Opening a bank account

I've been reading some of the threads and it really sounds like a lot of grief to open a bank account. I'm not in the UK yet, but I will be moving there next week and would like to open a bank account as soon as possible. They all seem to require utility bills or bank statements for proof of address, but I'm not going to have this any time soon because all utilities are included in the rent, so I won't be getting any utility bills. I have a credit card with Chase here in the US. I'm going to try and see if they'll hopefully send my statements to the UK. Would a statement from them showing my UK address be sufficient?

I checked the Lloyds TSB website and I got the impression that they'll only require my US passport with a valid UK visa. (http://www.lloydstsb.com/stand_alone/proof_id.asp) It seemed too good to be true. Has anyone tried this?

Thanks in advance for your help. I'm trying to get at least some of this figured out before I leave.

That's what my wife and I did. We did have to bring proof of address, but they accepted the signed lease.

I opened an account with Lloyds when I moved there and it wasn't too bad. In fact, I tried NatWest and they told me to try a different bank because their requirements for a new account were ridiculous. I was a student, so I had the letter from my uni stating that I was starting in October. I didn't have a place to live yet and definitely no utility bills, so the letter from my uni was sufficient. If you have a lease you should be set. I would suggest going to the largest branch in the town where you will be living to open the account as they seem to be a bit more able to deal with unique situations.

Lloyds had its issues, but all and all I was pretty happy with them. 

the ease of opening an account can be branch-specific, too- case in point, I also moved over as a student (like Bmore_2_UK) and had a really easy time opening an account with NatWest! Account was open within 3 days and it was so straightforward, I couldn't believe it.

I think Lloyd's might have a new policy.  When I got here, I couldn't open an account because I had no proof of address, but recently my DH picked up a leaflet there that said all you need is a passport.  I will be going in tomorrow or Saturday to see if I can get an account with them, I will let you know how I get on. 

I have been readig a lot of posts where people are having problems opening bank accounts and I am not sure why.  In 2000, I ws travelilng on a 6mth visa waiver and I had money to put in the bank so I went into a Barclays and opened an account.  My friend and I lived above a pub so we gave the pub address and showed our passports and drivers licenses from our home countries.  We were both given current accounts and visa electrons cards - those were a pain back then! I wan't on a lease and they did'nt insist on seeign anything.  My thinking is that there are so many aussies and kiwis there that are doing this everyday that if you just go in and don't make it complicated, they will just do the paperwork. To my knowledge, it is not illegal to have an account in a foreign country..  WIthin months I had averdraft protection.

I have been readig a lot of posts where people are having problems opening bank accounts and I am not sure why.  In 2000.....

Um, because that was 2000 and this is 2009 and a lot has changed.  It is very difficult to get a UK bank account these days. 

you might want to check out the hsbc passport account- it is designed for expats and relieves you of the burden of having to bring in a big stack of proof of addresses and other things when opening your account. you can even apply before you leave the country up to 3 months in advance if i recall properly.

check it out! it is a £6/month fee but i thought it was worth setting it up to avoid the hassle. (there may be better deals out there but i guess you are paying for simplicity)

Um, because that was 2000 and this is 2009 and a lot has changed.  It is very difficult to get a UK bank account these days. 

Wow!  I have lived in the UK twice, leaving the last time in 2003.  I am not claiming to be an expert in international affairs, just offering my experiences.   

P.S.  I will in the future make better use of the Spell Check feature. oops!

Wow!  I have lived in the UK twice, leaving the last time in 2003.  I am not claiming to be an expert in international affairs, just offering my experiences.   

People offering their experiences is what this forum is all about.  The trouble is that things do tend to change quite drastically in short spaces of time.  If your experiences aren't recent, then it is very likely that they are no longer applicable to the current situation.  In the case of bank accounts, some pretty stringent measures have been put in place in recent years to combat money laundering.  For this reason, people opening new accounts are required to have proof of identity and address, at the very least.  So while I don't want to discourage you from sharing, citing a nearly decade old experience and then saying that you "don't understand why people are having so much trouble" isn't helpful or particularly kind to people who are really struggling to establish themselves and who are being turned away by banks through no fault of their own. 

So while I don't want to discourage you from sharing, citing a nearly decade old experience and then saying that you "don't understand why people are having so much trouble" isn't helpful or particularly kind to people who are really struggling to establish themselves and who are being turned away by banks through no fault of their own. 

Thanks for the clarification, I did see that others found it to be a non-issue

the ease of opening an account can be branch-specific, too- case in point, I also moved over as a student (like Bmore_2_UK) and had a really easy time opening an account with NatWest! Account was open within 3 days and it was so straightforward, I couldn't believe it.

I opened an account with Lloyds when I moved there and it wasn't too bad. In fact, I tried NatWest and they told me to try a different bank because their requirements for a new account were ridiculous. I was a student, so I had the letter from my uni stating that I was starting in October. I didn't have a place to live yet and definitely no utility bills, so the letter from my uni was sufficient. If you have a lease you should be set. I would suggest going to the largest branch in the town where you will be living to open the account as they seem to be a bit more able to deal with unique situations.

Lloyds had its issues, but all and all I was pretty happy with them. 

Moving over as a student is very different.

Universities usually have banks there at international student days to set things up for you.

Moving as a non-student adult can be very difficult, even with a UK spouse at the same bank.

indeed, it's usually not a huge hassle to set up an account as a student and I'm quite glad I got spared the pain of doing it the "usual" way!  Basically, the way it was done at my uni is that the international office wrote a letter to confirm your details and address...I didn't have any proof of address myself staying in uni halls, but once I had that letter I was sorted.  Had I not been a student, I would have been dealing with the same crap as everyone else, sadly.

I did get the most basic account ever, though- I didn't get an actual current account with a chequebook, overdraft and proper (not Solo/Electron) debit card until I'd been living here for 2.5 years and had a permanent job.

indeed, it's usually not a huge hassle to set up an account as a student and I'm quite glad I got spared the pain of doing it the "usual" way!  Basically, the way it was done at my uni is that the international office wrote a letter to confirm your details and address...I didn't have any proof of address myself staying in uni halls, but once I had that letter I was sorted.  Had I not been a student, I would have been dealing with the same crap as everyone else, sadly.

I did get the most basic account ever, though- I didn't get an actual current account with a chequebook, overdraft and proper (not Solo/Electron) debit card until I'd been living here for 2.5 years.

That's funny, because I did! I got a chequebook and a Visa Electron card. I have no idea why and at the time I didn't realize I was getting a good thing. Who knows if I went back to England if they would give that to me again! 

That's funny, because I did! I got a chequebook and a Visa Electron card. I have no idea why and at the time I didn't realize I was getting a good thing. Who knows if I went back to England if they would give that to me again!  

I think it depends on the bank (and the branch!), honestly.  The branch I went to was very used to dealing with international students and offered us all the same thing- a basic, no frills account.  But I know that folks have different experiences...banking can be so variable sometimes.

I probably could have gotten a current account earlier actually, once I started working (a year after arrival.)  I just didn't really need one...happy to now have a Visa debit card I can use at the train station, though! (I didn't really care about cheques, but didn't like only having a Solo card.)