Hi can anyone help me with trying to open a Polish bank account from the UK.
I think I read in previous posts that you can open Nordea bank accounts in their London office. I called their office and they told me they only deal with business accounts. The person told me that I could actually open a Nordea bank account through HSBC. I went into a HSBC branch and they knew nothing about any of this. I also tried to check out their website but couldn't find anything there either.

Can anyone who has opened a Nordea Bank account from the Uk or any other Polish bank here can you please let me know how you went about it.

Regards,

Ricky

Hi

I've been investing in Poland for 3 years & have opened 4 bank accounts. 2 personal & 2 business.

In all cases attendance at the bank with 2 forms of photo ID has been necessary.

You may have solved your problem by now but if not a 2 day visit would be the simple way to get it sorted.

I can suggest banks that make it easy. Some Polish banks make it difficult for foreigners to open accounts.

Hope this helps.

CT

Yes I have sorted out a Polish bank account. I decided to open a Nordea account and had to go over there with my passport and UK drivers license. The people there were very helpful and I managed to open an account in just over an hour.

Just a further note, redNet set up an admin account with BZWBK bank where you could only deposit money into. As I wanted online access to a personal account they would not let me open another account and therefore I decided to go with Nordea bank.

Thanks anyway with your advice

Hi ricky

Sorry, only just seen your post but I opened a Nordea account and did it in the UK. I filled in their application forms online which they then posted to me in the UK. I had to have them countersigned and validated at the Polish consulate in London for which there was a fee of £44 per person.

That was it. Not much help to you now but it might help someone else...

Mind you with the £44 fee and South West Trains rail fares it might just be cheaper to go to Warsaw and do it in person anyway :-)

Hugh.

Hugh,

Am sure your advice will help anyone else looking to open an account. I managed to get a return flight to Krakow for about 60 pounds. Got to see the finished apartment, visited a nice city, and had some great Polish food.

Regards,

Ricky

Hi CT & others

I am due to visit Warsaw in July to finally open an online account. I am based outside the UK so opening one remotely has proved too challenging.

I heard that the Polish Banks have got more stringent recently on the supporting documentation needed, even if you turn up in person? Are 2 photo ID's and proof of residence sufficient?

I am going to call Nordea and BZW to check. Has anyone had recent experience they can share?

Thanks

Regards John J

Hi John

Most non Polish banks will assist you no problem, eg. ING, Raifeissen, probably also BZWBK because of their affiliation to Allied Irish.

Avoid PKOBP they are still living in communist times!

I do know of one bank branch that will do everything remotely (via internet; their website is in English) but only because the manager is a forward thinker & not of the old school. They have a branch in Warsaw but he is in the city I work in ( Bydgoszcz.)

If you send me your email address I can ask him to contact you. It matters little in reality where the physical branch is. What matters most is how helpful is the manager (just like in UK.) This guy is brilliant, very unusual for a Pole!

Hope this helps

CT

Hi CT

Thanks for this insight and the offer to put me in touch with the bank manager.
Much appreciated.

Regards John J

Hi could you please put me in touch with this branch manager? I need to open a polish account online asap for university!

thanks

Hi

I assume you're going to study in Warsaw or Poznan.

email address for the bank manager I know is piotr.gurgul@bosbank.pl

You may be interested to know that they have just started a current account that pays 8% interest (maximum on account of 5000zl/£1000) or if you have more dosh they have a savings account called "Dynamic" that pays 11% for money put in for 6 months.

Since the zloty is on a good roll at the moment it's an excellent time to put some dosh over there.

If you mention my name to Piotr ("Chris" is enough) it may go more smoothly.

Hope this helps

CT