UK account for Overseas, please!

Ricky12

I've banked with a UK bank for many years, then moved abroad & have tried getting them to change my address for a year (they don't accept email, fax, phone, only written instructions & we've been writing back & forth for 7 months now to try to prove my identity). Then I got blocked out of my online sign in but they will only send this to my old UK address so I cannot access my money or account.

I can't open another UK bank account as I can't find one that accepts people non-resident in the UK.

Any helpful suggestions?!

RetiredInThailand

I agree that these senseless ID requirements are a total and pointless pain in the backside. I also agree that in some parts of the world proving your address can be an equal pain. Where I am my utility bills dont even show my name, and letters from the UK can take 4 weeks or more to arrive, due to the senders not using airmail.

That said, I dont see how in 7 months you couldnt manage to get some sort of official letter posted to you that you could then send back to your bank to prove your address. Couldn't you ask for a state pension forecast, or a notice of coding from HMRC or something like that? The local police or immigration office of whatever country you are living in can normally provide some sort of residence confirmation. Failing that you might be able to get something from the British consulate though they will charge you an arm and a leg for anything they do for you.

Anyway, there are several banks that will open accounts for non-residents but you will still need to provide them with the same suitable address verification, so you may as well just sort it out with your existing bank at the same time.

missile

I have banked with RBS for 40 years. When I changed my business account to another branch, I could not believe it when they insisted on proof of ID and address.
These money laundering regs only inconvenience law abiding citizens. The crooks can easily circumvent them