Best bank account for expat

RetiredInThailand

Geeby wrote: »

The whole of my savings are in a bank in the country in which I am currently working but I now need to start transferring those savings to the UK.

You dont need a UK address to open a UK bank account, though it can make it easier and some banks just dont want non-resident customers at all.
All you really need is proof of ID and proof of address (anywhere).

You dont say how much the savings amount to, or how you want them tied up (or not), but assuming that they are below GBP85,000 and that you want instant access, why not look at one of the Indian UK banks? They have no trouble taking on non-resident depositors and will apply form R105 so that you can get interest paid gross whilst you are still non-resident. They also do time-deposits and some of them offer the best rates currently available. (And mine even sends me a nice box of nuts for Diwali :j)

Of course if you have more than 85K or other special requirements then you may need to find a second or third bank. Either way, even as non-resident, having opened one account when you actually return to the UK and change the address on that account to a UK one you will be able to use that documentation to open other accounts as needed.