Comments on London Expat | Singaporean in London: Setting up a UK bank account and applying for a cr...

@drcrab, I guess you would have to go up the limit...

2009-07-23T19:55:14.546+01:00

@drcrab,
I guess you would have to go up the limit then. :)

I figured out the significance of bills after trying to rent a place. References include prior bills as well.

@Anon,
Heard about Cash ISA but have not read up about it as yet, shows how clueless I am, isn't it? But thanks for the heads up.

One thing about SG credit cards is that some do

I had no problem setting up a UK bank account as I...

2009-07-22T13:57:11.046+01:00

I had no problem setting up a UK bank account as I had a HSBC account in SG, so I merely presented all the relevant documents. I had a Credit card issued at the same time, there was a problem with the Pins of the credit card and I have since cancelled it. In terms of daily withdrawal limits, the £300 is for withdrawal from ATM, you could withdraw more at the counter. In UK, it is NOT advisable

well that's what I said - I've been here for so lo...

2009-07-21T19:52:07.518+01:00

well that's what I said - I've been here for so long and my husband's british and yet we both have 300 pound limits. Not sure why..!

in the UK, your gas bill is your method of identity!!! (unlike at home where we have the IC at 12 and updated one at 18 and then again..!)...

in Japan, I don't remember how bad it was to get a bank account but I do remember

@SheR, Got that. Will go prance around outside Ba...

2009-07-19T23:03:54.963+01:00

@SheR,
Got that. Will go prance around outside Bank of England tomorrow. Might just do the trick!

@Feanor,
For us, we have an existing relationship with HSBC back in S'pore so it's a matter of internal liaising on the bank's part. But gosh, even that was an agony for us.

Ah, but I was unemployed for 3 months when I first...

2009-07-18T19:06:05.867+01:00

Ah, but I was unemployed for 3 months when I first got to the UK; by the time I was employed, I already had the Lloyds account. I'm not sure employer sponsorship even exists here - although if we show we have a regular job, no bank should deny us an account, eh?

CK. I didn't apply for a job. My ex-boss just chos...

2009-07-18T12:26:05.441+01:00

CK. I didn't apply for a job. My ex-boss just chose me from the crowd lining up at the branch! Hahaha

@drcrab, I was referring to the limit for withdraw...

2009-07-17T23:35:29.963+01:00

@drcrab,
I was referring to the limit for withdrawal per day not just for newcomers. Then again, I am not sure what's the point of that with debit cards; any person with the card and pin could go around swiping the card as well.

Without a proper id card, it's quite hard to track people down over here. As such, one's address plays an important role here, so much so

when i first got here, it was so difficult to get ...

2009-07-17T08:30:04.338+01:00

when i first got here, it was so difficult to get a bank account in my name that we figured we might as well add me to nina's; but then barclays said that her own facilities like the credit and debit card would be withdrawn because they didn't know what my rating was, so we abandoned that attempt. finally after weeks of going to one bank after another, lloyds allowed me to open a very

Getting a credit card in Japan is a hassle too. ...

2009-07-16T23:13:07.363+01:00

Getting a credit card in Japan is a hassle too.

Actually, using banks here is a hassle.

Oh I was lucky CK. Got my bank account and job at ...

2009-07-16T20:57:11.917+01:00

Oh I was lucky CK. Got my bank account and job at Barclays (because my boss saw me at the branch). Then through that same account, I got a credit card with 500 pounds limit. Easy peesy.

Hi CK! the 300 pound daily withdrawal limit is som...

2009-07-16T20:04:28.445+01:00

Hi CK!
the 300 pound daily withdrawal limit is something set by the banks - not just for people new to the country. I've had this 300 pound limit since I've been here 13 years ago, and so has my husband (who's been here forever!). You can apply to have a higher withdrawal limit though, and if you really need to draw out more money you can get it from the cashier. this is just a