Foreign National Opening a Bank Account

Tils

Hi,

Wondering if anyone has any advice please.

My girlfriend who is not a British or EEC national would like to open an account. She has not been here for very long and has no "proof" of address as she lives with me (legally).

Does anyone know of a current account or something she can simply hold her money. and get a cash card, which she can open with just her passport? or ways to do this.

Overdraft limits etc. aren't needed at this point ...really I'm concerned about her carrying cash everywhere.

Unfortunately she doesn't have any proof of address from her original country either other than a rental agreement of her flat. She's also not working due to Visa not allowing her to be able to.

Thanks

johnmoney05

Tils wrote: »

Unfortunately she doesn't have any proof of address from her original country either other than a rental agreement of her flat. She's also not working due to Visa not allowing her to be able to.

Thanks

Just wondering if she is not working, and not a student. What is she going to do with the bank account? Or, what is she going to do in the country? Tourist?

BrandNewDay

johnmoney05 wrote: »

Just wondering if she is not working, and not a student. What is she going to do with the bank account? Or, what is she going to do in the country? Tourist?

I was going to guess that she's here on a fiancee visa, but the OP didn't say she was his fiancee.

Anyway, as an American who came here after marrying a Brit, I was able to get an account with Barclay's pretty easily. However, I lucked out. Many foreign nationals have a hard time.

The first thing she'll need is to be on your council tax. All you have to do is call the council and ask them to put her on it with you. A council tax bill and a passport is generally sufficient, but it depends on the bank and the branch and the person she happens to talk to that day.

I got a bank account within a week of arriving in the UK by showing council tax and passport, and there may have been a few other things I brought.

I just opened another bank account today, but I've been here a year, now. I had council tax notice, passport, marriage certificate to prove I have a different last name than the one in my passport, and I also brought a phone bill, bank statements from Barclays, and credit card statements. It was more than enough.

Moonbeam

You can open a basic bank account with Halifax called "Easycash" - postal application, don't need proof of address a current passport is acceptable ID. Just pop into your local branch and pick up a pack.

It comes with visa electron, allows automated debits & credits, but offers no credit facilities i.e overdraft.

Tils

Thanks for the replies....sounds good news then

BrandNewDay do you remember the account name for barclays?

diamonds

Id say go to your bank with her, she prob get it there when you explain.......

BrandNewDay

Tils wrote: »

Thanks for the replies....sounds good news then

BrandNewDay do you remember the account name for barclays?

Um, just a current account. I got no overdraft, as I had no credit history in the UK. However, I did get a credit card with a limit of £240.

Jarlawuk

HSBC recently launched a 'international' account for people with passports that recently arrived in england that comes with a maestro card if I remember correctly, check out their website.