Hi All,

So we land in Vancouver at the end of July. We bank with Barclays and we popped in yesterday to discuss changing our address on our account to BC to be told that Barclays won't keep out current account open with an international address

We can change to an international account but this doesn't have bank cards I don't think.

What have other people done? We could just redirect our mail to my parents for 2 years

Thankfully, we didn't give them our account details yesterday, it was a general discussion etc.

I have opened an account with HSBC on recommendation from a friend (who lives in Canada), you can view your UK and Canadian accounts through the phone app and online and my friend was able to open an account in Canada through the UK before heading out there.


You can also transfer money from an international account to a UK account and vice versa, however this isn't recommended due to the poor rate you'll get. But it's nice in case of emergency.

That seems like the best option until you get sorted. Didn't realize that about Barclays - between us, we still have accounts with four different UK banking institutions (one is a current account), and all are happy for us to use our Canadian address.

The Nat West have sent mail to our US and now Canadian address for over 20 years. Consider opening an account with them before you leave.

I would check with Barclays in the UK to be sure you got their official answer. I am not with Barclays, but had no problem keeping my accounts open with a US address.

From past threads many people have retained their UK accounts officially, using their Canadian addresses and had no problem at all.

I think the general idea is that you need to be UK resident to open an account but not necessarily to maintain one and that this is sometimes (wrongly) interpreted as needing to be (still) UK resident.

When I moved over in 2004 I kept everything open reporting an address change from my home to my mother's address. I did so because despite the idea that it was okay, people did occasionally have accounts closed.

My account ran to slightly different rules - when I opened it, a minimum income was needed (I had to talk them into accepting me) - so it might even be they wouldn't agree to maintaining an existing account overseas.

I gave my Barclays my parents address as a correspondence address and just do my banking using online banking.

Cancelled all my services with them overdraft etc. and just use the account there to pay ongoing UK bills.

I have a couple of accounts open with Barclays, opened way before we moved over here. I was able to update the address linked to those accounts to our temporary address in Canada before we left, by going into a branch. I was then able to update that address once we moved house in Canada via telephone banking. It was a big long-winded and I was transferred a few times during the call, but it was done, it didn't appear to require any bending of rules, just a bit of effort on their part to get me connected to the right person.

I moved to Canada 2 months ago and my Natwest branch had absolutely no issue whatsoever in me having a Canadian address. I walked into the branch, gave them my new address and they wished me well on my future life!

by the way, when I arrived in Canada, I opened up a Scotiabank account and I have found them to be excellent so far. I use Transferwise to transfer money between UK and Canada.

All the best for your journey...

We moved to Calgary 6 months ago- we have bills to pay in the Uk still so before we moved I had an appointment at our Lloyds branch where I changed the accounts to just free ordinary banking accounts as we'd no longer be able to take advantage of things like car breakdown cover etc etc. In terms of changing the address- I told them our Canadian address and also gave them my parents in law address for any mail- though I did ask to be taken off anything that meant paperwork was sent out.

We applied for a Scotiabank account online before we left and finalised it in the branch when we got here. Left with cards and were given a credit card as well (based on a letter from my husband's employer stating his wage).

We also registered with Transferwise who we use to send money back to the UK- we've used them for several months and are happy with their service and rates.

Good luck!

This, I've had a Lloyds account with my Canadian address on it for years, my partner has done the same with his First direct account

FD are fine but I struggled to keep my Barclaycard even though I've had it for over 30 years. I had to give them a UK address as well as my Canadian.

I kept, and used, my Barclaycard for, I dunno, 25 years after leaving. It may still be valid but I've forgotten to notify them of my latest change of address. I had a Lloyds mastercard too, that was valid for at least 20 years after I left the UK but there was an annual fee which I didn't pay and eventually it was cancelled.

I think banking is all a bit random so it doesn't do to expect that the way a customer is treated, in either country, is necessarily the way the next identical customer will be treated.

Apparently Barclaycard have been tighter in the last few years over Expats/UK address. With all other accounts I don't have to also have a UK address linked but it's necessary for Barclaycard:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/expat-money/10780197/Britons-face-losing-their-Barclaycards.html

You spoke to an idiot.

I have several Barclays accounts (including a current account) that are still live, have several transactions every week and have money in them. My address and phone number are both my Canadian ones.

New Debit cards and card readers and general letters are sent to my Canadian address.