Best bank account for EU PhD student

Splinters_2

Hello all!

My girlfriend is currently studying for her PhD at the Open University in Milton Keynes. She currently has a Natwest account which comes with a Solo card.

Unfortunately, even though she is Portuguese and all of us in Europe are supposed be be chums, she can't get all the good accounts we Brits can.

She has been here for 14 months, and will be here for at least another 2 years. Does anyone have any experiences of getting a better account, and something more accepted than a Solo card? Obviously I doubt she will get the big interest accounts, but as a poor student, anything to help would be marvellous.

I would have gotten her to post, but she is one of those "can't be bothered to change" types that the banks all love

Any help would be very much appreciated!!

Russ

capstain411

Hi Russ,

I would personally suggest HSBC student current account. I had this account all throughtout my uni life. Superb service as far as I am concerned. And you tend to get most of the benefits even after you graduate.

Now i am not sure whether they will consider Phd's as students, because sometimes doctrate can be work based or project based when you can not necessarily be classed as a student.

Do make sure you apply for HSBC student current account and not HSBC international student account.

Splinters_2

The only problem with that, is that HSBC require you to have lived here for at least 3 years. I guess she is doomed to be a 2nd rate citizen in my lovely country!

Voyager2002

Say hello to her from me: I also did my PhD (full-time) at the OU!

Anyway, since she has been living and banking in the UK for more than a year, she should have access to the same accounts as would a UK postgrad.

I would suggest Smile: their customer service is good; their student account comes with a large overdraft and unlike Halifax this is actually available to most students with the account. You apply on-line, and if accepted they ask you to post various documents to confirm identity, etc. Note that the standard acceptance page says that you must be British to have an account, but when I rang to query that (my OH is Chinese) they said that what they really meant was that you had to have a British address.