HOW TO OPEN A UK BANK ACCOUNT

÷ BANK OF IRELAND Bank of Ireland has an operation in Northern Ireland and it is possible to open an account there without having a Northern Irish or British address. You do not have to be a customer of Bank of Ireland in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) to open an account with the Northern Irish branch. However, you must provide a copy of your bank statements for the last three months if you’re not an existing Bank of Ireland customer. As is the case when opening an account anywhere, proof of address and identification is required. You do not need to travel to Northern Ireland to open the account — as long as you can provide certified copies of photographic identification. Visitbankofirelanduk.com/personal/ current-account for more details. ÷ AIB & FIRST TRUST You can open a UK account through AIB’s Northern Ireland arm — First Trust Bank. You do not need a Northern Irish or British address to open a current account with First Trust Bank. You can open an account there by visiting a First Trust branch in Northern Ireland and providing the necessary documentation — or by posting your application. “For personal accounts, the First Trust Bank opening account pack and letter outlining the requirements can be posted to applicants for completion and returned by post — or via an AIB branch in RoI,” said a spokesman for AIB. “Photo ID, proof of address and any other documentation required could be verified by a member of staff in an AIB branch in RoI.” For more details, visit firsttrustbank.co.uk/ourproducts/current-accounts/classic-account ÷ ULSTER BANK & RBS As Ulster Bank is owned by the British bank, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), it is possible to open a British bank account with this group without travelling to the UK. “A customer residing in the RoI can open an account with Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland, RBS and NatWest,” said a spokeswoman for Ulster Bank. “The customer can obtain the application online and send documents through the post.” For more details, visit digital.ulsterbank.co.uk/ personal/current-accounts/eu-residents-hub.html ÷ BRITISH-BASED BANKS Aside from going through an Irish-based bank with a UK operation, it can be difficult to open an account with a British bank — particularly if you don’t have a British address or residence. “You often need to be physically in the UK too — to be able to open an account there,” said Jerry Moriarty, CEO of the Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF). Some UK-based banks offer tailored products for non-UK residents who wish to access UK bank accounts while continuing to reside outside the country, according to UK Finance, which represents the British finance and banking industry. “[British] financial service providers are required to meet strict regulations and Government-approved guidance when opening an account for a new customer including verifying customer ID and other details,” said a spokesman for UK Finance. Remember, any difficulties in relation to payment of British pensions into Irish banking accounts after Brexit may be ironed out by the time Britain leaves the EU.