Proof of address

Jeanious

hey, i dunno if this has a more suitable forum so mods, feel free to move it!

anyway, im an Irish citizen (born and bred) and ive recently moved to england, and am just lookin for any advice on where to start with legally prooving my address? specifically i want to get a uk bank account (which i know are notoriously hard to get) and trade in my full irish licence for a uk one.

Also, i presume i can still vote in the irish elections yeah? After how many years livin in england does that expire?

Here's the thing though, I havent got a job yet, none of the bills are in my name, and im not even sure if the landlord knows im here! (3 of us here in total and the other two came over two weeks before me and sorted all that stuff out) so ya could say officially no-one knows im here.

So where do i start?

Someone told me i could get my irish bank statement directed over here as a start, but BOI have a note on the form which says: "to comply with the taxation of savings regulation, if you hold an interest bearing account, please provide proof of your new address to youre account holding branch". I just have a bog standard current account, which give very minimal interest i know, but whats the legal situation on that? Interest is interest is interest i presume, therefore makin it an interest bearing account?

I know theres a load of issues her (regional, banking, politics, motoring etc so thats why i thought legal would be most appropriate.)

grumpytrousers

coyle wrote:

hey, i dunno if this has a more suitable forum so mods, feel free to move it!

anyway, im an Irish citizen (born and bred) and ive recently moved to england, and am just lookin for any advice on where to start with legally prooving my address? specifically i want to get a uk bank account (which i know are notoriously hard to get) and trade in my full irish licence for a uk one.

Also, i presume i can still vote in the irish elections yeah? After how many years livin in england does that expire?

Here's the thing though, I havent got a job yet, none of the bills are in my name, and im not even sure if the landlord knows im here! (3 of us here in total and the other two came over two weeks before me and sorted all that stuff out) so ya could say officially no-one knows im here.

So where do i start?

Someone told me i could get my irish bank statement directed over here as a start, but BOI have a note on the form which says: "to comply with the taxation of savings regulation, if you hold an interest bearing account, please provide proof of your new address to youre account holding branch". I just have a bog standard current account, which give very minimal interest i know, but whats the legal situation on that? Interest is interest is interest i presume, therefore makin it an interest bearing account?

I know theres a load of issues her (regional, banking, politics, motoring etc so thats why i thought legal would be most appropriate.)

wow - i'm a font today...

there's always something like this which might be of help, or you could just ask your home branch to write a letter vouching for you and go to that banks equivalent in the UK...it's how i got sorted with a bank of ireland account over there...this was back in 1999 when the likes of the hsbc thing weren't available.

anyway - they sorted me out with a current account, switch card and credit card. service was okay, but in terms of high st presence, it was negligible, but then who the frig goes to their bank anymore anyhoo!

Jeanious

cool man thanks for the help. What did ya need to set up the BOI account? Ive had an irish BOI account for years but for some reason thought that the UK and Irish versions would be totally separate...or somethin.

Checked out that hsbc before alright, but its might dear, £60 or somethin for the year.


Also, anyone got any info on voting etc?
any help will be much appreciated.

Our man in Havana

You are not allowed to vote unless you are resident in Ireland, the only exceptions are for diplomatic staff and members of the defence forces overseas.

You can register away to vote in England if you wish, but you will be on the radar for council tax. So maybe not a good thing.

Victor

Get your home branch of BOI to write a reference for a UK branch of BOI, assuming they have somewhere local.

grumpytrousers

coyle wrote:

cool man thanks for the help. What did ya need to set up the BOI account? Ive had an irish BOI account for years but for some reason thought that the UK and Irish versions would be totally separate...or somethin.

They're different banking systems, but the same company; i transferred money from my uk acc to my dad in Ireland and it went thru the same day...so they're 'close' in that sense, yet in different countries...

as for the 60 per year for hsbc...i take your point, but frankly, if that had been available to me, back in the day, i'd have taken it...spread it out over the year, mind, and it's less than a quid a week or summat...

i'd think that other banks offer similar services, btw, so on your next saturday morning, i suggest you head down your local high st and ask around!

