caferacer59

Hi Ive just arrived in Norwich, and want to transfer some funds, thus have to open a bank account here....I remember reading a thread a while back about bank recommendations, which was OK, and not so OK, but for the life of me i cant fin the thread....can anyone recommend their experiences with opening an account...just need a basic account to transfer some funds from OZ and day to day to day banking...thx

Jackandvictor

Hi
I am with First Direct linked to HSBC. Great service and highly recommended. Website is Online and telephone banking 24 7 365 | first direct
Have a look at their reviews online.

caferacer59

Cheer sfor your reply....do they have branchs, I can actually go to, or is it just on line?

Jackandvictor

Hi
Just online and telephone, but I never needed to go into a branch much. Did deposit money into the HSBC branch occasionally but they also gave out envelopes to pay cheques in via the post office in Scotland since there were so few HSBC branches there. Very responsive to calls, quickly answered and very polite, knowledgeable staff.

robin1234

I recently opened an account successfully at M&S Bank. It's on the top floor of Marks and Spencer in Norwich. The setup interview was scheduled for one and a half hours - and it did actually take that long! The main qualification for being able to open an account is that you are a UK resident. I think I used my passport, a recent utility bill, and my (newly issued) photo card driving licence to prove residency and identity.

This is not a recommendation as such, I don't know whether this bank will prove better or worse than other banks.

Editha

I'm with FirstDirect, and they do have a good reputation, but they don't pay interest on credit balances, as several other banks do now.

Santander 123 is often recommended. They charge a monthly fee, but also pay interest on credit balances and offer money off utility bills.

Others that pay interest are Tesco Bank, Bank of Scotland, Nationwide, Lloyds, TSB and Halifax.

verystormy

We have set up with Halifax. They were very easy and only asked to see our passports. Bank cards arrived 2 days later. They also gave a £250 overdraft interest free.

Most will though want some ID for proof of address. If you give the council a call, they will send an interim council tax bill straight out.