Are there ANY banks that allow you to open an account from the US?

DH is really concerned about building credit ahead of our move. We looked into HSBC and it looks like to open an expat account with them you need to seed it with 60K GBP (which ain't happening right now).

Are there any other UK-based banks with which we can easily open up an account under our name, from here in the US? Without a permanent UK address yet? (DH is a UK citizen with family in the UK.)

Our goal is to eventually get a bank credit card with which we buy a few things in the UK from here to build some semblance of credit. (It's all about financial security for our family. We are completely undoing our entire settled lives for this move and need something to stand on.)

I remember looking for this a few years ago, and I only remember HSBC that would allow you to- but this may have changed. It also required an insane amount of money in order to open the account. I ended up just doing it once I got my first thing as proof of address. However, if you have an American Express card, and have had it for six months, you can use their global transfers to open an American Express UK account before you get here or as soon as you do get here. It was how I started building my credit here.

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/

It's going to take time to build credit, what ever you do. But there are several credit building cards out there specifically for this purpose. I would expect all of them require you to be UK resident though.


https://www.money.co.uk/credit-cards/credit-building-credit-cards.htm

I remember looking for this a few years ago, and I only remember HSBC that would allow you to- but this may have changed. It also required an insane amount of money in order to open the account. I ended up just doing it once I got my first thing as proof of address. However, if you have an American Express card, and have had it for six months, you can use their global transfers to open an American Express UK account before you get here or as soon as you do get here. It was how I started building my credit here.

https://www.americanexpress.com/global-card-transfers/

I know it's a stretch, but can we use a family member's UK home address as a legal address for the Global Card transfers? We will probably be staying there anyway for a time as we figure things out.

We've looked into this. Thankfully, the last time we were over visiting, I was able to open a savings account with HSBC using my mother in law's address. Have had that account since 2012. Beyond that, we've not found any that allow it without some sort of large deposit.

I know it's a stretch, but can we use a family member's UK home address as a legal address for the Global Card transfers? We will probably be staying there anyway for a time as we figure things out.

On the website it says:
Apply for your new Card online:
1. Select your preferred Card from our All Cards page.
2. Click to apply online.
3. Please complete the application with your existing Card number, UK home address, UK home
    phone number and previous home address.
4. We’ll contact you within a week for ID documentation and any additional information, if required.
5. Once approved we will send you your new Card.
6. Please call the number on your old Card to transfer Membership Reward points, or if you wish to cancel     your old Card.

I don't remember having to show a proof of address or anything to be honest. If they ask for proof of address then just wait until you get here to do it, get proof of address by getting your provisional licence or from HMRC when you request your National Insurance Number. Either way, it was seamless and got me started straight away. It was also good, because I avoided online statements, and it gave me proof of address for other things, including the correspondence requirement for FLR (M) and Set (M).  IIRC, I just filled out the form and then they sent it straight away. 

There are some banking regulations (due to the immigration climate) that require you to be legally resident to open most accounts. I had to show my BRP and proof of address to open an account in country. For a citizen it would likely be different, but each bank has their own requirements. If I had wanted to open an account ahead of time, as an Advance account holder at HSBC I could have paid their international banking center to create one. It would have been worth it after all the hassle you go through to get the appropriate mail in your name here!

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