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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Bank accounts for foreign nannies

54 replies

uwila · 22/08/2005 13:12

Just wondering if anyone can advise how/where their foreign nanny / au pair obtained a bank account in the UK. Mine has been to Abbey, Natwest, and Nationwide. Nationwide wasn't sure if they could do it. Abbey said no way until she's been here a year, and Natwest has different set of requirements every time she goes in. I do not want to pay her in cash as that makes my record keeping a pain. Can anyone recommend a bank that will let her open an account?

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Ladymuck · 22/08/2005 13:34

HSBC in Regent Street seems to work for my Aussie friends.

Ladymuck · 22/08/2005 13:35

But you do have to go to that branch, not just a local one!

Original poster

uwila · 22/08/2005 13:41

Do you happen to know what documents she needs?

She has no utility bill, but she could take her contract and a letter from me stating that she lives in my house.

OP posts:

QueenOfQuotes · 22/08/2005 13:45

Any HSBC should be ok - DH opened a HSBC account after only being here for about 1 month with them - and that was in Bedford.

QueenOfQuotes · 22/08/2005 13:46

Trying to remember back 5yrs - DH needed his visa that showed he was living in the UK legally.

Original poster

uwila · 22/08/2005 13:51

QofQ, did he have utilities in his name?

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Original poster

uwila · 22/08/2005 15:10

anyone else?

OP posts:

Easy · 22/08/2005 15:13

Uwila, If you write a letter confirming that she lives with you, but also provide a utilities bill proving you live there.

It might help if you go with her, altho' don't get persuaded into standing guarantor for her!

Or could you talk to your own bank, see if they can help (assuming you are on good terms with your bank)?

Original poster

uwila · 22/08/2005 15:26

My bank is Abbey, and they wouldn't talk to her until she has lived in the country for 12 months. So that's out. I'm willing to go with her. In fact, we have to go to London soon to get US citizenship for 3 month old DS, I think we will go by Regent Street that day if she hasn't succeeded in Kingston by then. I'll just bring everything I can think of.

OP posts:

QueenOfQuotes · 22/08/2005 16:23

Uwila - no he didn't we were living with my parents, so everything was in there name.

Tanzie · 22/08/2005 21:05

Let me know if you have any luck. Am unable to open accounts for DDs in UK as we are not resident there. Had no problem opening an account in Belgium or Austria, strangely...

mishmash · 22/08/2005 23:49

Gosh Uwila this is really tough - when nanny came to me I made all the calls but two were willing to open accounts cos (a) they knew me and (b) all she had to produce was a letter from me with my address on it and a letter confirming her tax status

but I honestly think that only I knew the bank managers concerned (we live in a small town) there would have been major difficulty

I know it is to do with Money Laundering but they have to give some concessions if you can prove that the person in question is who they really are

dizzydo · 23/08/2005 06:52

Hi Uwila, I am having exactly the same problem with my au-pair who is German. I went with her to my bank (Nationwide) but they said it is due to legislation on money laundering and that is what makes it practically impossible to do. Even with her passport, me there confirming she was who she said she was, a letter of offer, my passport (despite the fact I have banked at that particular branch for the last ten years), I was told I would have to contact one of my bill as proof of ID. She also had details of her bank in Germany and her account there. It all seems absolutely crazy to me. I havent actually phoned BT or someone yet to get her added you might have just spurred me on. I will let you know how I fair.

dizzydo · 23/08/2005 06:54

Sorry that should have said I was told by the Bank Manager that I would have to get her name added to a utility bill as proof of her ID and address in this country.

goldenoldie · 23/08/2005 08:35

Only had one AP who successfully opened an account in the UK. She got a letter sent from her bank manager in Hungary to the bank manager of a local branch of an affiliated bank here.

I would not add AP to any bills for ID purposes as this will open a whole new line of credit for them. It would then be very easy to apply for services/benefits/credit cards without my knowledge and if AP left/did not pay her bills my address could become blacklisted without my knowing till it was too late.

MrsWobble · 23/08/2005 09:03

my husband got our last (Australian) nanny a bank account and is, I hope, about to do the same for our current (Czech) one. I recall it being impossible until he spoke to the right person at the bank who was able to help. I'll try and remember to ask him how he did it this evening and can let you know if that helps.

21stcenturygirl · 23/08/2005 12:54

Uwila

My ap had the same problem and, short of transferring a utility bill to her name, we did not have any joy. I've ended up "lending" her a spare account, in my name, that I have floating around (with no money in it). Having said that, we both have an enourmous amount of trust in each other and I wouldn't do this for any other ap.

Original poster

uwila · 23/08/2005 12:57

OMG, look who is posting. I haven't seen you on here in ages.

OP posts:

21stcenturygirl · 23/08/2005 13:02

Just had 5 minutes to spare - from organising my social life .

SueW · 23/08/2005 15:22

Tanzie, AFAIK (I've been out of banking for a while) all non-resident accounts have to be held offshore/in certain branches. Some years ago the banks got into huge trouble with the Inland Revenue for not properly keeping records wrt to overseas residents and had to pay huge amounts of settlement money.

Some branches of some banks in the UK were specifically set up to hold all overseas res accounts so that tax records could be kept properly.

Tanzie · 23/08/2005 18:10

I have an "ornery" account with an "ornery" bank - my salary gets paid into it. Also have an offshore one for savings (but it's empty at the moment!)

SofiaAmes · 23/08/2005 21:58

I think the best thing for her to do is lie. Say that she's been in the uk for a year, say that she intends to stay permanently and get "lease" done up by you stating that she lives at your house.
When I asked my bank (royal bank of scotland) about opening an account for an australian girl that i worked with, they said that if she went and "registered" at the town hall, she could get a letter from them "confirming" her address and that that would suffice instead of a utility bill in her name as proof of address.

dizzydo · 24/08/2005 06:45

Goldenoldie, I hadnt even thought of that angle on it but of course that could happen. I wont be doing that then.

goldenoldie · 24/08/2005 08:05

I don't like the idea of lying, full-stop, and colluding with them to encourage this is dangerous.

I know you are only trying to help them, but what sort of signal is this sending to the AP about your home/family - that it is always OK to lie to get what you want?

Sometimes in life we don't get what we want or need and just have to live with it - maybe not having bank accounts for overseas APs is just one of those irritating things we have to live with..................

Ameriscot2005 · 24/08/2005 08:26

According to Barclays:

They need to have something official to tie them to your address. The easiest way, if they are eligible (EU and Commonwealth citizens), is to add them to the electoral roll (the local district council has an electoral roll office and people can be added at any time).

If that's not possible, then you could add them to one of your utility bills.

If you don't want to do that, then they would need to change their address to your one on their foreign bank account and then get a bank reference.

They do not have to be resident long-term in the UK, and even if they have been here a while, they still need to supply proof of address.

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