Identity documents required to open a personal bank account

Hry all,

I have kind of been worrying about this proof of address thing...

How long does it take to get a letter about council tax?

I start paying rent at the beginning of July, though I won't actually be moving in til the 31... Can I expect a letter from the council to already be there by the end of July? I will need a bank account ASAP so that I can get paid on pay day....

I was planning on just having the property agent write me a bill for the admin fees or using the tenancy agreement, but it seems like those aren't enough proof....


Thanks! Max

You are responsible for calling the council and opening a council tax account in your name so they can send you your bill.

So, you will need to give them a call, give them your name and address details and set up your council tax account, and then they should send you a letter within a few days of your call.

I have just done this recently as I moved into a new apartment last month. I signed the tenancy agreement/picked up the keys on May 22nd, moved in and called the council on May 25th and my first letter/bill from them was dated May 28th. I can't remember exactly what day I received it, but it was within a week of May 25th.

Some councils let you fill in a form online to inform them of moving and such. We used the online form for Cardiff council when we moved a couple of months ago and it was really easy. Took about a week for the letter to come through after sending our info.


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After just buying a house.....there was no waiting at all for the council tax..I think my wife (UK) called on setting it up. The house is in her name, so we wanted to make sure my name was on a few things. We are trying to make sure my name is on at least a few of these bills although at least one of the utility companies I believe wouldn't put both names on the bill. Oh well....hope having several things like that will be good enough. Bank account, council tax, at least one utility, Virgin internet/tv.

So exactly what do I need to provide to open a bank account. .surely they'll want more than a council tax acknowledgement?
I'm not flying out to the UK till 10th September but concerned about how I'll be able to pay larger sums of money eg:- to property agent's, fees, deposit plus 6 months rent?
I'm not sure our US cheques are valid in the UK. Any advice would be most appreciated 

So exactly what do I need to provide to open a bank account. .surely they'll want more than a council tax acknowledgement?
I'm not flying out to the UK till 10th September but concerned about how I'll be able to pay larger sums of money eg:- to property agent's, fees, deposit plus 6 months rent?
I'm not sure our US cheques are valid in the UK. Any advice would be most appreciated 

It depends on the bank. However, if you have a council tax statement, that should be ok as proof of address. Utility bills are also good at most places. Beyond that, it might be tricky. If you know which bank you will use, you might check their website or call them to see what they will accept as proof of address.

You'll also need your ID (passport) and your SSN (for your taxpayer ID when they ask if you're liable for withholding from any non-UK countries - not the actual card, just know your SSN!)

US checks can be deposited at UK banks, but they take about 6 weeks to clear. You're also at the mercy of their provided exchange rate. If you want to pay for something with a US check, the merchant probably won't accept it. Checks are not very common here. Most merchants will want a bank transfer, so you'll want your UK bank account set up ASAP. You could do a bank transfer from a US bank account but the fees are probably pretty large. (My bank back home wanted $60 per international wire transfer!) Many will take credit card payments (you can use your US card) but may charge extra for it.

Thanks Brenzie, that makes sense, I'll take some time out to check out the different banks and their requirements 

concerned about how I'll be able to pay larger sums of money eg:- to property agent's, fees, deposit plus 6 months rent?

We did an XE transfer of the amount to a close family member, who then paid it.

We did an XE transfer of the amount to a close family member, who then paid it.

Thanks Groover! sounds like an alternative plan for immediate recourse to funds needed in UK 😊

I just opened an account with Bank of Scotland in April. I needed an official piece of mail with my name and address on it, they accepted the council tax bill that the council printed off for me in their office plus they needed my passport and visa.

And they had to send my application away along with certified copies of my documents to their home office to get approval. It took nearly 2 weeks to have everything set up with them. They wouldn't accept my money until it was all set up.

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I just opened an account with Bank of Scotland in April. I needed an official piece of mail with my name and address on it, they accepted the council tax bill that the council printed off for me in their office plus they needed my passport and visa.

And they had to send my application away along with certified copies of my documents to their home office to get approval. It took nearly 2 weeks to have everything set up with them. They wouldn't accept my money until it was all set up.

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Ok thanks, good to know 😊 at least you got there in the end.

Ok thanks, good to know at least you got there in the end.

It's just such a different process than in the US. Once I got it in my mind that they are very particular about what constitutes proof of identity and residency AND nothing happens quickly, I was so much better off.

Prepare well in advance for everything! Lol

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Maybe you can help me with another question that's crossed my mind.
I'm wondering if we'll have problems with getting mobile phone contracts and WiFi etc, I assume they'll want to run credit checks and or verify previous address ...seems it might be problematic given that our US credit doesn't mean anything to anyone in the UK 🤔

Yes, they will run credit checks for mobile phones. Since you won't have any UK credit yet, you'll likely find you can't get a mobile phone contract for a while.

You'll probably need to get a pay as you go phone or SIM only deal until you've built up some UK credit.


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Yes, they will run credit checks for mobile phones. Since you won't have any UK credit yet, you'll likely find you can't get a mobile phone contract for a while.

You'll probably need to get a pay as you go phone or SIM only deal until you've built up some UK credit.


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I just use my old Samsung phone with a pay as you go plan. It is so much cheaper than a contract phone. I'll probably not ever get a phone on contract.

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