Can one apply for a credit card if money is earned from abroad?

GloriaShaw85

My sister’s husband works for a company based in Abu Dhabi ie earns in Dhirams. He wants to apply for a UK credit card. Is this possible, as he told me they asked for the company’s postcode and phone number and only gave uk options. 

retiredbanker1

If he is domiciled abroad for tax reasons then he will find it very difficult to get any banking facilities from high street banks.
They all have offshore options where I suggest he looks further for information.

GloriaShaw85

For the next few years he’s been posted in the UK to work and find clients to invest in the UAE

eskbanker

If he's a UK resident then he should pass the initial question when applying for UK financial products, but his credit status is likely to be an issue if he has little history of UK credit activity, so may need to start at the bottom, unless he's already built up some history via other means, such as phone contracts, etc.

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/credit-cards/bad-credit-credit-cards/

GloriaShaw85

So one application asked for the company name, address and post code and it wasn’t possible to choose another country other than the uk 

eskbanker

GloriaShaw85 said:

So one application asked for the company name, address and post code and it wasn’t possible to choose another country other than the uk 

In which case he'd need to contact that card provider and ask them if that reflects a policy decision of theirs or if it's just a flawed website design.

Has he tried other card providers?

cymruchris

How long has he been here, and are there existing credit accounts/bank accounts/utilities in his name?

lr1277

Post edited as I thought OP’s BIL was in UAE.

2nd Edit: If you are not aware, Amex let you open an account in a new country if you have an accunt with them in your current country of residence, and also if they operate in the new country. I don't know if it is a case of move your account or they make it easy to open a new account in the destination country, but either way you potentially could get a credit card in your destination country. I just don't know the timescales involved.

Amex offer cards in both UAE and UK.

GloriaShaw85

Thanks everyone for the input. He’s been in the UK since 2019, and has bank accounts but never applied for a credit card. He has utilities in his name and he pays for them. In the UAE, He also doesn’t have any credit cards. 

lr1277

Does his UK bank offer a credit card? If so they will be the best place to apply as they have already accepted him as a customer.

cymruchris

GloriaShaw85 said:

Thanks everyone for the input. He’s been in the UK since 2019, and has bank accounts but never applied for a credit card. He has utilities in his name and he pays for them. In the UAE, He also doesn’t have any credit cards. 

If he's been here since 2019 then there should be a credit history footprint of some kind if he has existing bank accounts and utilities. Has he checked his credit reference history to see if it shows him at his current address?

It would be worth running eligibility checkers with the bank that handles his salary to start with - and maybe try a few others directly on the lenders websites. As he potentially has a thin credit history - it's likely that many card providers will be wary of offering high credit limits/the best deals - so you may find that to 'get established' he might need a 'credit-builder' style credit card initially (no matter his salary or status) - these include such providers as Vanquis, Aqua and Capital One. (All have eligibility checkers on their respective websites) Once you've had one of these for a year, and managed it well - you usually you get access to better products from more mainstream providers. But for now I'd start with the bank that provides his main current account and see what they say.

I recall Amex wants to know where you work down to postcode detail - but not every lender does. If he works from home - then technically that can be his work address. However with all applications for credit - the key is consistency of data. Every time an application is made to most financial institutions, a record is kept of what you've said in terms of where you live, your salary, how long you've lived there etc., so ensure that he doesn't try and 'game' the system by changing things around to try and suit an application.