If you are an immigrant who has just moved to the UK, opening a bank account in the UK can be challenging for you. Especially if you don’t have a proof of address document which is accepted by banks, this process can turn into an annoying situation for you.
Barclays Bank offers a handy alternative for immigrants in your situation. According to the bank’s newly developed system, you can prove your address by using the location verification of Barclays Bank’s application, without providing proof of address document. After this verification, an activation code is sent to your address within 3-4 days. You enter the incoming Activation Code in the mobile app and your bank account is opened without providing any other Address documents. Now let’s see step by step how this process works:
Step 1 Downloading Correct Barclays Application
The first thing you should pay attention to when downloading the app is your location settings. You need to change your app and phone location settings to UK, as you need the UK Barclays app.
Step 2 Installing the app and answering the questions
On this screen, you select” I’m new to Barclays”
Choose Apply for a current account and say “see our accounts”
Choose “Everyday Banking” and “Apply”
In this step you create a 5-digit password that you will use to log in to the app.
Then you create a personal greeting word that greets you when you open the app.
You’ve installed the app! Now it’s time to confirm your identity. You can do this with your passport.
You need to take a photo of your passport in a readable way.
At this stage, the app will ask you to take photos of your face and side profile. It will then give 3 digits and ask you to read them aloud in English. After recording your audio and video, there are 1-2 additional questions.
After writing down your title, gender, marital status, status where you live (landlord/tenant) and the number of people who depend on you financially, the app wants to verify your location. If you are in the location you specified as an address, you immediately confirm your location.
You write down your citizenship, the country and the city where you were born.
You write down your 3-year address history, your residential status, and the date you moved to that address.
You are writing your e-mail address.
At this stage, the app wants to verify your address, so you need to allow it to access your location.
When the app verifies your location, it sends a code by mail to your address. This code takes about 3 business days to arrive.
Step 3: Entering the incoming code into the bank application
When the letter reaches you, you enter the 6-digit code in the application. The app does not ask you for another address proof.
The app then asks you for your work status, Company Information, estimated monthly salary, and annual turnover target.
Finally, you state whether you are a US citizen or not
Congratulations, your account has finally been opened!
In a few days, your bank card and password will be mailed to your address, respectively.
As for your card, you can activate online banking and then apply online to open a Business bank account.
We will have a look the business bank account opening process in detail in our next article.
