after spending months reading the forum and the web I decided to get a HSBC passport account upon my return as this has been advertised as the best way to go.
On returning this proved extremely difficult with the branch I went in demanding farmore and not really understanding how the account works
we decided instead to walk accross the raod into Barclays and after making an appointment we managed to set up a UK bank account with just our passports in less than an hour, debit cards arriving within 3 days
shame HSBC could not do this for its own citizens in the UK!

I had no problem opening up an account with Bank of Scotland..

nationwide were easy too!

Sometimes it's not the company at fault, you just get the wrong person on the other side of the counter.

So true, we were told absolute rubbish by one HSBC branch but the next one gave all the correct information

That is still the company's fault.

Certainly, but there is nothing to be gained (and much to be lost) by arguing with clowns.

Almost all expats will have long since learned with wisdom of forum shopping.

I had a similar experience in Warwickshire. I enquired at HSBC but they were so unhelpful despite me having a bank draft from Oz from the sale of my house, I walked down the road to Barclays and within minutes was assisted to open an account.

Hi janeyk,

I'll need to open a UK account in a about a months time, and have been trawling the internet trying to find a solution. The last time I was in Uk I also tried to open an account with HSBC and had no success at all with the branch I tried. I had read all the online horror stories about opening an UK account and so when HSBC gave me the 'go bye', I assumed that they were all true.

You say "with just your passports", were these UK passports ? and did Barclay's not ask for any supporting documents, proof of residency, earnings, employment etc ?

I'm now retired so my income is reduced but I own my property in Australia outright and have substantial savings plus a decent income but whenever I try to apply for an account online, I seem to be rejected.

Any further details of your account opening experience with Barkley's would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Hino

Hino,

Have you tried contacting HSBC in Oz? We opened our UK based, GBP account, whilst living in Canada. They opened a Cdn based account for Cdn dollars and a Cdn account for GBP's. Then, after major form filling, they sent details of our Cdn credit record to the UK and our UK acct was opened. We then received, at our Cdn address, Credit and Debit cards from the UK. We have been able to move money easily from our Cdn based accts to the UK and after being home since last August we are still using HSBC.

If you only have a month left, I am not sure if all of the above would be completed in that time frame, but it is a possible option for you.

I haven't opened an account, since being back, but from what I have read, you will need proof of ID e.g Passport, proof of UK address, e.g. Utility/council tax bill with your name on it. good luck

We tried in NZ to do this to no avail the Barlclays Bank just wanted our UK passports that was enough. Having fun now trying to renew my UK driving licence phot card which expired while I was away
Can not do this online as they want the last 3 years UK address's and will not accept if some of the time its been abroad so have to do this the manual way oh Joy! (to also do it online you also have had to replaced your UK passport in the last 5 years)

Thanks so much for the info. I've nothing but good things about HSBC so it's good to get the other side of the story. Definitely adding Barclays to my list

I'm banking with Nationwide--they were lovely when I first arrived and I've found their customer service to be excellent. (If you call their customer line you get through straight away, unlike HSBC which would keep me on hold 20 minutes).

I was fortunate in that I had an old account I'd never closed with Nationwide so when I arrived back they just added a flex account to it and off I went--took all of 5 minutes. I also had an account with HSBC that I'd been paying off an overdraft with and I closed it the moment I could--I've had *so* many bad experiences dealing with HSBC from abroad that I just never wanted anything to do with them again. When I went in to close the account they asked me why and I talked the guy through all the issues I'd had with their call centres...he wasn't surprised. :|

Hi if1,

I tried the route of opening an HSBC UK account from Australia following advice I received from someone on this site, but I found that it was just too difficult. I had to first open a HSBC Australian account as well as a UK account. And as you have stated, the form filling was a mega task and also the service was far from cheap. Though I do recall that I received first class service from company when I made my enquiry. They gave me my own 'consultant' and a direct contact number for the person.

I've just finished 'speaking' with a Barkclays online consultant. I explained my situation, Australian returning to UK with no proof of residency and he informed me that all I needed to open a UK currency account was my passport. I checked with him a total of three times, explaining that I would not have utility bills, rent book or any proof at all that I was a UK resident and he was adamant that all I needed was my passport. I'll update with a report on what actually happens at the branch when I get to UK......wish me luck