Ws2909 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Moving to uk from aus in march... what bank should I go with? Should I open before I leave? How long does it take? Do I need anything to open one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 (edited) You can't open a British bank account until you have a legal address in the UK. There are banks and agencies that say they'll open an account for you but it's just a con - all they do is allocate an account number. You still have to go through exactly the same rigmarole when you arrive in the UK, so there's no benefit. You might as well wait and choose a bank that's handy for you. You will need to show them an official document (like a lease agreement, a bank statement, an electricity bill or a rental invoice) that's been posted to your UK address, before they will activate your bank account. As it can take some time to get that organised, you will need to use your Australian bank account for some time after you arrive. If you already bank with ING, that's easy because there's no charge for using your cards in British ATM's and shops. If you don't bank with ING, then I suggest you change banks before you go. Edited January 14, 2020 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ws2909 Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 54 minutes ago, Marisawright said: You can't open a British bank account until you have a legal address in the UK. There are banks and agencies that say they'll open an account for you but it's just a con - all they do is allocate an account number. You still have to go through exactly the same rigmarole when you arrive in the UK, so there's no benefit. You might as well wait and choose a bank that's handy for you. You will need to show them an official document (like a lease agreement, a bank statement, an electricity bill or a rental invoice) that's been posted to your UK address, before they will activate your bank account. As it can take some time to get that organised, you will need to use your Australian bank account for some time after you arrive. If you already bank with ING, that's easy because there's no charge for using your cards in British ATM's and shops. If you don't bank with ING, then I suggest you change banks before you go. Ok perfect! I will just wait until I arrive and find a place. thanks for the tips! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pollywaffle Posted January 17, 2020 Share Posted January 17, 2020 Please avoid Santander. I have been trying to rejuvenate my account with them - for our impending return (March/April) - and it has been a nightmare. We have finally decided that we will wait til we get there - and then identify/secure a bank account then. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ws2909 Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 On 17/01/2020 at 16:26, Pollywaffle said: Please avoid Santander. I have been trying to rejuvenate my account with them - for our impending return (March/April) - and it has been a nightmare. We have finally decided that we will wait til we get there - and then identify/secure a bank account then. OK, Awesome thanks for the heads up! Will steer clear of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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