Can I open an account with UK banks?

byebytoad

Hi, I wanted to ask if it's possible to open a bank account (I'm interested in savings account) with a UK bank.
I checked few of them and tried to apply online, but all of them require to be a UK resident to open an account with them.

Jet Black

byebytoad wrote: »

Hi, I wanted to ask if it's possible to open a bank account (I'm interested in savings account) with a UK bank.
I checked few of them and tried to apply online, but all of them require to be a UK resident to open an account with them.

Thats it, you need to be a resident in the country you are opening the account in. So unless you have home in the UK/NI you cant really open an account there.

BuffyBot

Some people have had luck opening accounts in NI banks using their ROI addresses etc. Ring a few and ask - but remember, some UK savings products wont be available to anyone without a UK National Insurance number.

In_tuition

byebytoad wrote: »

Hi, I wanted to ask if it's possible to open a bank account (I'm interested in savings account) with a UK bank.
I checked few of them and tried to apply online, but all of them require to be a UK resident to open an account with them.

You need an address it's also handy to have a National Insurance Number but it's something you won't have unless you are living there and have gone for your interview. So opening a regular account is pretty much out of the question.

But there is some options, for instance Lloyds International service allows user's to have access to a bank account

Lloyds International

HSBC Offshore Banking

HSBC have something similar

HSBC

byebytoad

In_tuition wrote: »

You need an address it's also handy to have a National Insurance Number but it's something you won't have unless you are living there and have gone for your interview. So opening a regular account is pretty much out of the question.

But there is some options, for instance Lloyds International service allows user's to have access to a bank account

Lloyds International

HSBC Offshore Banking

HSBC have something similar

HSBC

The fact is that maybe I have a NI number as I worked in Scotland 10 years ago for 9 months (I'm not sure but it may be temporary as the job was for seasonal foreigner worker).
The problem is: I don't have it neither I have an idea about how to retrieve it.
I'll take a look to the links you gently provided.
What I'm looking for is a short term (up 3 years)fixed deposit.
I saw this:
http://www.money.co.uk/savings-accounts/offshore-fixed-term-savings.htm
and I was thinking I could choose among them.
The reason I want to do that, as silly as it may sounds, is because I want change all my savings from a euro deposit and put into a deposit in sterling, because as low as it flies now, I could get a potential earning doing that.
Do you think it may be possible doing that with a Irish bank?

ballsymchugh

hmmmm... not sure about needing an NI number...

i opened an account 10 years ago using a bill from my brother's house and a letter from the (irish) dept of environment with my driving test appt on it and my passport.
many years later, when i actually moved to the uk, i had a utility bill in my name and 2 forms of id (passport and driving license). i opened the account in august, (as long as you put enough into it, they'll know how serious you are about it and they'll upgrade the account as you go along) and didn't get my NI number until december of the following year.

ballsymchugh

byebytoad wrote: »

The fact is that maybe I have a NI number as I worked in Scotland 10 years ago for 9 months (I'm not sure but it may be temporary as the job was for seasonal foreigner worker).
The problem is: I don't have it neither I have an idea about how to retrieve it.
I'll take a look to the links you gently provided.
What I'm looking for is a short term (up 3 years)fixed deposit.
I saw this:
http://www.money.co.uk/savings-accounts/offshore-fixed-term-savings.htm
and I was thinking I could choose among them.
The reason I want to do that, as silly as it may sounds, is because I want change all my savings from a euro deposit and put into a deposit in sterling, because as low as it flies now, I could get a potential earning doing that.
Do you think it may be possible doing that with a Irish bank?

you can with tsb. i've had one waiting for sterling to bounce back. for too feckin long.

byebytoad

Can I ask which interest did they offer to you? I asked today and they told me the interest was about 0.25%

ballsymchugh

it is something pathetic like that alright!! i wouldn't change to sterling just yet. the 'experts' were predicting parity by the end of the year, and it looks like that's going to happen the way the exchange has been for the past few weeks.

mickdw

What is the cheapest way to change a lump of money from Euro in an irish bank account to a sterling account?

mickydi

As far as am aware you can open an A/C in N. I. using your home address as a non resident & you sign a non res form with the bank ... You are obliged to declare any interest in R.O.I. for tax purposes. I worked & lived part time in N. I. for few years and was paid directly into an A/C I opened at the time (A/C now in R.O.I address) & like previous poster am patiently waiting for better rate to change few pounds savings to euro, but I know people who live near the north & have A/Cs there which they opened with their normal R.O.I. addresses. I think fixed term A/C for 6mths to year range around 3.25% for new business depending on the bank.