Citizenship requirements for NATwest current accounts

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stoozie1
stoozie1 Posts: 656 Forumite
in Budgeting & bank accounts
Hi there,

does anyone happen to know what constraints on citizenship/length of time lived in UK there are to open a Natwest current account?

I can't find the relevant T and Cs

Thanks!
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  • jonesMUFCforever
    jonesMUFCforever Posts: 28,898 Forumite
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    It will depend on the type of account and the benefits/facilities that will go with it.
    It will also depend on your residency here.
    Most people will be eligible for at least a basic account.
  • eskbanker
    eskbanker Posts: 31,066 Forumite
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    http://personal.natwest.com/personal/current-accounts/what-do-you-need-to-open-a-current-account.html covers their standard verification process (which doesn't explicitly have any residency duration specified) but they'll also run a credit check which would presumably give thinner than usual results for a new arrival....
  • adindas
    adindas Posts: 6,813 Forumite
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    stoozie1 wrote: »
    Hi there,

    does anyone happen to know what constraints on citizenship/length of time lived in UK there are to open a Natwest current account?

    I can't find the relevant T and Cs

    Thanks!

    Many international students here in the UK have bank accounts from UK high street banks as soon as they arrive in the UK. Including Nat west, HSBC, Barclay, RBS.

    Many of them has never been or lived in the UK.

    So I could imagine there are no such kind of residential requirements. But initially they will not give you an overdraft facility or credit cards .
  • Don80
    Don80 Posts: 300 Forumite
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    edited 13 October 2017 at 11:16AM
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    adindas wrote: »
    Many international students here in the UK have bank accounts from UK high street banks as soon as they arrive in the UK. Including Nat west, HSBC, Barclay, RBS.

    Many of them has never been or lived in the UK.

    So I could imagine there are no such kind of residential requirements. But initially they will not give you an overdraft facility or credit cards .

    International students often need to be studying a course of a minimum length to open a UK account. Some banks only need a month, others a year or more.
    TSB when it was part of LBG was one of the banks that it was a month, so I assume Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and Halifax would be the same. RBS (so I assume Natwest too) needed a year.

    It all depends on why someone is in the UK and what kind of visa they have (if applicable). So a tourist wouldn't be able to open an account, someone working or studying should be able to.
  • adindas
    adindas Posts: 6,813 Forumite
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    edited 13 October 2017 at 12:31PM
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    Don80 wrote: »
    International students often need to be studying a course of a minimum length to open a UK account. Some banks only need a month, others a year or more.
    TSB when it was part of LBG was one of the banks that it was a month, so I assume Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and Halifax would be the same. RBS (so I assume Natwest too) needed a year.

    It all depends on why someone is in the UK and what kind of visa they have (if applicable). So a tourist wouldn't be able to open an account, someone working or studying should be able to.

    Well, are we talking about resident or tourist ??
    I understand a tourist is not a resident as they do not have permanent address here in the UK. Also unlike an international student in the UK who get limited leave to remain a tourist will get a tourist Visa.

    I don't think any bank in any country will allow people on tourist visa to open a bank account. If it did happen how chaotic it is. People could also use it for money laundry using their hotel address and then the next day moving to other hotel, so can not be tracked....
  • Flobberchops
    Flobberchops Posts: 1,279 Forumite
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    As long as you have a permanent UK address (as opposed to a PO box or hotel address), time in the country shouldn't be an issue.
    : )
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