Steps for Opening A Bank Account In The UK For Non Residents
Can a foreigner open a bank account in the uk? The answer is Yes! Read on.
It can sometimes be difficult to set up a bank account in the first couple of weeks, this is because most high street banks will require proof of a UK address and a national insurance number
Employers cannot pay salaries into foreign bank accounts , therefore a number of our nurses tend to open online international accounts that will allow them to have a sort code and account number. For this purpose I am sending you the link below to Transferwise as an example:
Transferwise is an online website that processes bank transfers from one currency to another in just a few days without incurring in additional banking fees.
We have found out that they also have an account called Borderless, that allows people to do online banking and effectively obtain a sort code and account number to receive payments in UK. They do not provide debit cards yet, but this could be a quick way for you to get your wages paid, and you could then transfer the money to your own accounts until you obtain proof of address and an UK Bank account which you would need to obtain as soon as possible
There are no hidden costs, just a small fee if you transfer money to an account in a different currency and if you make bank transfers by card. See link below
https://transferwise.com
If you want to go for this option you can apply online, it will take approximately one week for you to receive a sort code and account number
This mean you can have your bank account sorted even before you arrive in the UK and be sure that you don’t miss the first salary