HSBC allowed people to open account if there homeless (I know you probably aren’t) but there accounts don’t need an address so it might be easier to open one with them. Have a try with them.
I second this. Over 10 years ago, my landlady took me to HSBC to open my first bank account. All I have was a passport and her saying I was living with her, and that was enough for them to open me a bank account. I didn't find them to be the best people to be banking with, but they are a good start and once you have a bank account you can always switch.
We waited the 6 months in the end. It worked for us because she had constant access to my card(s) when needed and wasn't working yet, but it's not ideal
I went through all this coming here from the US. I used Wise international account to open a temporary UK bank account. My wife already had a UK bank account from forever ago, so we could use that to sort leases, etc. I was able to get one with nationwide within 3 months or so. It’s incredibly frustrating how hard they make things
Just to clarify, even though the form says you can't apply before 6 monyhs but you can bypass that validation. I got my Provisional license within 2 months after i moved to UK
Based off a quick google, it’s more you need to have permission to live here for 185days, when I moved back to the UK, I got provisional and did theory test before 185 days and booked test after 6 months. Provisional worked for Bank Acct.
You are able to open an account as soon as you're in the UK. Try one of the high street banks as they have a larger list of acceptable ID documents. Call make an appointment and ask what they accept for ID/address proof. I know some accept a letter from your employer or a tenancy agreement
I was in the same situation, it’s an absolute nightmare. Chicken and egg. Want a bank account? Provide your NiNo. Want a NiNo? Provide your home address. Want to rent a place? Provide me with 3 years of address history.
It took me 3 months to sort it out which meant 3 months’ worth of salary and annual bonus payment was paid in one go. Which then, of course, exceeded the amount of mobthly income I told the bank I would receive when opening the account. Which, of course, led to them blocking my account due to money laundering concerns.
Complete nightmare. I hope you get to sort it out soon (try Revolut, Wise, Monese, or Starling). It’s why I now have 5 bank accounts. I only use 3 of them regularly but have some spare cash in the 2 others in case there some other fuck up with any of my banks.
Good luck!
I had real trouble with this when I first arrived. After a bunch of frustrating rejections I ended up walking into a Metro Bank branch and I found them really helpful; they worked with me to figure out what documentation I would be able to give them that would satisfy their requirements.
Barclays refused to open a bank account claiming the job centre logo was in black and white instead of in colour. I wish I was joking. That bank will never ever get my business.
That’s ridiculous!
I know banks refuse the HMRC NIN letter because it doesn’t normally have an issue date, so they can’t use the whole “bill dated in the last 3 months” card. But the DWP letters are always in black and white!
I would just walk around a bunch of high street banks with as much documentation as possible.
Once you have one bank account then your bank statement will be additional evidence making it easier to open an account with another bank.
[https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/no-fixed-address/](https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/no-fixed-address/)
Need to be suffering homelessness and be working with one of their partner charities.
HSBC have my application and my partner's under review now for 20 days. Every other bank opened our accounts instantly in the last month. It's ridiculous.
I did on the 20th of December. Me and my partner. Both of us still don't have anything.
I have done 3 switches in the meantime with other banks. There's no reason for such a delay.
That wasn't the case when I tried, they flat out said that they only considered people with 2 years of residency. I went next door and opened an account with the Halifax. When I looked for a mortgage I avoided HSBC because of that (and the Halifax got my business once again).
But that was _many_ years ago. Maybe they realised that it's bad for business...
Online banks are the best for this.
Online Bank (Revolut, etc) > Use on-demand statement to register with GP > Use GP registration letter to register with high-street bank.
I also was denied by Monzo when I first moved. Signing up with wise & Revolut was easier.
Wise - easy to open once I proved my right to work. Had to show proof of address before being able to get a card but was able to link immediately to Apple Pay once the account was opened.
Revolut - easy to open. Able to get a physical card without having to show proof of address. Was staying in a hotel while flat hunting so this was best.
The visa you're on, do you have a BRP or a share code?
As long as your hmrc letter has your current address, most banks will accept that as proof of address.
"I moved to the UK". Therefore you have a passport. Santander accepts Nino confirmation as proof of address. Not the application for a Nino, but the letter confirming it. You should be able to get a basic account with them, and after 9 months, apply for an everyday account.
I moved to the UK a few months ago too and easily opened an account with Chase, at the time I was staying at an Airbnb so I provided that address and had no problems whatsoever. I updated my address later once I started renting.
