Opening a bank account in Ireland - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

ashby · 07-16-2007, 04:05 AM

Hey one and all. Have just arrived in Ireland on friday. Im an aussie who has moved over here for a fella... i have a year working holday visa. however as far as planning went this was as far as i got. im under the impression that bank accounts can take some time to get up and happening. while i dont have a job just yet and prob have enough cash to last me for a least 3 weeks before hitting panic mode, i want to get the whole back account thing up and running. Any ideas where to start and what is the cheapest option?

cheers

**MeTurk** · 07-16-2007, 08:05 AM

The Bank of Ireland and the AIB are the two main big banks in Ireland but avoid them. Like all big corporations their fat and lazy. Allot of foreign banks have moved into Ireland and are giving great deals, Ulsterbank is even giving people €150 for signing up with them.

As far as I know all you need is an address to sign up (I've had the same account since I was 4 so I don't know for sure)

This site should help though http://www.citizensinformation.ie/ca...a_bank_account

Halifax
Permanent tsb are two of the banks with good offers like no fees

**TheWills** · 07-21-2007, 04:31 PM

oh man, I feel bad for you
I dont know how its going for you but I remeber trying to open a bank account in Irealand and it was nothing but a bleedin headache! Worst thing was that I even have a EU passport and they still busted my balls, I cant really remeber the fine points of it all but I remeber the big thing I needed was a proof of residence, so if you dont have a place to live it is such a kick in the pants, I was staying with friends and I still needed to get the permission of the landlord before that was kosher so I had to track him down for a letter, and then I needed a few other things as well I remeber..... Anyways good luck to you I hope its better for you then me.
I would suggest looking around some banks are much more accomodating then others and talk to the people that work there and tell them your predicament!
wills

**BelfastFlyer** · 08-05-2007, 07:43 AM

I'm pretty sure you'll need a national insurance number as well

**Majestic58** · 08-05-2007, 11:29 PM

Is a national insurance number something like a Social Insurance Number (in Canada) or a Social Security Number (in the US)?

**BelfastFlyer** · 08-07-2007, 12:16 PM

yep thats the one!