homebound

I HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM THE UK FOR MANY YEARS AND DID NOT KEEP MY BANK ACCOUNT, I HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS HARD TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THE BEST BANK TO TRY.
ALSO WOULD LIKE TO OPEN A BANK ACCOUNT BEFORE I ARRIVE, ANY SUGGESTIONS?:

john5655

homebound,

depending on where you are located, the best bet is HSBC

my wife and I have both opened accounts with them in UK already just by visiting our HSBC bank here

it takes about two weeks, but by then you get a Visa Debit card and cheque book

TIP: if you qualify for Premier Banking with HSBC, you automatically get Premier Status in any country where you have an HSBC account without fulfilling the account requirements in every location (i.e. minimum deposit amount, income level, etc), plus you get unlimited free international fund transfers

if not, I'd suggest contacting a UK bank by email and ask what documents would help smooth the way, but as I understand things they usually expect you to be resident in the UK and able to provide proof of an address

(PS - I am not an employee of HSBC, just a 33-year long happy customer)

homebound

Hi

Thanks for info, unfortunately no HSBC bank here...

George Holmer Kenya

Not knowing where you are, there are several UK banks that operate abroad, Barclays and Standard Chartered are two. Not sure if Standard Chartered operates high-street branches in the UK but Barclays obviously does.

Another route to try is to open an offshore account with any of the UK high-street banks. We have one with the Co-Op on Guernsey and provided you are a UK citizen, this should not be a problem even without a UK address. Our account is a standard UK current account with a VISA debit card and can do UK direct debits and standing orders. It is in UK pounds sterlings and has a sort code and account number just like a normal UK bank account so transfers from other UK bank accounts is possible. If you ask for the BIC/Swift and the IBAN-number, you can easly transfer money from most countries aboad.

brits1

If you contact HSBC by internet they will help you with whatever you need to do etc to open a bank account with them, it can be done via the internet so I have been informed.

George Holmer Kenya

HSBC is good like that. I openened a UK bank account from Sweden by mail in 1997. Funnily enough, I told them that I was going to Reading to study but they opened my account in Chelmsford. All my cards etc went to Chelmsford. It later turned out that at the time, my wife-to-be, whom I meet in Reading in 1998, lived in Chelmsford in 1997. But anyway...

I am setting up a UK Ltd and have been told that HSBC can arrange a business account for me although I do not have a UK address.

gill556

I got my daughter to open a new account in her name then a few weeks later she got my name added to it

J.J

We opened a Sterling account in off-shore branch NatWest while we were in US. They issued Sterling Debit cards.
When we got back to UK we opened Lloyds a/c and didn't even have to put any money into it. They issued Debit cards.

homebound

thanks everyone for your suggestions, i like the sound of the co-operative account, offshore especially as they have lots of branches in uk, any more info on this account , would be great...thanks

homebound

Re the co-operative offshore account, is there a certain amount to be deposited, alot of the offshore accounts want very large deposits..

George Holmer Kenya

The Co-Op offshore account is a standard UK bank account. The one we have is called Pathfinder Worldwide and we applied by letter. They need certified copies of a passport and one of a utility bill or similar as proof of address. To open one, you have to be either a UK resident or a UK citizen but my wife is and I am not but we could open a joint one.

You get an account with their branch in St Peter's Port on Guernsey and that is that. You still pay UK tax on the interest unless you notify them that you are not liable to pay UK tax.

The forms are online and the great thing about this one is that you only have to put on 100 pounds to activate the account. Most offshore accounts have minimum deposits of thousands of pounds.

http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/se.../Bank-Offshore

homebound

thanks, so much for the info, much appreciated... i am going to apply, see what happens...