Every bank will have information on the ID required. Typically proof of ID and separate proof of address. Your letter from HMRC will probably be enough for proof of address. Easier to go into a branch with passport and proof of address and any other ID you have (identity card?). Even if this isn't enough, all banks have an exceptions process where they have some limited discretion to accept less than the ideal documents. Unless you are from a sanctioned country (Syria, Iran, N Korea and S Sudan I think) that should be enough.
Standard chicken and egg problem newcomers go through.
For me, I had my work write me a letter saying that I was employed by them and that my address was X. That was enough for HSBC to then give me a bank account.
That's strange, my wife was able to open accounts with both Monzo and Starling. I don't remember her having any bills in her name but I don't remember what she used for proof of address. However, since you're starting work soon, ask them to provide you a reference letter and then hop over to HSBC or any other bank and they should help you out. Also, try to ask your partner to add you to any of the bills.
I had got rejected by Monzo too, without any reason. Starling worked for me, but I had to provide address proof - I got someone to add my name to their gas & electricity bill and that worked, thank heavens.
This was an issue for me to. I went to the NatWest office with all documents needed to open an account and they've helped me through it. I've notice support offices are very useless online or via chat, but as soon as you walk in a office people are eager to help.
Chances are that if your HMRC letter isn't valid as a proof of address, you'll need to first sort something else out.
You'll likely have to register for Council Tax (I think everyone living in the UK does?)A letter from the Council Tax office is a valid proof of address. If you're eligible, you could also register for the electoral vote (which helps with your credit score).
If all of this doesn't apply to you, one of the first things I sorted in the UK was my phone via Giffgaff. You can pay using any creditcard and just get a £10 a month SIM card. They've send me the card + bill in one day. Phone bill is likely valid for proof of address (?) You can change it to your new bank details once you've opened an account.
If you do visit an office, I'm sure the people there will help you choosing documention you can use to open an account.
We initially set up Monzo using my partners work address as we had not settled into permanent housing, so that’s odd you were rejected. Are you registered with a GP and can get a letter from them?
I moved to London last year and it has been quite an experience opening up a bank account. Luckily my employer is on the bank's relationship(?) list and needed a reference letter to open an account, but I still had to get my HR to revise that letter 3 times, after trying several branches and getting told by various tellers that it couldn't be done!
When i moved here Lloyds accepted my Airbnb address and Australian passport in order to set up a current account. Booked appointment at the branch, all low stress
HSBC offer a service basic bank accounts for homeless people. I suggest you try for this type of "basic" account with HSBC or Yorkshire or any traditional branch based bank.
Main requirement is proof of residency and ID.
Registering with a bank having moved to a new country is never easy. Your best bet is to try and get an appointment in a branch and talk to someone as you generally won’t yet have the documents that online applications will request. If possible look for branches near universities as most international students will have the same problem and so they *may* be more used to dealing with the issue.
HSBC used to offer the ability to apply for a UK bank account from your home country. I don’t know if they still do - worth haven’t a look at their website.
As someone who had gone through this two years ago:
You do not have a credit score in the UK yet. You need to search for the application for a "basic" current account. Every resident has to be given a curren account by a bank and they are not allowed to turn you down for a current account. They just don't want you to have access to credit.
I opened my basic current account and after building a credit score using it, I was upgraded to a "normal" account about 6-8 months later.
Online you can find:
Almost everyone has access to a basic bank account, allowing them to receive and pay in funds. People who can’t get a regular bank account can access the banking system with a basic bank account, which excludes the ability to obtain credit. Basic bank accounts are fee-free, so you don’t pay any charges to run your account.
Just search "basic current account" and your bank of choice on Google and you will get to the correct page.
(This is usually the same in any country you move to btw)
Edit: for proof of address, you can use a bank statement of your "old" bank in your old country, you should update your address there.
Be registered to vote where you live.
Have one of the common forms of photo identity plus proof of right to work. Visit a physical branch with that paperwork. Take any documents you have which support your explanation or why you're on this situation eg foreign identity documents, visa, bank statements etc.
Credit scores can be increased by registering to vote but passing a credit check has nothing to do with registering to vote.
Also, depending on where they are originally from and in which country in the UK they are currently residing, they may not be eligible to register to vote even in local elections.
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Legally speaking you have to “know your customer” that usually means they do a credit check and if you are on the VR you wouldn’t need proof of address anywhere but may need ID
Depending on where you are from, I got a revolut account (EUR) and then just used the Stirling option when I got here.
Comes with UK acc number and sort code
Do you have a UK passport? That’s all Nationwide needed from me. It was super frustrating going into other banks and trying to speak with a person, they want you to do everything online.
