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Topic: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account  (Read 70216 times)

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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #15 on: September 08, 2010, 09:16:52 AM »
Here is the information for HSBC passport account (no proof of residence needed):

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-accounts/passport
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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #16 on: September 12, 2010, 08:18:40 PM »
Here is the information for HSBC passport account (no proof of residence needed):

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-accounts/passport

So the monthly service charge is £8 a month regardless of balance?  And what exactly is meant by this statement?

HSBC Passport has an initial fixed term of 12 months and is renewable monthly afterwards.

Thanks so much!
~Teddy

p.s. If I go to a local bank branch with my wife, we bring out marriage certificate, and she attests that I live at her address, would that at all suffice for showing residence?  I've been to the bank with my wife & actually met her personal banker on a recent visit - still here in US working on getting my visa at present.
In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.  ~The Beatles


Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #17 on: September 12, 2010, 08:43:05 PM »
So the monthly service charge is £8 a month regardless of balance?  And what exactly is meant by this statement?

That means no matter what your balance is £0, £1, £100, £1,000 etc o they're going to charge you the service fee of £8.
p.s. If I go to a local bank branch with my wife, we bring out marriage certificate, and she attests that I live at her address, would that at all suffice for showing residence?  I've been to the bank with my wife & actually met her personal banker on a recent visit - still here in US working on getting my visa at present.

Nope...you'll need to have your name on a household bill. Easiest thing is the Council Tax statement.


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #18 on: September 12, 2010, 08:53:29 PM »
Nope...you'll need to have your name on a household bill. Easiest thing is the Council Tax statement.

Thanks so much WebyJ!  I remember my wife mentioning Council Tax, but I plead ignorance on exactly what it is and when I pay it.  I'm now trying to figure out what to do with my checking & savings accounts here.  It feels a little unsettling, the thought of me being in the UK and my money being in the US.  I was hoping to get it all in place and sorted before I move.  But if I have to wait to get this proof of address stuff, looks like I will have to wait till I'm in the UK for a while before I can set up bank accounts there.  :(

One worry after another... argh!!!

Thank again,
~Teddy
In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.  ~The Beatles


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #19 on: September 12, 2010, 09:18:56 PM »
I remember my wife mentioning Council Tax, but I plead ignorance on exactly what it is and when I pay it. 

Council tax is paid monthly (I think just 10 payments over the year though if you're paying by direct debit) and is tied to the home you live in (the amount you pay per year depends on the value of the property). If your wife is currently living in the UK, then she will probably already be paying the council tax for your future home each month anyway, so all you should need to do is have your name put onto the account as well so that it appears on the bills.

Quote
I'm now trying to figure out what to do with my checking & savings accounts here.  It feels a little unsettling, the thought of me being in the UK and my money being in the US.  I was hoping to get it all in place and sorted before I move.
 

I would suggest keeping your accounts open with some money in them, as you never know when you might need to make a payment from your US account or use the money in there (or even need it open for a tax refund or payment). You can always transfer money between your US and UK bank accounts if you need to as well. I was an international student in the US 2 years ago and opened a bank account while I was there (I was working as a TA). I have no intention of living in the US again in the near future, but the account has come in handy - I had my 2008 tax return direct-deposited into the US account so I wouldn't have to worry about paying to cash a foreign check in the UK and I was able to use my US debit card to purchase things when I visited the US earlier this year.


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2010, 09:52:56 PM »
Ok i have a question in regards to proof of residency for opening a bank. Can it only be a bill? what other forms of proof can you use to prove a UK address?

As a student i will be staying at my gf's families house until i find a place...would having my university send me out my student status letter via royal mail be sufficient? If so i could just change my address at later date when i find another place to live.

« Last Edit: September 12, 2010, 09:54:53 PM by Syntax30 »


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2010, 11:07:22 PM »
Ok i have a question in regards to proof of residency for opening a bank. Can it only be a bill? what other forms of proof can you use to prove a UK address?

As a student i will be staying at my gf's families house until i find a place...would having my university send me out my student status letter via royal mail be sufficient? If so i could just change my address at later date when i find another place to live.

You'll probably want to check with your university regarding opening an account, because there may be different requirements for international students opening bank accounts than for non-students. I believe you may not necessarily any proof of UK address as an international student - your university may actually have an agreement with certain banks whereby you can open an account with just your passport and your university enrolment letter. You don't have to figure this all out on your own, you know - the university will have an entire team of staff dedicated to helping new international students set up their life in the UK and will be able to answer any questions you have regarding the process (banking, finding places to live, tours of the area, advice on UK student life, advice on managing your money and the cost of living etc. etc.) :).

