We have only recently arrived.

It would make my life a lot easier if my wife had a bank account.

Please from experience can you explain.

At the moment the only letter she has with the home address is a letter from the NHS.

So I've been told this is not suffice

Thanks

Try Metrobank,their requirements are on their website.

Also no ATM fee anywhere in the world,and prefect Mastercard exchange rate.

Try the bank that you use yourself first.

I use HSBC and when my wife arrived here 3 years ago only had her passport but they gave her a cash card initially and now she has a debit card.

I am sure there are other banks that will help

try and put your wife's name on a utility bill if you can. that will help. then ask the company to send out a new bill

Get her put on the council tax bill

Even following the suggestions above may not suffice as some banks will not open an account for an adult who does not have a traceable credit history.

You'll need to shop around, or do as we did which is open an account in our joint names for my wife to use.

Try this one:

http://www.mycashplus.co.uk/products/current-account.aspx

No credit checks and no proof of address required until you want to upgrade from the basic level to "Total Access". Their cards function like a basic bank account, too.

Try the bank that you use yourself first.

I use HSBC and when my wife arrived here 3 years ago only had her passport but they gave her a cash card initially and now she has a debit card.

I am sure there are other banks that will help

Same for my wife 2 years ago. HSBC asked for a council tax bill which was in joint names, passport and all was very straight forward. Just over a year later her standard ATM card was changed to a debit card. I must add that I put £200 in her account and left it there.

Try the local Post Office

No.

Must apply for NI number for Thai wife. This, amazingly, means physically going to a Jobcentre, then being given a tel number to call a jobcentre call centre oop north (from within the jobcentre!). They then send you a pre-printed doc, You send copies of wife's spouse visa, passport ID page and they generate a LETTER containing the new NI number. There is NO NI CARD ANYMORE This letter obviously shows yours/her home address. This is sufficient with ALL UK banks to open a bank account.

Edited September 17, 201312 yr by 10120

Mrs KD opened a Barclays Cashcard account about two months after we arrived. All that was needed was passport with settlement visa and a council tax bill with her name on it. It comes with a Visa debit card. After holding this account for six months she was also offered a Visa credit card with a 400 quid credit limit.

10120,
You do not need to have a NI number in order to open a bank account; although some banks may require this of new adult customers.

Applicants do not attend a Jobcentre to apply, they apply via phone or online.

They may need to attend an identity interview, though.

See Applying for a National Insurance number.