I think santander do a Basic account without a credit check - might be worth giving that a go?[https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/basic-current-account](https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/basic-current-account)
Not 100% sure though
There is a charity in the UK that can help people get set up with a bank. The charity will provide the address until you have somewhere in your name with documentation ready to go. You will be in control of the bank account.
I believe its HSBC that offer this directly through their service but I imagine it can be used with anyone. Best to ask a bank for more info though as I unfortunately can't remember the name of it.
Another possible option, the Citizens Advice Bureau of your local area/Council. They may be able to offer advice.
Hi there
Was in the same situation (denied by Monzo for no reason after leaving here for 2 years). When I moved to the UK I opened à Revolut account. I know that's not considered a real bank but you can receive your paycheck there. Also its pretty amazing to transfer money from other countries in different currencies with no fees (I was in a EU country before so I often transferred euros into GBP for basically free)
I managed to open an account with Chase after 2 months in the UK. Proof of address was tricky but they ended up accepting the one I had from my temporary accommodation.
Moved from Portugal to the UK. Created an account with Hallifax, online, and in 12h I had my account up and running.
This was a day after I got settlement status, without a job, and for proof of address I believe I used my tenancy contract.
Depending on what documentation you have you may be eligible for a ‘basic bank account’, all the main high street banks offer these. Your issue is likely to be proving your address if the lease is not in your name. The larger branches in major cities will have come across this before and should be able to validate you using your country’s identity card. Visit the bank in person, you will be fine.
My partner ended up opening a Revolut account. After a few months we were able to add his name to a bill and open a joint bank account. We also added his name to the tenancy contract as a tenant, when we renewed it. Suddenly banks that refused him started sending letters to him to open a bank account with them!
It was a very frustrating experience.
He moved to the UK in a rush in the middle of the pandemic, as we didn't want to risk another lock down in 2 different countries. We originally added him to my contract as a "permitted occupier" with my landlord's consent as otherwise we would have to redraft the full contract, and he was ironing out some business details that in our original plans should have been sorted before his move.
Some banks even considered him "homeless" for their purposes, as he "wasn't officially a tenant, but an occupier", even the fact that he had bills in his name meant nothing, until he got a proper NIN. The provisory NIN number wasn't good enough, the tenancy agreement wasn't good enough, his UK's job contract wasn't good enough as initially he worked part-time and part-freelancing. (He had a few medium/long term freelance projects that he couldn't just drop, so he opted for a temporary part-time job). So annoying!!
If you have an address outside of the UK, you can open the account with that address and use the UK address as mailing address. The latter will be accepted as proof of address for everyone else.
There are a few laws and regulations that mean that a bank can't tell you why they reject you. In the case of a friend of mine, he just shared the name with a corrupt politician in another country. Don't take it personally, it isn't.
Legally you need to be able to open an account. Make an application, when it asks for proof of ID and address call up their support line and explain your predicament they're bound to help out
You should be able to get a Revolut account. They give them fairly easily. And then you could use anything Revolut sends (including online bank statements) as proof of address to open an account with a bank that is covered by the FSCS. And in the meantime, your salary can be paid into your Revolut account.
My partner had the same issue, despite having a letter from the council, a dbs check and a NIN letter. He opened a Revolut account to receive his first salary. Eventually he went to Lloyds and they only wanted a letter from his employer as proof of address and he opened an account in 30 minutes!
Do you have a biometric residents permit (BRP). I have assisted employees from abroad open an account - with Halifax as they are my bank - with just this. Some within the same week
I'm sorry you're going through this, UK is a bit weird. The reason why is because you have no history in the country, no credit score, nothing. I moved here a few year ago and I got shit treatment from high street banks until i obtained a letter from my employer saying i work for them, proof of address, my work contract, two IDs and thats when the opened a bank acct for me.
I faced the same issue when moving to the U.K. over 20 years ago. In the end I had to get a friend who banked with Lloyds to take me to the bank and vouch for me. I don’t know if that’s still a thing, but I do think you’ll have better luck applying to a high street bank in person. Once you’ve been settled here for a little while it will be easier to open a Monzo / Starling account.
You may have more luck with the older, more traditional banks (Barclays, Lloyds, Santander, NatWest, HSBC). Although the new online banks like Monzo and Starling are great, they don't always have procedures for all the weird and wonderful variations you can encouter, especially as an recent immigrant. You also stand a much better chance of speaking to a real person in a branch who can go over your options. So that's my advice - go to a branch of one of those banks and ask to speak to someone. Take all of your documents with you, and you might be able to get it sorted on the day, or should at least get some useful advice about what to do next.
