# Spouse on spouse visa - opening bank account nightmare



## scotia (Feb 16, 2013)

Hi,

Hoping someone on here can help!

My wife arrived in the UK recently on a spouse visa and we are having a nightmare time trying to get a UK bank account opened in her name.

Most banks we visited wanted a utility bill with her name on (which obviously we don't have)... Santander did hold out some hope by agreeing to accept the house lease/tenancy agreement which has her name on... but she just got a 'declined' e-mail through today.

Any/all suggestions on a way out of this situation are most welcome!

Cheers,

Ian.


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

HSBC and Lloyd's didn't give me any problems whatsoever, they just wanted proof of residence (for which I used my National Insurance number confirmation letter).


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## scotia (Feb 16, 2013)

She doesn't have an NI letter yet (we also need to get that one sorted!... so any 'shortcuts' or ways of getting that done also appreciated


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

Getting a NI number is incredibly easy and shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks - I had mine in 10 days. She could also apply for a provisional driving licence (proof of ID and residence)


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

You can't apply for provisional licence until you've been in UK for 6 months.


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## clever-octopus (May 17, 2015)

I thought it was only required to have a visa valid for more than 6 months (permission to live in the UK)? I moved to the UK in mid-August last year and received my provisional licence on 3rd November.

Edit: I had forgotten though, you do need a NINo before applying for a provisional licence, so it wouldn't suit the OP's situation anyway


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## WestCoastCanadianGirl (Mar 17, 2012)

NatWest grudgingly opened a savings account for me after I arrived, back in the day.... pretty much the only reason why it was opened was because my husband has an established account with them at the branch. 

After I'd lived in the U.K. for about 4-6 months (I arrived on a Fiancée Visa) my husband's Lloyds branch opened a Current Account.


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## Whatshouldwedo (Sep 29, 2013)

Have you added her name to the council tax bill? Maybe you could do that and use their letter as proof of address? Has she registered with a GP yet? She will need similar proof of address.


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## Temy (Oct 19, 2016)

Try to register her with GP as letter from GP is usually accepted. You may also put her name on the Council tax bill and ask them to send the new updated bill to you, it will only take few days to arrive. TV licence, water bill, electricity bill, broadband bill are all good evidence of proof of address to open Bank Account.


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## JaneParkin (Sep 27, 2016)

scotia said:


> Hi,
> 
> Hoping someone on here can help!
> 
> ...


I am also going through the same nightmare I arrived in late June this year tried opening a bank account at my local area and I despite having my Passport and even showing them my Fiance/Marriage Visa Vignette I was disappointed to hear that they needed an official document either from the Home Office to show that I am in the UK legally or a utility bill with my name on it with my current address

We didn't know that we can add my name with a utility company and since my Husband and I are newbies with the whole visa process we have been trying to find a way around it as I am currently preparing for my first FLR M.But all seems not to be lost as I consulted around herein below find in Quotes the info I was provided with which seems to be of great help

"Your official document should be your passport with fiance visa inside. You may need a utility bill with your name on it to open an account though - hence the reason why it's a good idea to add your name to the utility accounts as soon as you arrive.

But there should be no reason why you would need to wait until you have fully settled or started working to open an account. 

Only being here for a short while isn't an issue - You just call the utility companies and ask them to add your name onto the account because you live there too. That's it.

If that bank won't accept your documents, you can always try a different bank."

We have called the Council tax,,the British Gas and got my name added
,Electricity company is sending us a form to fill out for my name to be included and we are waiting for the post to arrive and hopefully the bank will accept me now:fingerscrossed:

I hope this info is helpful


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

Have you tried applying for a joint account? You have the same benefits as an individual account.


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## Crawford (Jan 23, 2011)

JaneParkin said:


> I am also going through the same nightmare I arrived in late June this year tried opening a bank account at my local area and I despite having my Passport and even showing them my Fiance/Marriage Visa Vignette I was disappointed to hear that they needed an official document either from the Home Office to show that I am in the UK legally or a utility bill with my name on it with my current address
> 
> We didn't know that we can add my name with a utility company and since my Husband and I are newbies with the whole visa process we have been trying to find a way around it as I am currently preparing for my first FLR M.But all seems not to be lost as I consulted around herein below find in Quotes the info I was provided with which seems to be of great help
> 
> ...


Not surprised to hear that someone on a fiance visa has difficulty opening a bank account as you 'officially' have permission to be in the UK for only 6 months.


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## ctyler (Feb 21, 2016)

Crawford said:


> Have you tried applying for a joint account? You have the same benefits as an individual account.


Would it be easier to just join the partner account? Do you know what would be needed?


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## Toby1988 (Jul 6, 2016)

You can definitely add your partner and create a joint account but you might need some sort of correspondence from somewhere to prove address 


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## KristenJune (Oct 8, 2016)

Joppa said:


> You can't apply for provisional licence until you've been in UK for 6 months.




This is from the DVLA web site..I emphasized the parts in bold

You can only get a GB driving licence if you are normally resident in the United Kingdom.
To be normally resident you must usually live in the United Kingdom for 185 days in each calendar year. *Applicants who are not UK citizens* or nationals of another EU or EEA country *will not be considered normally resident if they*:
• *do not have leave to remain in the UK,* or
• are in the country on a temporary basis without leave to remain either while awaiting a decision to stay in the UK or following a decision refusing such an application.

Reading this it seems that if you have leave to remain you will be considered normally resident.
Is a 33 month spouse visa proof of leave to remain?


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## Toby1988 (Jul 6, 2016)

Categorically spouse entry clearance is leave to enter however that is grant of leave for qualifying the residency requirement 


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## KristenJune (Oct 8, 2016)

KristenJune said:


> This is from the DVLA web site..I emphasized the parts in bold
> 
> You can only get a GB driving licence if you are normally resident in the United Kingdom.
> To be normally resident you must usually live in the United Kingdom for 185 days in each calendar year. *Applicants who are not UK citizens* or nationals of another EU or EEA country *will not be considered normally resident if they*:
> ...


I just contacted DVLA on the telephone and asked them this question. using myself as an example, I have been in the UK 4 months and told I can apply for a provisional license without waiting for the 6 month period and I only need to send in my BRP card as proof of identity and do not require someone else to confirm my identity on my photo. So I will send in my application and see what happens :fingerscrossed:

To the OP. Another option is to change the name on your tv licence, can be done online and print a new tv license out straight away. Some banks accept a tv license as proof of address. Good luck.


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## shannoncannon (Aug 29, 2016)

Is there anything defining what a utility bill is considered by Natwest? I will be added to my husband's phone plan when I get to the UK and we will have the shared address. I know here in the states that is typically sufficent but has this worked for anyone overseas?? 
I will also have a copy of our inspection report done for the visa application, that has my address and name on it?


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