Paying UK NHS without a UK bank acct.
#1
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Hi all,
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?
TIA
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?
TIA

#2
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Do it by BACS.

#3
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You could use something like Transferwise to send the money from your US bank directly to the UK bank listed in the BACS details, or just pay a little extra and pay it directly using your US bank.

#4
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Thank you for the replies, I will look into transferwise.

#5

Hi all,
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?TIA
Not it sure if this is the right forum but I was wondering if anyone has ever received a bill from the NHS as a non resident British citizen. The option on the invoice is to send payment by BACS or cheque, but what if you don't have a UK bank, how can the payment be made?TIA
Be sure you open what Transferwise call a "Borderless Account"
I believe that's the only way you'll be able to make a BACS payment from the US if you don't have an actual UK bank.

#6
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https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“
Last edited by durham_lad; Jul 29th 2019 at 12:55 pm.

#7
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Not sure this is correct, I have sent money directly to bank accounts in Ireland and Australia that are not my own using XE.com, and I would have thought that Transferwise also does not insist that the money you send is only to one of your own bank accounts. Worth asking them first I expect.
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“

#8

Not sure this is correct, I have sent money directly to bank accounts in Ireland and Australia that are not my own using XE.com, and I would have thought that Transferwise also does not insist that the money you send is only to one of your own bank accounts. Worth asking them first I expect.
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how...nsferwise-work
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
“Tell us who you’re sending the money to, along with their local bank details. You can send money to yourself, someone else, or a business, depending on the country.
Your recipient doesn’t need a TransferWise account to get their money. Just a bank account.
My point was only that BACS payments are restricted to interbank transmissions within the UK. They are much like EFTs in the States. That being the case - I bellieve OP's funds would need to "originate" at a UK bank for a payment to be made in this manner. I never said a Borderless Account was required to send payments internationally.
I just called TransferWise to confirm. They told me the following:
1. I'm absolutely correct re BACS
2. Currently however, TransferWise are only able to receive BACS payments, not to send them !
3. Instead, Transferwise use either CHAPS or FPS (Faster Payments Service)
4. In most cases (but not always)...if an entity( eg the NHS) is set up to receive BACS transmissions - they'll also be able to receive FPS, but the OP should probably check if that's the case.
5.OP won't need to open a Borderless Account
Last edited by MMcD; Jul 29th 2019 at 3:19 pm.

#9
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OP said he was required to send payment as a BACS transmission (or a cheque).
My point was only that BACS payments are restricted to interbank transmissions within the UK. They are much like EFTs in the States. That being the case - I bellieve OP's funds would need to "originate" at a UK bank for a payment to be made in this manner. I never said a Borderless Account was required to send payments internationally.
I just called TransferWise to confirm. They told me the following:
1. I'm absolutely correct re BACS
2. Currently however, TransferWise are only able to receive BACS payments, not to send them !
3. Instead, Transferwise use either CHAPS or FPS (Faster Payments Service)
4. In most cases (but not always)...if an entity( eg the NHS) is set up to receive BACS transmissions - they'll also be able to receive FPS, but the OP should probably check if that's the case.
5.OP won't need to open a Borderless Account

#10

Check the requirements for the memo field for the NHS, if you are required to use that to detail to which account the funds aught to be deposited to. I opened a couple of accounts with currency exchange sites only to find the memo field they offered was not long enough to satisfy the NI contributions. I finally found OFX and have been using them ever since
https://www.ofx.com/en-us/
https://www.ofx.com/en-us/