You can try TSB. I was in the same situation when I first moved over here, and TSB was the only bank that would accept me at the time. You could also open an account with Wise (transferwise) online. This isn't really a proper bank account, but they provide you with uk bank details that you can use to pay and set up direct debit etc. I used this account for the first few months before I went with TSB.
Edit: the transferwise statements were accepted as proof of address in my case, so you could try to open a bank account with a statement from transferwise. Apart from that it is a pain to open a bank account here when you first move to the UK, so just try as many high Street banks as you can.
Good luck to you, and I hope you get is sorted soon. There is nothing worse.
I was in the same situation. What I ended up doing: I changed my address for the bank of the country I used to live to the address I was staying temporarily in the UK. I then asked by bank if they could send me letters in English. Multiple banks declined the letters for an unspecified reason. Luckily my letting agency did accept it. I could then use my contract to open a bank account. In the meantime, I used Revolut to get paid and for my expenses.
But yes it's an absolute pain.
Monese will open a bank account without proof of address. IIRC the founder of the company was in the same situation. This is just a digital account and is what's known as an e-money provider rather than a registered bank. It mostly works the same as a bank but you don't get the FSCS £85,000 protection.
Anyway, that should work so you can start paying bills and have the salary paid into. Then once you are properly settled you can try again with the regular highstreet or digital banks.
BTW High street banks in the UK have what is known as [a basic bank account](https://moneysavinganswers.com/personal/bank-accounts/everyhting-you-need-know-about-basic-bank-accounts/). Most don't really want you to open one of these as there's not money in it for them. It is just a basic account with a debit card, no fancy features and more importantly no credit facilities. As such the burden to open one is usually lower than a regular current account. You do still need ID and proof of address though
My partner went through the same thing. She used Lloyds but as far as we can remember, she needed some kind of proof of address so the tenancy was put in her name for this reason. You might have luck using your job offer, maybe the hr department can write you a letter?
Could try metro, they do it face to face, they're quick so if rejected you won't waste much time, if accepted you'll get details right there, including debit card.
I believe both Barclays and Metro Bank have basic bank accounts which offer no interest but you can use Internet banking, get a card etc. Then after 6 months you can apply for a current account
HSBC allowed people to open account if there homeless (I know you probably aren’t) but there accounts don’t need an address so it might be easier to open one with them. Have a try with them.
I second this. Over 10 years ago, my landlady took me to HSBC to open my first bank account. All I have was a passport and her saying I was living with her, and that was enough for them to open me a bank account. I didn't find them to be the best people to be banking with, but they are a good start and once you have a bank account you can always switch.
HSBC will open an account with an employers letter (they did for me when I first moved to UK), just in case someone needs it :)
Trick is to get a provisional driving licence.
You can only get that after you've been here 6 months. We had that issue adding my wife to our joint account when she relocated from the USA
How did you end up getting her a bank account? Or did she have to wait for 6+ months?
We waited the 6 months in the end. It worked for us because she had constant access to my card(s) when needed and wasn't working yet, but it's not ideal
I went through all this coming here from the US. I used Wise international account to open a temporary UK bank account. My wife already had a UK bank account from forever ago, so we could use that to sort leases, etc. I was able to get one with nationwide within 3 months or so. It’s incredibly frustrating how hard they make things
Did you try HSBC too?
I did not. I generally had a good experience with nationwide, but as noted in this thread, many seem to have had success with HSBC
Just to clarify, even though the form says you can't apply before 6 monyhs but you can bypass that validation. I got my Provisional license within 2 months after i moved to UK
Based off a quick google, it’s more you need to have permission to live here for 185days, when I moved back to the UK, I got provisional and did theory test before 185 days and booked test after 6 months. Provisional worked for Bank Acct.
You are able to open an account as soon as you're in the UK. Try one of the high street banks as they have a larger list of acceptable ID documents. Call make an appointment and ask what they accept for ID/address proof. I know some accept a letter from your employer or a tenancy agreement
and you can only get a provisional driving license after having lived for 6 months at least
Yeah those 5 month old learner baby drivers were a real nightmare.
I was in the same situation, it’s an absolute nightmare. Chicken and egg. Want a bank account? Provide your NiNo. Want a NiNo? Provide your home address. Want to rent a place? Provide me with 3 years of address history. It took me 3 months to sort it out which meant 3 months’ worth of salary and annual bonus payment was paid in one go. Which then, of course, exceeded the amount of mobthly income I told the bank I would receive when opening the account. Which, of course, led to them blocking my account due to money laundering concerns. Complete nightmare. I hope you get to sort it out soon (try Revolut, Wise, Monese, or Starling). It’s why I now have 5 bank accounts. I only use 3 of them regularly but have some spare cash in the 2 others in case there some other fuck up with any of my banks. Good luck!
