How do I open a bank account in the UK?
How do I open up a bank account in the UK
You will require a bank account in order for your salary to paid into directly. If you work through a recruitment agent they may be able to assist you with the process. You will be required to go into the bank in order to open an account.
· You must provide the bank with at least one current proof of your identity and
one current proof of your UK address.
· As you are new to the country you will not have access to documents that people
in the UK have (UK bills, UK driving licence, etc.) but there are other documents
banks may accept for the purpose of confirming identity and address:
· Passport
Or if you are from a country in the European Union or European Economic Area:
· National identity card
· Residence permit issued to the Home Office to EU nationals.
· National driving licence.
· If you have two bank accounts with two different banks in your country, it
may be enough for you to have two statements from both the banks.
· Proving your address in the UK may be more difficult but the following documents
may be acceptable:
· Tenancy agreement
· A letter from the employer in the UK confirming your address (and if you
already have payslips from that employer that may help too)
· The bank may also want to see proof of your previous or permanent
address in the country that you come from. Your national identity card or
drivers licence may be acceptable for this purpose. The bank may ask for
a reference about you from a bank or financial institution if you have an
account in the country that you come from. This will have to be on original
headed paper, or with a bank stamp.
Each bank may have a different process so could vary from bank to bank. Most banks will provide you with a cheque book & cheque guarantee card, and in most cases banks usually process cheques within 4 working days. Many banks will also provide you with a debit/cash card, which can be used to obtain cash from cash point machines or can be used electronically in stores. More recent
bank and credit cards are being issued with chip and pin technology, which require the cardholder to enter a pin number when making a transaction.
The main Banks in the UK are Barclays Bank, Lloyds TSB, HSBC
