Opening a bank Account.

Paulg

My girlfriend is a foreign national. This morning she when to the AIB bank to open an account. She when to AIB because thats where i have my account.

She was asked where her employer had an account, and she told them it was with Ulster bank. AIB told her that she would have to open an account with Ulster bank as her employer is with them.

Is this normal? I thought you could open an account without even having a job.

Victor

You basicaly need to reassure the bank as to who you are. In practical terms, you need two things to open a bank account:

(1) either a Passport or an Irish driving licence.

(2) proof of address (a) a utility bill in your name or (b) open the account in your employer's branch. A rent book or landlord statement won't be accepted as a bill.

Paulg

Rang AIB myself today, they said you have to have your salary paid directly into your account to open one there...

colinsky

i'm a foreign national, and i went through hell to open an account at AIB. (chose AIB 'cuase my employer uses it, so theres a special "no fees" benefit i'm supposed to get).

customer service is NOT one of their strong points. if there weren't whatever bank monopoly is going on in ireland these days, i would not be banking with an irish bank.

Paulg

Yeah, they are a terrible bank. I've been with they for 7 years, i had nothing but trouble when getting loans. So many delays, then problems with them taking money out of my account. If it was easy to change banks, i would have done it along time ago.

BuffyBot

TBH I love em - never done me wrong and always been good when I needed credit cards/loans/overdrafts etc

Vexorg

My experience with Banks over the years has been varied, however what I did find was that the larger branchs in the city tend to be more interested in corporate accounts that personal accounts. I got a much better hearing when looking for loans etc by changing to a smaller branch out of the city.

That said, I have also changed banks when I seemed to be getting nowhere with one bank, a couple of phone calls, a face to face meeting to confirm the details and I switched from AIB to TSB.

Since switching the only problem I have ever had with TSB was trying to change to monthly bank statements, after 5 years asking, I gave up:).

So if you do end up using your employers bank, see if you choose your own branch. If not, you can always change branch after the account is set up.

Vex.

seamus

I've found BOI to be the best. They seem to like students anyway, "Laser card sir? No Problem, come back in two days. Loan for your insurance sir? No problem, come back in two days."

Maybe it's just me

I found the Government regulations a big pain in the ass. I switched address 3 times within 2 years, and every time the bank needed a utility bill. Surprise surprise though, they weren't in my name, so my *other* account with BOI couldn't be changed (a non-student a/c). "Yes sir, you need a utility bill or a bank statement." "And how am I supposed to get a f*cking (may not have been my exact wording ) bank statement to that address if you won't change it!". "........".

In the end I got a friend of my Dad's to do me up a false invoice and they took that. The student branch just changed my address though without even confirming it was me!!

mayhem#

Irish banks suck eggs.
'nuff said....