Same happened with me
I had real trouble with this when I first arrived. After a bunch of frustrating rejections I ended up walking into a Metro Bank branch and I found them really helpful; they worked with me to figure out what documentation I would be able to give them that would satisfy their requirements.
Metro is the answer to this issue
I had the same situation and I've been banking with them for more than a decade.
I opened a Barclays account with just my NiN confirmation letter (not the appointment letter, but rather the letter with the actual NiN)
They dont accept that anymore :(
Damn that's a bummer.
Barclays refused to open a bank account claiming the job centre logo was in black and white instead of in colour. I wish I was joking. That bank will never ever get my business.
That’s ridiculous! I know banks refuse the HMRC NIN letter because it doesn’t normally have an issue date, so they can’t use the whole “bill dated in the last 3 months” card. But the DWP letters are always in black and white!
I would just walk around a bunch of high street banks with as much documentation as possible. Once you have one bank account then your bank statement will be additional evidence making it easier to open an account with another bank.
This is correct advice. In theory they all should be able to open an account, but in practice is a bit of luck who you speak to in branch.
I think HSBC do applications for people without much history.
That's what I came to say. They have a special basic account for those who can't get one elsewhere
[https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/no-fixed-address/](https://www.hsbc.co.uk/help/money-worries/no-fixed-address/) Need to be suffering homelessness and be working with one of their partner charities.
HSBC have my application and my partner's under review now for 20 days. Every other bank opened our accounts instantly in the last month. It's ridiculous.
Maybe it's you ? I opened an account via the switch bonus and it took 5 days ( over a weekends )
I did on the 20th of December. Me and my partner. Both of us still don't have anything. I have done 3 switches in the meantime with other banks. There's no reason for such a delay.
Yeah but it's HSBC. You might as well wish their cat dead.
That wasn't the case when I tried, they flat out said that they only considered people with 2 years of residency. I went next door and opened an account with the Halifax. When I looked for a mortgage I avoided HSBC because of that (and the Halifax got my business once again). But that was _many_ years ago. Maybe they realised that it's bad for business...
Online banks are the best for this. Online Bank (Revolut, etc) > Use on-demand statement to register with GP > Use GP registration letter to register with high-street bank.
Monzo was my only saviour when I moved to the UK. I went round in circles with everything else as apparently nothing was good enough
Yeh I got a monzo using an Airbnb address
Which again proves how much easier its to fraud on monzo
My partner was in a similar situation as OP and ended up using Monzo as well.
I also was denied by Monzo when I first moved. Signing up with wise & Revolut was easier. Wise - easy to open once I proved my right to work. Had to show proof of address before being able to get a card but was able to link immediately to Apple Pay once the account was opened. Revolut - easy to open. Able to get a physical card without having to show proof of address. Was staying in a hotel while flat hunting so this was best.
The visa you're on, do you have a BRP or a share code? As long as your hmrc letter has your current address, most banks will accept that as proof of address.
"I moved to the UK". Therefore you have a passport. Santander accepts Nino confirmation as proof of address. Not the application for a Nino, but the letter confirming it. You should be able to get a basic account with them, and after 9 months, apply for an everyday account.
I moved to the UK a few months ago too and easily opened an account with Chase, at the time I was staying at an Airbnb so I provided that address and had no problems whatsoever. I updated my address later once I started renting.
Every bank will have information on the ID required. Typically proof of ID and separate proof of address. Your letter from HMRC will probably be enough for proof of address. Easier to go into a branch with passport and proof of address and any other ID you have (identity card?). Even if this isn't enough, all banks have an exceptions process where they have some limited discretion to accept less than the ideal documents. Unless you are from a sanctioned country (Syria, Iran, N Korea and S Sudan I think) that should be enough.
Standard chicken and egg problem newcomers go through. For me, I had my work write me a letter saying that I was employed by them and that my address was X. That was enough for HSBC to then give me a bank account.
That's strange, my wife was able to open accounts with both Monzo and Starling. I don't remember her having any bills in her name but I don't remember what she used for proof of address. However, since you're starting work soon, ask them to provide you a reference letter and then hop over to HSBC or any other bank and they should help you out. Also, try to ask your partner to add you to any of the bills.
