Finding a good bank in London?Hello. I will be traveling to London in the Fall for a week for school. In 2013 I will start my graduate studies in Medieval History somewhere in the United Kingdom, either in England or Scotland. While I travel to London I would like to open up a bank account there and deposit some funds there so I can pay fees,... |
I'm a British student in London so I'm somewhat limited in helping you as an American but here goes...
Pretty much all banks in the UK are regional, i.e. they have a branch in almost every town and city, and even if you're heading up to Scotland, they still have the same banks.
The following is a link to the British Banking Association's guide for International Students. It gives info on what documents you need to open an account.
http://www.bba.org.uk/content/1/c6/01/45/96/International%20Students%20Opening%20a%20UK%20Bank%20Account.pdf
It doesnt say anything about student accounts but you may be able to open a student account which give you additional offers such as an interest-free overdraft (usually up to £1500) and for example; the Natwest bank give you a free 5-year railcard which gives you discounted travel on trains. All you have to do is prove that you're a student, however, I'd check with them as you might have to be a permanent UK resident.
The most reputable banks are; Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Halifax, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Natwest, Nationwide, Alliance and Leicester and Santander. They should all have branches in York, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
One last point, check with your bank in America if they can open an account for you. They may have "partnered" with a bank in the UK so they can do this. If you can do this then all you will have to do is pick up your card and cheque book from your local branch when you arrive here.
A long answer but I hope that kinda helps :)
Hi theren
Best way is to open an account in CitiBank America which can be applicable in the UK Citibank branch around the country.
Take care
Sam
