# Opening bank account without proof of address?



## alvsaj (May 23, 2012)

hi,
My husband has got spouse visa with the endorsement (kol req)
He needs to get the KOL asap as his visa will otherwise expire in nov 2014,
It's next to impossible to open a bank account without proof of address everything we have tried everything 
Has anybody else been there and which bank did you open account with?


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## AmyD (Jan 12, 2013)

You can't open a bank account without proof of address. Why doesn't he have proof that he lives here?


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## LRK (Oct 26, 2013)

alvsaj said:


> hi,
> My husband has got spouse visa with the endorsement (kol req)
> He needs to get the KOL asap as his visa will otherwise expire in nov 2014,
> It's next to impossible to open a bank account without proof of address everything we have tried everything
> Has anybody else been there and which bank did you open account with?


I'm assuming you're trying to get ID in the form of bank statement to take to the Life in the UK Test? They ask for one of the following in orginal format:



> gas/electricity/water bill,
> a council tax bill,
> bank or credit card statement (a printed copy of a bank statement is acceptable however it MUST have been stamped and signed by the issuing branch),
> UK photocard driving licence,
> or a letter from the Home Office with your name and address on it.


Is it possible to put your husband's name on one of the utility bills? This would suffice for both ID for the Life in the UK Test and helping with documents for opening a bank account. 

There are pre-paid credit/ debit cards available that allow you to top up money onto the card and then spend it, they do not offer a credit facility. The cards are sent to the account holder's address (your husband) and statements are issued to the same address. I don't know if it would be acceptable as Life in the UK Test ID but it would help with getting a bank account. 

If your husband has been in the UK for over 6 months, he can apply for a provisional driving licence (learned from another thread!), which is a photo ID card with paper counterpart. It states the holder's address. This would help with opening a bank account. 

Are any of those possibilities for you?


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## Water Dragon (Jun 28, 2011)

alvsaj said:


> hi,
> My husband has got spouse visa with the endorsement (kol req)
> He needs to get the KOL asap as his visa will otherwise expire in nov 2014,
> It's next to impossible to open a bank account without proof of address everything we have tried everything
> Has anybody else been there and which bank did you open account with?


The initial document that we needed was a copy of the council tax bill once I was added. The clerk at the Council gave me a letter stating when I moved in and that I was added, then a few days later we received a copy of the new bill in the mail. The 2 banks I've opened accounts with have preferred the actual bill, but one accepted the letter.

You are required to add him to the tax bill anyway, so it is best to do it right away and make several things easier.


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