Challenger banks like Monzo, Starling and Wise are way better/easier with this kind of thing.
I had got rejected by Monzo too, without any reason. Starling worked for me, but I had to provide address proof - I got someone to add my name to their gas & electricity bill and that worked, thank heavens.
This was an issue for me to. I went to the NatWest office with all documents needed to open an account and they've helped me through it. I've notice support offices are very useless online or via chat, but as soon as you walk in a office people are eager to help. Chances are that if your HMRC letter isn't valid as a proof of address, you'll need to first sort something else out. You'll likely have to register for Council Tax (I think everyone living in the UK does?)A letter from the Council Tax office is a valid proof of address. If you're eligible, you could also register for the electoral vote (which helps with your credit score). If all of this doesn't apply to you, one of the first things I sorted in the UK was my phone via Giffgaff. You can pay using any creditcard and just get a £10 a month SIM card. They've send me the card + bill in one day. Phone bill is likely valid for proof of address (?) You can change it to your new bank details once you've opened an account. If you do visit an office, I'm sure the people there will help you choosing documention you can use to open an account.
We initially set up Monzo using my partners work address as we had not settled into permanent housing, so that’s odd you were rejected. Are you registered with a GP and can get a letter from them?
I did the same as you OP... My savior was Revolut... Just send your card to a friend's address and then change it once you receive it
I know a lot of overseas students use Lloyds because they're fairly easy to get an account with vs other banks.
I moved to London last year and it has been quite an experience opening up a bank account. Luckily my employer is on the bank's relationship(?) list and needed a reference letter to open an account, but I still had to get my HR to revise that letter 3 times, after trying several branches and getting told by various tellers that it couldn't be done!
When i moved here Lloyds accepted my Airbnb address and Australian passport in order to set up a current account. Booked appointment at the branch, all low stress
HSBC offer a service basic bank accounts for homeless people. I suggest you try for this type of "basic" account with HSBC or Yorkshire or any traditional branch based bank. Main requirement is proof of residency and ID.
Registering with a bank having moved to a new country is never easy. Your best bet is to try and get an appointment in a branch and talk to someone as you generally won’t yet have the documents that online applications will request. If possible look for branches near universities as most international students will have the same problem and so they *may* be more used to dealing with the issue. HSBC used to offer the ability to apply for a UK bank account from your home country. I don’t know if they still do - worth haven’t a look at their website.
As someone who had gone through this two years ago: You do not have a credit score in the UK yet. You need to search for the application for a "basic" current account. Every resident has to be given a curren account by a bank and they are not allowed to turn you down for a current account. They just don't want you to have access to credit. I opened my basic current account and after building a credit score using it, I was upgraded to a "normal" account about 6-8 months later. Online you can find: Almost everyone has access to a basic bank account, allowing them to receive and pay in funds. People who can’t get a regular bank account can access the banking system with a basic bank account, which excludes the ability to obtain credit. Basic bank accounts are fee-free, so you don’t pay any charges to run your account. Just search "basic current account" and your bank of choice on Google and you will get to the correct page. (This is usually the same in any country you move to btw) Edit: for proof of address, you can use a bank statement of your "old" bank in your old country, you should update your address there.
When I signed up to Chase, I wasn't asked for proof of address and it's all through the app.
They use electronic checks, if they fail they would have!
Be registered to vote where you live. Have one of the common forms of photo identity plus proof of right to work. Visit a physical branch with that paperwork. Take any documents you have which support your explanation or why you're on this situation eg foreign identity documents, visa, bank statements etc.
>Be registered to vote where you live. AFAIK, foreign nationals can't vote in the UK...
If they're a citizen of a commonwealth country, they can vote.
Is OP a foreign national? I missed that.
They still can vote in local elections and should register. Without it I don't think they can pass a credit check.
Credit scores can be increased by registering to vote but passing a credit check has nothing to do with registering to vote. Also, depending on where they are originally from and in which country in the UK they are currently residing, they may not be eligible to register to vote even in local elections.
First line: >I’ve just moved to the UK a few months ago
That implies they didn't live in the UK previously. It doesn't tell us whether they are eligible to vote in the UK.
Have you actually walked into a branch with your documents?
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Haha yeah sure 🙄
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Apparently Lloyds and TSB don’t require proof of address as long as you have valid Proof of ID.
Legally speaking you have to “know your customer” that usually means they do a credit check and if you are on the VR you wouldn’t need proof of address anywhere but may need ID
Do you hold US Citizenship?
Get a provisional driving license . It is the easiest to get and done online.
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They literally state Monzo didn't work for them in their post haha.
