Opening up UK Bank Account - Help!

ImFeelingLucky

OK Here is my predicament, I am starting a new job in the UK in July (the 20th), and I need to provide them with bank details before the start date. However, I am going to the US before from next week until the 14th of July and wont be able to go to the UK until I return, thus I wont be able to sort out accommodation (proof of address) until I start.
Irish citizen btw.

Any advice would be appreciated, Thanks.

BuffyBot

Seems odd that they need it from day 1, to be honest. Check with their HR department if it's truly nessecary.

Otherwise, the only other option is to see if you could get a NI bank to set up an account for you, using your ROI address.

If you're with AIB (known as First Trust up north)/BOI/Ulster/NIB (known as Northern in NI) etc maybe trying phoning one or two NI branches, see what they would need from you and work from there. They might be more sympathetic if your a client of their sister organisations down south. Ask your existing branch if they are willing to write a reference for you as it might also help persuade the bank in NI to open an account for you.

thepensioner

Hi there,

If you can spare the time the answer is really simple. Get in your car & drive up to Newry, & simply walk into a branch & ask to open an account. Both BOI & AIB (First Trust) have branches in Newry. I opened one with BOI. You don't need an appointment but you will have about a 30min chat / interview with a bank representative. Make sure you bring ID with you. From memory I brought Passport, Bank Statement, Utility Bill, some Revenue document with my PPS no. on it. I also brought some additional stuff like payslips etc. Best having too much rather than too little. I think the interview is to work out why you want the account & also to see if they can sell you other products. They sorted the account then & there. Formal acknowledgement came in the post a few days later. Oh yea, bring some cash to lodge.

You can solve this problem tomorrow. Good luck.

stepbar

Our of courtesy, I would strongly advise you make an appointment before you arrive at the branch. I opened an account in the North and had to make an appointment (and I work for the same bank).

I would bring your passport, driving licence, 2 utility bills and an UTD bank statement. If you are with the same bank down south I wouldn't worry about needing a reference / bank statement as the info is accessable. Should be more than enough.

BuffyBot

You could also look at HSBC Passport (http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-accounts/passport).

£60 cost, but might be convenient in your situation.

ImFeelingLucky

thepensioner wrote: »

Hi there,

If you can spare the time the answer is really simple. Get in your car & drive up to Newry, & simply walk into a branch & ask to open an account. Both BOI & AIB (First Trust) have branches in Newry. I opened one with BOI. You don't need an appointment but you will have about a 30min chat / interview with a bank representative. Make sure you bring ID with you. From memory I brought Passport, Bank Statement, Utility Bill, some Revenue document with my PPS no. on it. I also brought some additional stuff like payslips etc. Best having too much rather than too little. I think the interview is to work out why you want the account & also to see if they can sell you other products. They sorted the account then & there. Formal acknowledgement came in the post a few days later. Oh yea, bring some cash to lodge.

You can solve this problem tomorrow. Good luck.

Good suggestion, appreciated. However I am in Cork and will be working flat out finishing current project before I go Stateside.

BuffyBot wrote: »

You could also look at HSBC Passport (http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-accounts/passport).

£60 cost, but might be convenient in your situation.

Great find, seems like a runner. Think I will get over the £60 as its an almost hassle free process for myself. Thanks.

chopley

ImFeelingLucky wrote: »

Good suggestion, appreciated. However I am in Cork and will be working flat out finishing current project before I go Stateside.

Great find, seems like a runner. Think I will get over the £60 as its an almost hassle free process for myself. Thanks.

Waste of money! They'll also probably send your bank cards, etc. to your address in Cork. Not very handy. You could just wait till you get there and open an account at a local branch. As long as your new employer gets your bank details before they process the salary payments, it'll be fine.

Alternatively, if you have a friend or relative in the UK, you could give their account details and have the money paid into their account. I did this when I moved to the Netherlands to work as it gave me more time to find a place to live (+ proof of address) and open an account myself.

stepbar

I would not recommend what you're saying there. Fair enough opening an account when you get over to the UK but asking a friend to accept your first months wages is beyond belief. You could get into trouble for suggesting same.

chopley

stepbar wrote: »

I would not recommend what you're saying there. Fair enough opening an account when you get over to the UK but asking a friend to accept your first months wages is beyond belief. You could get into trouble for suggesting same.

How do you work that out then? Obviously by friend, I mean someone you trust implicitly!

Kotek Besar

I opened an account online, with the Nationwide. Had to put my address as a BFPO so that it'd accept it sans postcode, but it worked. I've had the account for over 6 months now. Soon after I opened the account I called Nationwide to ask them to correct my address formatting, informing that I'm not a resident of a BFPO, I'm a resident of Ireland. They said yup, that's fine, and updated my details accordingly.

Toots

chopley wrote: »

How do you work that out then? Obviously by friend, I mean someone you trust implicitly!

You'd wanna be damn sure they're a very very very good friend. I wouldn't be comfortable with that idea at all, nor would I agree to receive someone else's wages if I was in the friend's position.

Is there any way the company would wire the first month's salary to your Irish account to give you time to get set up in the UK?

daithijjj

I opened an account with lloyds tsb in 1998, hadnt been living in the uk long. Got a work colleague to pop in with me to the branch as they were with lloyds tsb, they signed a form to state i was living and working in the uk, cant remember the term used for this, it was a similar situation to a referee for a passport application. I was in and out in 15 mins by appointment. No hassle whatsoever. By the way, i have paid wages into the RBS in the uk for partners of staff who are without a bank account....ie. polish people and foreign students. It was strictly a temporary arrangement. I have witnessed irish staff do the same in the uk on a temporary basis (a few weeks) until bank accounts are sorted out. Its not a big deal if the employee makes a request for this.