Bank account for international student: how to get one?

Voyager2002

Hi,

My wife is Chinese and has just arrived in the UK to begin a PhD. She has funding, but so far has not found a bank willing to give her an account. Obviously, she has no UK credit history and is not on the electoral register.

Any ideas and/or relevant experiences?

misskool

The university where she starts would often give her a recommendation letter to open a bank account to confirm that she is a student. Most banks offer limited student accounts for international students. When their credit with the bank improves they will give them a better account. Just off the top of my head, Barclays requires a £2000 deposit and a recommendation letter, with proof of being a student, a confirmed address (tenancy agreement), you can get a visa debit card and no overdraft. HSBC does not require a large deposit but you only get a solo debit card (which is pants, really).

Why not just open a joint account for her funding to be paid in as I presume you have a credit history?

Voyager2002

She does have all the documents that are mentioned in the first reply. Halifax do indicate that their student account is open to international students.

A joint account would present other difficulties (tax, etc) but fundamentally she wants to operate this account independently.

Savvy_Sue

Voyager2002 wrote:

A joint account would present other difficulties (tax, etc) but fundamentally she wants to operate this account independently.

Leaving aside whatever tax difficulties there are, there's nothing to stop her opening a joint account with you, and you leaving her to it, is there? then after a few months she could perhaps change it to a sole account.

misskool

Voyager2002 wrote:

She does have all the documents that are mentioned in the first reply. Halifax do indicate that their student account is open to international students.

A joint account would present other difficulties (tax, etc) but fundamentally she wants to operate this account independently.

Don't listen to Halifax, they tell you all sorts of stories to sign you up, ie you get a switch card, credit card etc etc but then you find out that international students need to have a plain account for one year before they issue it to you.

From previous experience, Barclays, then HSBC, then Natwest for international students.

And agree with Savvy Sue, why not open a joint account for her to use for a while until she gets the hang of things and can open a standard bank account? Surely you have your own personal account for your own use?

bonecase

I was an international student when I arrived this country 3 years ago. I opened my first bank account with Barclays. They gave me an international account, a VISA debit card and even a student credit card with £250 credit limit. Good enough. I have £3500 credit limit now on this card, which was chaged to a graduate card.

My university sugguseted HSBC, Natwest and Lloys TSB as well. I would avoid HSBC becasue they charge £6 per month these days. Natwest only issue solo card for international students. No idea about Lloys TSB.

Link to Barclays International student account

http://www.wealth.barclays.com/BRC1/jsp/brccontrol?site=int&task=channelFWgroup&value=98&target=_self

Hope it helps.