Is it a good idea to get a UK bank?

My husband and I (both Americans) are about to move to the UK. I have been looking into opening an HSBC account here and transferring it to a branch there. But is it necessary? Are there benefits to having a bank in the UK?

I don't know if you can transfer an account like that.  What I can tell you though is that getting a bank account here is very, very difficult.

June

A UK bank account will make paying bills much less of a hassle, as they can just set up a direct debit on your account (which seems to be the norm here, much more than writing cheques.)  Salary is usually paid straight into a bank account as well.  It's also nice not to have to worry about currency conversion/the exchange rate/ATM fees when making transactions or using the ATM.

You can't transfer accounts, but it is possible to open a regular UK HSBC account from the US...I know a few people on here have done it successfully.  (Seems to be a pain and rather complicated, though.)  There's a thread on this board somewhere about that.

It can be such a pain to get an account (mostly due to the proof of address requirement, which can be a stumbling block for those newly arrived), but it's worth it in the end if you're going to be in the UK for more than a few months.  HSBC's special Passport account seems to be easier to open since it's designed for expats, but if you've got proof of address you can just go into any bank and be able to open a account (theoretically anyway, haha.)  You may not get a current account right away, but a starter "cash" account..but even that varies by bank and even by branch.  Just shop around and try your luck along the high street...you might get lucky

You can't transfer accounts, but it is possible to open a regular UK HSBC account from the US...I know a few people on here have done it successfully.  (Seems to be a pain and rather complicated, though.)  There's a thread on this board somewhere about that.)

There is a thread about it here.  We are going through this process right now and it is actually very easy.  The last post on page one of the thread linked above has the phone number to call (the international banking center).  I called that number, told them that I am a US HSBC account-holder, and said that I would like to open an account in the UK.  The guy said that would be no problem, asked me a few questions, and said the forms would be sent to me.  We got them in about a week (this was at Christmas-time).  We then went to an HSBC branch in DC.  We walked in and said that we had forms for a UK account and wanted to show our documents.  One woman helped us.  She told me which forms we needed (I had been unclear exactly which forms applied to our situation), took copies of my passports and proof of address, initialed everything, and said she'd send it all off.

That was it.  The two people I dealt with knew exactly what I was talking about and knew what to do.  It was really smooth.

The thing I did learn from the woman in DC is that the UK people are sticklers.  I filled out my form in blue ink then saw that it said to do it in black.  She told me I had better do it over because the UK folks were likely not to process it because of that.  The instructions also called for passports, and they mean just that; no other form of ID would do.  It was unfortunate because it meant my partner could not be on the account as well as her passport was being renewed and was therefore with the government.  She just got her new passport and we are going to see if we can add her from over here before we go over as I think that will be easier than trying to add her once in the UK (where we'd have to wait a while to have proof of address for her).

Thanks, formica, I will call them. I called the HSBC branch in D.C. on Wednesday and the lady said she would call me back with info later that day -- I never heard from her again! I'll try the number you suggested.