Coming from overseas,.. Impossible to get a credit card!!!

wuvuddicu

Last month I moved to the UK from NZ. I would like to get a credit card, even a simple basic one, to build up a bit of credit history - I intend to buy a house and get a mortgage. Now, it seems impossible to get a credit card from a bank unless I have been in the UK for at least 6 months. Tried to use the Credit Card Eligibility Calculator on MSE, but it needs my home address in the UK for a number of years, which makes me dubious I can get a credit card at all. From MSE I see some cards can be obtained even with bad credit history (say the Aqua), but don't want to risk applying for one and then being rejected, thus making much harder for me to get a mortgage later on...

Any help on what card would be available for someone with no history in the UK would be much appreciated.

PS: Getting totally addicted to all MSE tips!

Voyager2002

Well, one application would not make any appreciable difference to your credit-worthiness, and even if you made several applications the effect would only last a few months. However, if you have a UK bank account you could ask your bank... and in any case the best advice is to be patient.

grumbler

You can start building your credit history without a credit card.
A bank account with overdraft.
A mobile contract (SIM-only is easier to get).
Catalogue cards are much easier to get than CCs. They are expensive for borrowing, but you don't have to borrow a lot and for a long time to get records in your history.

And don't forget to register on the Electoral Roll if you are eligible for voting.

agrinnall

grumbler wrote: »

They are expensive for borrowing, but you don't have to borrow a lot and for a long time to get records in your history.

They're only expensive if you actually borrow and pay interest though, pay off the full balance of each statement and it costs nothing.