Keeping UK Bank Account Open

Closed Thread
  1. #1

    Keeping UK Bank Account Open

    Hi all - wondering if anyone has had any issues with keeping their UK bank account open while they live in Hong Kong?

    My situation is that I no longer live in the UK, and have rented my flat out, so I don't have a permanent UK address and am no longer a UK resident. From my online research, it seems to be a 50/50 whether or not they close your bank account - sometimes they will randomly decide to close it, while other times people have lived abroad for 20 years with no issues (they even send the debit card to the overseas address).

    My question is, is there anything I can do to ensure my bank accounts remain open? I know that I should have at least one debit transaction every 90 days. Is there any benefit calling them to let them know I have moved, or will that just cause my account to be closed?

    I have accounts with HSBC UK, Barclays, and Starling. Thanks in advance.


  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2005
    Location
    Hong Kong, from UK
    Posts
    3,838

    I have been very open with my current account/debit card bank (was TSB, then Lloyds TSB, now Lloyds) about having emigrated - they know I live in Hong Kong, they have my parents' address as my correspondence address in the UK, and apart from very rare and apparently accidental letters about whether I'm hiding funds offshore, I've never had an issue with them. The account has rent coming in, mortgage/insurance and a couple of direct debits (charity, Kindle unlimited, etc.) going out, so I've never needed to do anything to keep it active.

    I haven't told my mortgage-holding bank that I emigrated and have been renting out my flat for 14 years. Technically they think I'm 'seconded abroad' and also have my parents' address, but I guess they don't really care as long as the payments keep coming...


  3. #3

    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Posts
    243

    I just went into my local Halifax branch before I moved over here and changed my postal address to my office in Hong Kong. There was no issue.

    However, we didn't do the same with our Nationwide joint account (as the rest of the family didn't move over with me for a couple of months) so they still have our UK address. Royal Mail redirection works with bank statements and debit/credit card (and even my recently renewed UK driving license!).


  4. #4

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Pampanga, Philippines
    Posts
    29,764

    Another person who has no problems. They happily post everything to the Philippines and will even phone me rather than me phoning them to save me money. I have no address in the UK.


  5. #5

    Awesome. Thanks for everyone's responses - this is reassuring. It seems like most people do not have an issue.

    Perhaps it is because people only go online to complain (no one goes online to say there has been no issue), so a Google search made it seem like expats were randomly getting their accounts shut down.

    Although there are the occasional headlines...: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...-accounts.html


  6. #6

    Awesome. Thanks for everyone's responses - this is reassuring. It seems like most people do not have an issue.

    Perhaps it is because people only go online to complain (no one goes online to say there has been no issue), so a Google search made it seem like expats were randomly getting their accounts shut down.

    Although there are the occasional headlines...: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/...-accounts.html


  7. #7
    Original Post Deleted
    Do you use the account or card once in a while to keep it active or it literally just sits there?

  8. #8

    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Beautiful Britain
    Posts
    2,089

    I kept all my uk bank accounts open but kept them at the UK address (which was our home but rented out to tenants - they stored any post for us)I did change my Halifax bank to my HK address but the only issue then was when I tried to open a new savings account with them they wouldn't let me as I was not in UK. So I changed the address back to UK (online) and hey presto all ok again!


  9. #9
    Original Post Deleted
    This is a good idea. Just have a shoebox or something for the tenant to put all the mail in.