if you have arrived from Europe can you get a credit card easily?

building

friends of mine have just arrived from france where they have been living for the last 2 years before that in ireland. how easy is it for them to get a 0% interest free card? what should they do first? thanks in advance.

KTF

Do they have a UK bank account and/or any traceable credit history?

building

what are options?

KTF wrote:

Do they have a UK bank account and/or any traceable credit history?

Reaper

Their problem is likely to be a lack of credit history. If they do not have any (eg from having a UK bank account) then their chances of getting a 0% card are low.

Click on the "Credit Rating" link in the blue box above to read about credit histories and credit scoring.

More likely they will need to start more modestly by opening a bank account and getting on the electoral role asap (if they are British), then applying for a credit card through their bank, even if it is not 0%, to try to build up a credit history.

jonesMUFCforever

In short the answer is no unless you have been in UK for at least 3 years.
This reply relates to main UK banks etc can't answer for what MBNA or Capital One etc might do.

grumbler

Reaper wrote:

...and getting on the electoral role asap (if they are British)

AFAIK EU nationals can do this too ...

pagan705

I lived in france for 14 years. When I returned to the uk 2 years ago and I had real problems to even get a bank account let alone a credit card. I was staying with my mother so had no proof of address (no bills etc) In the end my brother opened another account in his name for me to use & pay my wages into.

I couldn't get an account from any bank in my own name until I had moved into my flat and got the tenancy agreement from the landlord !
About 8 months later I managed to get a 29.9% capital one card.

I think it would be very unlikely they could get a 0% card with no credit file.

I wanted to open a Alliance & leciester account ...but need 5 years worth of addresses in the uk ...still have 2 years to wait !!!