has any one any experiance of opening a bank account for a thai person that has just got to the uk how easy and who,

ta bread

To have her own account, she'll need to produce her passport and one acceptable item of proof of address (e.g. a utility bill) in her name.

Scouse.

To have her own account, she'll need to produce her passport and one acceptable item of proof of address (e.g. a utility bill) in her name.

Scouse.

Just to add some meat to this - the documents are required to satisfy Money Laundering Rules, which state that the bank has to 'positively identify' the potential customer and see evidence of their normal place of residence. One document for ID and one document for address verification is usually sufficient (some institutions may ask for more). There is usually a suite of documents that you can choose from for ID and for address.

Scouser is spot on that a passport is usually the favoured document for ID and a utility bill for address verification.

However, for a foreign national just arriving in the UK the ID will be easy but the address verification almost impossible. A smart move before arrival might be to put, say, the electric bill in her name then the document will available quickly. Banks will not accept mobile phone bills for confirmation of address nor internet bank statements.

I would be inclined to try your own bank for this exercise if you have any sort of credible track record - it may just help. Expect to get only the most basis form of bank account.

To have her own account, she'll need to produce her passport and one acceptable item of proof of address (e.g. a utility bill) in her name.

Scouse.

Just to add some meat to this - the documents are required to satisfy Money Laundering Rules, which state that the bank has to 'positively identify' the potential customer and see evidence of their normal place of residence. One document for ID and one document for address verification is usually sufficient (some institutions may ask for more). There is usually a suite of documents that you can choose from for ID and for address.

Scouser is spot on that a passport is usually the favoured document for ID and a utility bill for address verification.

However, for a foreign national just arriving in the UK the ID will be easy but the address verification almost impossible. A smart move before arrival might be to put, say, the electric bill in her name then the document will available quickly. Banks will not accept mobile phone bills for confirmation of address nor internet bank statements.

I would be inclined to try your own bank for this exercise if you have any sort of credible track record - it may just help. Expect to get only the most basis form of bank account.

How about a magazine subscription or two in her name?  I did this a few years back in Orego as additional "proof of residence" in order to get my Thai wife a DMV issued ID card.

Mac

ok sorry I should of said yesterday we had tried with the nationwide and they were being funny about the fact that she could not give 3 years previous address history and we only wanted a reall basic account, does any one give a diffrent bank the thumbs up,

thanks bread

Try Alliance and Leciester, they have the best interest rate around @ the moment. I just opened an account with them and they threw in a 5k limit mastercard to boot.

ok sorry I should of said yesterday we had tried with the nationwide and they were being funny about the fact that she could not give 3 years previous address history and we only wanted a reall basic account, does any one give a diffrent bank the thumbs up,

thanks bread

You could also try opening the account on-line. However, if accepted all banks will require the appropriate documents.

You may have to consider telling porkies :-

You will still need a utility bill or similar but on the application put down that your (I assume wife/gf) has lived here for 3 years as a housewife. The story is that she had not registered on the voters roll because she is a Thai national and she has not had to work because you have supported her. However, she now needs her own account because she wants to save some money from a part-time job she is going to find.

If it ticks enough boxes for the computer you may be OK - expect the most basic of accounts at best, or a savings account.

Don't entirely blame the banks, blame Osama bin Ladin - although there has arguably been an over-reaction to Money Laundering Rules by the institutions and a lack of practical application to situations like this.

Frankly, any terrorist worth his salt could easily obtain documents to satisfy bank's requirements - a genuine foreign national has more difficulty.

Halifax,

My wife applied online and was sent the application pack.

We sent it off with a copy of her passport and copy of a utility bill.

All done by post in a couple of weeks.

The account was a basic account, no overdraft etc

Dont know about current accounts

Scotty

ok sorry I should of said yesterday we had tried with the nationwide and they were being funny about the fact that she could not give 3 years previous address history and we only wanted a reall basic account, does any one give a diffrent bank the thumbs up,

thanks bread

That's starnge. The Nationwide where great when my Mrs opened hers. She had only been in the UK a few months and we did the application on-line. I still think the Nationwide Flex Account is the best, especially if intending to go to Thailand on holidays (or anywhere else for that matter).