HELP!!!..U.K bank account nightmares

Student accounts are probably slightly easier to get...
The banks near university campuses actively troll the campuses for business!

You'll still need to show your passport as photo i/d,  plus proof that you have been accepted on a course, and you'll have to show proof of address, but i think they are slightly easier on what the proof of address can be... for instance, a letter from the university stating that you are attending X course and showing your address.

I have had an account for about a week now. NatWest finally accepted my app after it was appealed to 3 levels of management (or so they tell me). Based on my reading of this thread, i suggested to another yank who just arrived that he go go HSBC. They do seem to be nicer and a little bit more lenient. he needed a letter from our employer affirming his current and former addresses, as well as his salary. he also had copies of his online bank statements.

I am still waiting for my PIN so that i can use my card, but at least i have an account that i can use.

best,

ronh

I hope I am not beating a dead horse.  I will be coming over on work permit, in about a month.  I am very nervous about being able to get a bank account and flat in a timely manner.  What will ensure my best chance for success at getting a bank account?

I plan on getting a "letter of introduction" from my employer.  I will bring a current bank statement (US).  I have also been told to bring a letter of reccommendation from my US bank.

This is all I have.  I will likely not have a UK address yet (staying at a B&B until I find a flat).  What banks will be more accommadating?  Thanks for any advice.

I plan on getting a "letter of introduction" from my employer.  I will bring a current bank statement (US).  I have also been told to bring a letter of reccommendation from my US bank.

This is all I have.  I will likely not have a UK address yet (staying at a B&B until I find a flat).  What banks will be more accommadating?  Thanks for any advice.

The "letter of introduction" from your employer should be fine!  Your personnel officer will tell you which bank to approach with it, but most likely it will be their bank.

I've always read how difficult British banks make it to open an account, and I see from this thread that the tradition is alive and well. Nevertheless my own experience was quite different. Perhaps it was the bank (First Direct - not an endorsement, but generally we're happy with them), or the time (pre-9/11), but my partner & I managed with a statement from our previous bank (not sent to our new address, incidentally), a letter from an employer, and a letter detailing our circumstances. Easy!

Oh yeah.. pre 9/11, there was no problem at all... i dont even think i had to show any i/d!

I don't know how this happened. . . but after reading through this thread, I went to open a bank account at HSBC and was successful on the FIRST TRY!!!    

One thing that probably helped out so much was that my name is on the lease for our flat (which in turn means that my name is on the Council Tax bill).  Also, I brought a statement from my bank in the US that had my US address on it (which I thought would be a problem, but the man who helped me said that's exactly what they needed to see) and of course, my passport with my visa in it. 

Thanks for sharing all of the horror stories. . .they helped me to gather all of the right information to bring.  I would recommend HSBC.  My husband has them and he can even do balance inquiries in pounds while in the states. 

I hope this helps some of you!   
 

Just curious about something...do you suppose that the amount of money you plan to deposit makes any difference?

We should be lucky enough, from the sale of our house, to have a substantial sum to deposit initially.  I just wondered if, along with the other forms on my list that this thread is been so helpful in compiling, that might make it easier as well.

(Of course, what we'd really like to do is open one of those HSBC offshore accounts before we go, to hopefully alleviate at least some of the difficulty.)

Today when I went, they didn't require ANY deposit. . . they told me you could open one with only £1!! 

Based on this thread, I decided to open an account with HSBC today.  Great news, I got a checking account, savings account and a platinum credit card.  BTW, I arrived into London yesterday. 

All I needed to show was my passport (British) and a letter from my employer.  I'm not sure if having a British passport helped, but the employer letter definitely did help.  They even asked me if I wanted to book an appointment for getting a mortgage  .  I'm not even thinking about buying any property yet.

Anyway, just another recommendation for HSBC.

bvamin

a credit card??? a platinum credit card??? must have been an amazing letter from your employer!!!

Don't know about it being amazing, but all it mentioned was how long I have been working with my firm and what is my annual salary.

bvamin

SAF,
I'm not sure how much you intend to bring over, but Halifax told me I'm stuck at the basic current account until I've had it for a year. They were not going to budge even when I offered to deposit more into the account.

They weren't going to give me a checking account, but then I received checks in the mail. Probably a glitch somewhere.

I was able to open an acct at HSBC today with no problems at all.  I had my passport, bank statements from my US bank and a letter from my uni.  I couldn't get a student acct because I graduated with my BA more than 3 years ago so she opened just a normal checking acct.  I should get checks and my solo card within 5 days.  Totally pain free.. thanks to all the advice I got from this thread!  I had my rental agreement, paid electric bill and a million other papers I didn't need.  I'm feeling lucky today.. maybe I should buy a lottery ticket.  heh!

Just wanted to add that I finally got my bank account at HSBC!!!  They were great!  The man who signed us up even called us a few times to make sure we got everything!  I even got a credit card!!!!  How happy was I.  I think Richard was scard, but hey, I make money, and that is what I spend