Jeanious

grumpytrousers wrote:

as for the 60 per year for hsbc...i take your point, but frankly, if that had been available to me, back in the day, i'd have taken it...spread it out over the year, mind, and it's less than a quid a week or summat

yeah thats true alright. i had a gander round today and sadly bank of ireland here (liverpool) is only for business customers. went to a few other, RBS, Llodys etc, and they all need proof of address aswell. One of them told me itd be grand to just get my name put on the gas bill or whatever but as someone said wouldnt that put me on the radar for council tax etc? Not that im a tax dodger but i dont wanna be payin tax when i dont have a job really. So it looks like under the mattress will have to do till i get sorted properly!

johnnyskeleton

As a very last resort, you might try contacting your local police station and ask them to register your address and then certify that to the bank.

Obviously this would not be an option for anyone who intends to pursue a career in international crime, but most police services are there not just to catch criminals, but also to provide civic functions like this.

I think this is a fairly standard procedure when you are applying for a non-resident account in another country (i.e. living in Ireland but opening an account in England), so maybe they will do it in the circumstances.

However, I do not know what the general attitude of the Merseyside police is to something like this, and I apologise if they laugh at you or stare blankly at you.

grumpytrousers

coyle wrote:

yeah thats true alright. i had a gander round today and sadly bank of ireland here (liverpool) is only for business customers. went to a few other, RBS, Llodys etc, and they all need proof of address aswell. One of them told me itd be grand to just get my name put on the gas bill or whatever but as someone said wouldnt that put me on the radar for council tax etc? Not that im a tax dodger but i dont wanna be payin tax when i dont have a job really. So it looks like under the mattress will have to do till i get sorted properly!

Balls to that; if you're meant to be paying tax, you should pay tax. if you're not earning, then you won't be paying much. The Gas Board AFAIK won't go telling Merseyside council that you live there...there's Data Protection at work here...

Jeanious

well i finally got a bank account at least. Went to HSBC with me irish passport, irish drivin licence, lease and gas bill in my friends name, and a letter from her sayin i live where we live. They took all my details and somehow i ended up with a basic account! Dunno how it went through really, they said thats the account that they give to old people etc who wouldnt have a drivers license or passport or whatever, but fu<k it, i have me account and im happy, so id recommend anyone to do the same and just chance it!

johnnyskeleton

coyle wrote:

well i finally got a bank account at least. Went to HSBC with me irish passport, irish drivin licence, lease and gas bill in my friends name, and a letter from her sayin i live where we live. They took all my details and somehow i ended up with a basic account! Dunno how it went through really, they said thats the account that they give to old people etc who wouldnt have a drivers license or passport or whatever, but fu<k it, i have me account and im happy, so id recommend anyone to do the same and just chance it!

I might suggest that you put a tenner in, order a statement, and then when it arrives in the post bring it into that bank (or another one) and open a real account.

Gobán Saor

coyle wrote:

....specifically i want to get a uk bank account (which i know are notoriously hard to get)

Just seen this thread. Not so sure UK bank accounts are all that hard to come by? I live in dublin and I needed a UK bank account for various reasons. I simply drove to Newry and opened an account in Ulster Bank there using my Dublin address. Used passport for identification and existing southern account for proof af address. No problem whatsoever, perfectly routine operation.

I presume (though it has never arisen) that I can change the address on that account to anywhere else in Ireland, UK or outer Mongolia for that matter.

johnnyskeleton

Gob&#225 wrote: »

I presume (though it has never arisen) that I can change the address on that account to anywhere else in Ireland, UK or outer Mongolia for that matter.

The problem is not changing your address but rather the banks need ID when an account is opened to avoid money laundering. Once the account is opened you can change the address all you like, although some banks may require proof.