Unable to open another Bank Account

websken

I am a British citizen but have lived in France for the last 8 years. I am spending more and more time staying with my Son and Daughter in law in the UK because of Grandchildren and I would find it beneficial to have a UK bank account that I could put money in for use when I am actually in the UK, which can be for an extended period of time.

I have been told, however, that as my principal address is in France, I am unable to open a UK bank account. I did suggest giving my Son's address but as it is not my main address this was not possible.

Is there any 'legal' way around this nonsensical rule? I know I could get my Son to open account in his name which I could use but having been a British citizen for 65 years I do not understand why I should have to.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Lith

You should of gave them your sons address and kept quite about it....


Now you won't get an account simply because you was 'honest'

Try and different bank and USE your sons address there is no 'LAW' against it. well not what i have seen.... i have 4 banks all tied to my friends address (because im abroad)

innovate

New onshore current accounts are generally only available to residents, regardless of nationality. If you are not a resident, you would need to lie on your application. Since you are probably not on the Electoral Register and credit agency databases now, you will most likely be asked to provide proof of address if you decide to pretend you are a resident. Such proof are things like utility bills, HMRC notices, bank and credit card statements.

If you already have a current account and move abroad, all banks will generally be fine with that, provided you give them your new address. Though that boat seems to have sailed for you?

Most of the major banks do have offshore organisations, so you could try your luck there. Also, you could try some of the Indian banks - State bank of India, Bank of Baruda, Punjabi International Bank. Not entirely sure whether they do current accounts for non-residents but I think they do savings accounts which come with MasterCard debit cards for non-residents. Worth checking them out.

macman

It's not a 'nonsensical rule'. You have lived in France for 8 years and are clearly not resident here in the UK, nor domiciled here for tax purposes.
Just because you have retained your British citizenship does not automatcally mean that you can open a UK bank account without the normal ID and address checks.
How many French banks would open an account for you in France if you were not resident there with a permanent address?

System

It would be application fraud amongst other things.

You've pretty much done the same thing by giving a false address to your various banks.

Lith wrote: »

Try and different bank and USE your sons address there is no 'LAW' against it. well not what i have seen.... i have 4 banks all tied to my friends address (because im abroad)

websken

Thanks innovate, I'll make enquires with the various options you gave me. Sorry Macman, it makes absolutly no sense at all. I am a retired civil servant so as you probably know I have to pay tax on my pension in the UK. I currently have a Nationwide flexaccount and two savings account and have had for over 30 years, and as you say they were quite happy to let me keep them when I moved to France. All I am asking is for another account with a debit card. The premium bonds are quite happy to send my [few] winnings to France. The Income Tax people are quite happy to take money off me and send me a returns form to France every year and to add insult to injury I have a friend who lives in New Zealand for 3 months, France for 4 months and UK for 5months every year, and would have no trouble opening an account. In fact I usually spend more time in the UK than he does.

websken

Finally, French Banks bend over backwards to allow Brits to open accounts in France, the only stipulation is they live in France for at least 3 months a year and have a permenent address [as I do in the UK] They even have their on line banking in English and French. As I said, nonsensical.

Archi_Bald

websken wrote: »

I currently have a Nationwide flexaccount and two savings account and have had for over 30 years, and as you say they were quite happy to let me keep them when I moved to France.

That sounds as if your original requirement is already solved?

websken wrote: »

I would find it beneficial to have a UK bank account that I could put money in for use when I am actually in the UK

websken wrote: »

All I am asking is for another account with a debit card.

Without asking why you need another account/card: was it at Nationwide you applied? How did you apply, from within your online banking? In branch? On the phone?

In my experience, adding another current account in your Nationwide online banking is straight forward though I do have a UK address.

[Deleted User]

Maybe an international bank like Citibank, HSBC, and so on could help?

innovate

HSBC UK have explicitly stopped offering current accounts to non-residents.

Don't know about Citibank but could well imagine that, as an American bank, they are even more paranoid than HSBC about falling foul of (US) legislation.

zerog

If you spend more than 6 months in the UK per tax year (which it sounds like you do) you are resident in the UK, end of story.

If you live at your son's house when you are in the UK, then that is your address.