I don't know which university you will be studying at, but as an example, the UCL website has information for their international students on how to open a student bank account in the UK: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international-students/after-you-apply/pre-departure-briefings/preparing-to-come/bankingfinance


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #22 on: September 12, 2010, 11:15:52 PM »
You'll probably want to check with your university regarding opening an account, because there may be different requirements for international students opening bank accounts than for non-students. I believe you may not necessarily any proof of UK address as an international student - your university may actually have an agreement with certain banks whereby you can open an account with just your passport and your university enrolment letter. You don't have to figure this all out on your own, you know - the university will have an entire team of staff dedicated to helping new international students set up their life in the UK and will be able to answer any questions you have regarding the process (banking, finding places to live, tours of the area, advice on UK student life, advice on managing your money and the cost of living etc. etc.) :).

I don't know which university you will be studying at, but as an example, the UCL website has information for their international students on how to open a student bank account in the UK: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/international-students/after-you-apply/pre-departure-briefings/preparing-to-come/bankingfinance

thanks! i know im just waiting to leave some got nothing but free time to research things on my own before landing. Still got a mini europe holiday before my time in the UK!


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #23 on: December 07, 2011, 02:08:04 PM »
When I opened an account a Barclays in 2006 all I needed was my passport.  The branch manager spent a long time on the phone with someone at the home office security section checking out what was on different pages of my passport.  It was hilarious.  The security person would ask her what was on a particular page, she'd turn to that page and say 'an eagle.'  This went on for a long time and each response was 'and eagle.'  Well, I wanted to say 'duh, what would you expect to find on every page of a US passport anyway???'   :D


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2012, 08:38:58 PM »
I went to NatWest yesterday--all they needed was my Passport and proof of address (council tax demand did the trick).

I left 15 minutes later with a current account, savings account, and credit card. Super easy!

However my first choice of Nationwide required residency of one year so we did get foiled there...


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #25 on: January 22, 2013, 02:00:30 PM »
I went to HSBC the day after I landed to open an Account... Only thing they asked for was my Passport...

They copied that as well as my Spouse Visa
Nov 15th 2011: Submitted UK Spouse Settlement Visa [non-priority]
Nov 21st 2011: Biometrics Appointment
Nov 29th 2011: Mailed Documents via USPS Express Overnight to NY
Dec 2nd 2011: Documents Delivered NY
*No Email Whatsoever*
Jan 23rd/24th 2012: UPS came out the blue - Refused :(
Aug 8th, 2012: Oral Hearing
Aug 16th: Letter from Judge Visa Approved
Nov 15th: Email Requesting Passport from UKBA NY
Nov 16th: Sent off Passport Via UPS
Nov 19th: UPS confirmation delievered
Nov 26th: Visa Issued :D


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #26 on: March 03, 2013, 07:53:10 PM »
Okay I recently got my biometric residence permit and soon will be making an appointment for my national insurance number, but my hubby and I are having difficulty on this proof of address stuff. I don't pay council tax and we live with his parents. Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated. :)


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #27 on: March 03, 2013, 08:24:58 PM »
Get a provisional driver's license.


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #28 on: March 18, 2015, 04:30:01 AM »
Don't know if it has been mentioned before, but thought I add some advise here.

I recommend bringing in your marriage certificate if your maiden name is on your passport.  I had my married name on my mail that comes to my UK address but that wasn't enough.  And I had to make a second trip to the bank. Also having my husband as a cosigner/joint on the account meant the bank account was processed and set up right away.

Just thought I would share my experience with setting up an account.
 :)



We had Lloyds tell us once that they couldn't accept my wife's marriage certificate as it was over 3 months old!!! 


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Re: Identity documents required to open a personal bank account
« Reply #29 on: April 11, 2015, 03:45:11 PM »

We had Lloyds tell us once that they couldn't accept my wife's marriage certificate as it was over 3 months old!!! 

No wonder Lloyds wound up in a Government bailout and takeover. While anyone can get a copy of a marriage certificate filed with a Register Office, a Jewish marriage performed as such under the Marriage Act 1949 does not get registered with any Register Office until and unless the synagogue's marriage book is full. That could take, for a small synagogue, decades. There is no provision for a duplicate, although a Marriage Secretary may finesse that. And if so, it involves signatures which may be unavailable: Scan of Jewish Marriage Certificate (England & Wales)

Quaker marriages might pose the same problem (I haven't seen their forms and there are only 16,000 Quakers in Britain).


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