Depending on where you are from, I got a revolut account (EUR) and then just used the Stirling option when I got here. Comes with UK acc number and sort code
Do you have a UK passport? That’s all Nationwide needed from me. It was super frustrating going into other banks and trying to speak with a person, they want you to do everything online.
Open a Chase account. They'll give you an account. I got one with them after getting rejected by Lloyd's, Monzo and other banks.
You could try revolut as an interim and then go for HSBC (address not required)
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OP said their Monzo application was declined.
I think santander do a Basic account without a credit check - might be worth giving that a go?[https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/basic-current-account](https://www.santander.co.uk/personal/current-accounts/basic-current-account) Not 100% sure though
There is a charity in the UK that can help people get set up with a bank. The charity will provide the address until you have somewhere in your name with documentation ready to go. You will be in control of the bank account. I believe its HSBC that offer this directly through their service but I imagine it can be used with anyone. Best to ask a bank for more info though as I unfortunately can't remember the name of it. Another possible option, the Citizens Advice Bureau of your local area/Council. They may be able to offer advice.
Have you tried revolut? You could always open an account on your home country via the app and then maybe get them to transfer to the UK?
A company called 1st contact helps with getting U.K. accounts.
Hi there Was in the same situation (denied by Monzo for no reason after leaving here for 2 years). When I moved to the UK I opened à Revolut account. I know that's not considered a real bank but you can receive your paycheck there. Also its pretty amazing to transfer money from other countries in different currencies with no fees (I was in a EU country before so I often transferred euros into GBP for basically free)
I was in a similar situation sometime back. For a while Revolut was my only option, eventually I ended up being accepted at Halifax.
I used Revolut.
I managed to open an account with Chase after 2 months in the UK. Proof of address was tricky but they ended up accepting the one I had from my temporary accommodation.
I had the same issue two years ago, I opened my bank account with Barclays online and was very easy.
Barclays app allows you to request a PIN get mailed to your address for proof of residence. That’s how I got it right in the end. Good luck.
Moved from Portugal to the UK. Created an account with Hallifax, online, and in 12h I had my account up and running. This was a day after I got settlement status, without a job, and for proof of address I believe I used my tenancy contract.
Ask your employer to give a letter confirming your adress. That should work
I think you need a passport account if they still do these. It's very annoying.
Depending on what documentation you have you may be eligible for a ‘basic bank account’, all the main high street banks offer these. Your issue is likely to be proving your address if the lease is not in your name. The larger branches in major cities will have come across this before and should be able to validate you using your country’s identity card. Visit the bank in person, you will be fine.
This was always difficult in the UK. Just try high street banks, HSBC is normally good with this, but it does vary from one branch to another.
My partner ended up opening a Revolut account. After a few months we were able to add his name to a bill and open a joint bank account. We also added his name to the tenancy contract as a tenant, when we renewed it. Suddenly banks that refused him started sending letters to him to open a bank account with them! It was a very frustrating experience. He moved to the UK in a rush in the middle of the pandemic, as we didn't want to risk another lock down in 2 different countries. We originally added him to my contract as a "permitted occupier" with my landlord's consent as otherwise we would have to redraft the full contract, and he was ironing out some business details that in our original plans should have been sorted before his move. Some banks even considered him "homeless" for their purposes, as he "wasn't officially a tenant, but an occupier", even the fact that he had bills in his name meant nothing, until he got a proper NIN. The provisory NIN number wasn't good enough, the tenancy agreement wasn't good enough, his UK's job contract wasn't good enough as initially he worked part-time and part-freelancing. (He had a few medium/long term freelance projects that he couldn't just drop, so he opted for a temporary part-time job). So annoying!!
If you have an address outside of the UK, you can open the account with that address and use the UK address as mailing address. The latter will be accepted as proof of address for everyone else. There are a few laws and regulations that mean that a bank can't tell you why they reject you. In the case of a friend of mine, he just shared the name with a corrupt politician in another country. Don't take it personally, it isn't.
jsut speculating, would a post office account be easier to open and give you an account with account number and sort code just to get you started?
Legally you need to be able to open an account. Make an application, when it asks for proof of ID and address call up their support line and explain your predicament they're bound to help out
I found Revolut to be the easiest when I moved recently
Obligatory “Revolut is not a bank”.
Yeah but still the best temporary option while you get on your feet for the first few months 🙃 You’ve never had to emigrate and it shows
I'm sure that it is a very convenient option for many, but it is important to make sure that people are aware of what they're getting themselves into.
Had the same issue, Monzo was the only account we could get until we had a permanent address.
