay monthly fees when the account is open,or start paying money into it.I also believe there maybe accounts with no fees and also accounts with fees for using atms and accounts with no fees for atms.

Anyone lately opened an account from within uk and what did it offer as in the fees etc and what was the accounts called.
I am pretty much looking for a card that has mastercard or visa logo on it,debit card type card which i can use online as well as in shops there and overseas,just like the debit cards we get here.
What are these accounts called,and do i need to ask for them or are you just offered what they give you?

I also think telephone banking might play an important part of this and online banking,so could someone tell me how i apply and what account i look for etc.

Also im sure i have a link of being able to get a credit card from them too,can this be done before i head to oz in jan,or do you need to have been over there for a while and have had wages paid into the bank,would be good if i could get both debit cards and credit cards set up before i went there.

As for when i be there full time,i will be returning back home in feb a month later from validation and probably be about 1 yr later i make my move,but i do have a 176 visa etc.

BAY

You're having a laugh aren't you ? You want to open an aussie bank account to use for the months holiday when you're validating your visa ! and then you won't be coming back until a year later ? !! Do you open a Spanish or Greek bank account when you go there for your summer holidays ?

I suggest you open an Aussie bank account just before you go there permanently.

You can open a Westpac account in the UK and deposit funds but will then need to visit a Westpac branch in Australia within 3 months of opening account to show proof of id. Only then will you be able to withdraw funds. When you do show proof of id you can then get a debit/credit card but this will take a few weeks to process ... by which time you'll have returned home. Why oh why do you want to open a bank account in Oz just for your validation trip ? Why not do as other holiday makers do and exchange GB pounds to Oz dollars in the UK, get travellers cheques or use your UK debit/credit card ?

Sammy T

Hi

Not sure why you would want to have an Aussie bank account for a holiday, why not just use your UK ones? I'm not sure if I have misunderstood you but it sounds like you are making it more complicated than needed?

We recently moved to Oz and set up a "current" account with Westpac in the UK before leaving. We had already paid a small amount into this account to use on arrival, you cannot make any withdrawals until you are in Oz, once you are here they require various items, like passport with date of arrival, proof of address etc (they cannot send your cards until they have an address)
The cards took a week to come and then the PIN numbers a few days later, we could not apply for a credit card immediately as neither of us were working (in fact we don't have one yet) Once the account had been opened in the UK we had 90 days to present ourselves at the bank for ID purposes, we were also able to set up internet banking from the UK, I had to phone up and arrange it.
We have a small monthly fee on the current account and no fees on the internet saving account (but this can only be used as an extra to the main account)

Good luck

Sam

brian.w

I have my reasons i want to open a oz bank account before i move there for good,i am not opening the account just for the validation trip its something i prefer to set up over here and while i am there in jan 2009 have it up and running,even if its cost me $5 a month to keep open.
As i am going to be in jan 2009 for one month and for opening an account from the uk it says 3 months before i am there,so will leave it another few weeks yet,but its ask some questions i am unsure what to say.
Ok i know people have said to wait till i am moving there for good etc but i want to set this up now and complete it on my arrival in jan 2009 for my month trip,the questions i need to know about its says:

Its asks when month and year i move to oz,i cant say a year from 2009 as it might be sooner or later who knows yet,so say i put down jan 2009 when i am only going for validation of my visa i suppose this be ok for them.

Its asks for residential mailing address in australia if available,what have other put down for this,as many might not have address to put down,or not sure where they are going etc.
I am probably heading to perth and have an aunt who lives there as well as a cousin who also lives there,could i use there address as the address until i was over there and living,why do they need that address,for sending out bank statements and say replacement cards etc?
It also as to tick yes or no in a box if non resident and no exemption certificate held withholding tax of 10% is deducted,what do i out here?
Has this something to do with tfn number?As i think i have one still from 2004 when i was backpacking.

Thanks in advance.

Sammy T

Hi

I can't answer all your questions but I know they need an address to send cards etc to, I guess you could use your relative's address without any problems.
As far as "non resident" is concerned I guess you have to admit to that and you'll either need to give them your TFN number or you'll be charged a much higher rate of tax.

As you obviously want to set up the account sooner rather than later, it might be helpful to give them a ring and direct your questions to them.

Sam

sj oldfield

You can open an account whilst your here. However you will be charged non resident tax on the account.

brian.w

What would the non resident tax be,i know i would need to pay $5 per month to keep the account open but what else on top of that for non resident,if i gave my aunts address as to send stuff and i have a visa why would they need to charge non resident tax?
Also i have a tfn number from 2004 so is this not what they want to know?or does it not matter,how do they know when i am there in jan 2009 that i am not living there etc.

The O'Neills

Haven't checked it out myself, but you can open an account online - apparently

www.westpac.com.au/migrantbanking

Nic

skoots76

Hi I have just opened a westpac account. Because i was referred from Hifx you dont get charged the $5 amonth for 9months (not the usual 30days) Then when the exchange suits me I will transfer $3000 dollars into the current account. This means no charges so effectively its free banking.
When Im ready to send more money over I will send it to the savings account to gain the higher interest. As long as there is always $3000 in the current account there will be no charges.

skoots76

Also if you ring the london office they will send you a id form which you get you bank hear to fill in as proof its you. Then you can transfer money too and from OZ. you still have to prove id once in Oz but it gives you the freedom to do your internet bankin/phone from hear.
hope this helps

emelems

I am not sure exactly if this is what you are wanting to hear or if this is what you mean, but when we arrived my husband had a problem with his TFN as they will use the same one as when he worked in Oz in 1991.. it came back as "not arrived yet"... we had to sort it all out (ie, turn up at the Tax Office with his passport and stamped entry and our permanent 136 visa as proof that he was in the country! and show it all to an officer who made various phone calls to various offices!)... The TFN was then validated and we could let the bank know... (else he would have been put on emergency tax)

Don't think that having a previous TFN and an address will be enough.. they'll know that you're not actually in the country.

Em x

darlo 2 adelaide

Hi there!!

I would also like to ask about the banking issues related to moving from uk to oz. We plan to move out in January time, and were wondering how to go about having money for rental deposit, bond, essential items etc, without having full access to our money here. We were thinking of taking about 2000 dollars cash, do you think this is dodgey as we were concerned we would need our hands on the money as soon as we arrive, not being able to wait for bank cards etc to arrive. The westpac thing sounds ok, I'll have to look into that.

Any help gratefully received

Many thanks (in advance)

Sarah

spottydog

When we came over to validate I set up a cba account via their London Migrant banking office a few weeks before. The day we arrived we headed into Martin Place branch, showed our passports and picked up our cashpoint cards, we had already transferred over a few thousand dollars so were able to go to the ATM to withdraw Aussie dollars. As it turned out we had to go back to the UK for longer than we thought and it was no problem with CBA having out UK address (we just had the $5 a month taken from the account for fees. Once we moved out permanently we changed our address to here and at that point they started charging the emergency tax rate until we had our TFNs. At the end of the tax year I was then able to get a refund of the emergency tax from the bank prior to completing our tax return

darlo 2 adelaide

Many thanks that is a great help!!!

Sarah

MarkandS

Skoots

Interesting. Does this mean that i can set up an account and deposit some money into my new account from UK, and if needed transfer it back into my UK account before we fly?

I was under the impression that i could open an account and deposit money but could not get at my money until i had visited a branch once in Oz with ID.

Mark