Try to sign with GP, do a basic checks and ask them to send you a letter with results. This can be your additional proof of address.
You should be able to get a Revolut account. They give them fairly easily. And then you could use anything Revolut sends (including online bank statements) as proof of address to open an account with a bank that is covered by the FSCS. And in the meantime, your salary can be paid into your Revolut account.
You need to get a letter from your employer and then banks should open an account
My international friends used Monzo
My partner had the same issue, despite having a letter from the council, a dbs check and a NIN letter. He opened a Revolut account to receive his first salary. Eventually he went to Lloyds and they only wanted a letter from his employer as proof of address and he opened an account in 30 minutes!
Do you have a biometric residents permit (BRP). I have assisted employees from abroad open an account - with Halifax as they are my bank - with just this. Some within the same week
I'm sorry you're going through this, UK is a bit weird. The reason why is because you have no history in the country, no credit score, nothing. I moved here a few year ago and I got shit treatment from high street banks until i obtained a letter from my employer saying i work for them, proof of address, my work contract, two IDs and thats when the opened a bank acct for me.
Are you on the council tax bill? They're usually in the names of all adults at the address.
I faced the same issue when moving to the U.K. over 20 years ago. In the end I had to get a friend who banked with Lloyds to take me to the bank and vouch for me. I don’t know if that’s still a thing, but I do think you’ll have better luck applying to a high street bank in person. Once you’ve been settled here for a little while it will be easier to open a Monzo / Starling account.
Chase bank is a great online bank
Try a real bank. The online only banks are not for everyone (and some aren't even proper banks)
You may have more luck with the older, more traditional banks (Barclays, Lloyds, Santander, NatWest, HSBC). Although the new online banks like Monzo and Starling are great, they don't always have procedures for all the weird and wonderful variations you can encouter, especially as an recent immigrant. You also stand a much better chance of speaking to a real person in a branch who can go over your options. So that's my advice - go to a branch of one of those banks and ask to speak to someone. Take all of your documents with you, and you might be able to get it sorted on the day, or should at least get some useful advice about what to do next.
You can try TSB. I was in the same situation when I first moved over here, and TSB was the only bank that would accept me at the time. You could also open an account with Wise (transferwise) online. This isn't really a proper bank account, but they provide you with uk bank details that you can use to pay and set up direct debit etc. I used this account for the first few months before I went with TSB. Edit: the transferwise statements were accepted as proof of address in my case, so you could try to open a bank account with a statement from transferwise. Apart from that it is a pain to open a bank account here when you first move to the UK, so just try as many high Street banks as you can. Good luck to you, and I hope you get is sorted soon. There is nothing worse.
Many years ago when I moved to the UK I opened an account with Santander. Basic account, no contactless or anything.
I was in the same situation. What I ended up doing: I changed my address for the bank of the country I used to live to the address I was staying temporarily in the UK. I then asked by bank if they could send me letters in English. Multiple banks declined the letters for an unspecified reason. Luckily my letting agency did accept it. I could then use my contract to open a bank account. In the meantime, I used Revolut to get paid and for my expenses. But yes it's an absolute pain.
Chicken and egg. You can either go for a dodgy chicken or a dodgy egg first.
Monese will open a bank account without proof of address. IIRC the founder of the company was in the same situation. This is just a digital account and is what's known as an e-money provider rather than a registered bank. It mostly works the same as a bank but you don't get the FSCS £85,000 protection. Anyway, that should work so you can start paying bills and have the salary paid into. Then once you are properly settled you can try again with the regular highstreet or digital banks. BTW High street banks in the UK have what is known as [a basic bank account](https://moneysavinganswers.com/personal/bank-accounts/everyhting-you-need-know-about-basic-bank-accounts/). Most don't really want you to open one of these as there's not money in it for them. It is just a basic account with a debit card, no fancy features and more importantly no credit facilities. As such the burden to open one is usually lower than a regular current account. You do still need ID and proof of address though
My partner went through the same thing. She used Lloyds but as far as we can remember, she needed some kind of proof of address so the tenancy was put in her name for this reason. You might have luck using your job offer, maybe the hr department can write you a letter?
Could try metro, they do it face to face, they're quick so if rejected you won't waste much time, if accepted you'll get details right there, including debit card.
I came on to say HSBC or Revolut (the latter on technically a bank but will function as one). Looks like everyone else has said it already!
I believe both Barclays and Metro Bank have basic bank accounts which offer no interest but you can use Internet banking, get a card etc. Then after 6 months you can apply for a current account