Bank Account in Germany & UK

Does anyone know of a way of having a normal bank account in the UK, with a German address? I've not had a UK address for over 10 years. I guess you could use the address of a relative, but the post would be sent there and would take ages to get here and would then involve extra costs.

It is not an urgent matter, but it would interest me, as I often feel it would be easier for me to do business if I had an account here in Germany and one in the UK. An international account is possible, but I believe you have to have a very large amount of movement on your account and a large minimum sum. I would have a small amount going through it and not much on the account at any given time. It would be a secondary account at first.

I would need internet banking, a cash card might be useful...

That's all I know, except that the Abbey National said it's not possible to have a normal account.

Please correct me on any incorrect terms.

Does anyone who lives in Germany permanently have a UK account?

Thanks for your thoughts.

We have both but we already had the Lloyds UK account opened before we came over here. We don't have an international account though, just a regular UK current account. Once we moved here we asked for the Statement to be sent to our German address, they do it no probs. Maybe open an account at a family's address next time you are home, then ask for them to send it to your address here after a month or so. Our bank has no problem with it as long as we have money in the account and there are transactions going in and out.

I have a halifax account, addressed to here. Online banking works as well. Don't use the cash card here .. money goes in other direction (ie. DE > UK)

Had the account for 20 or so years, so don't know if it would be possible to open one now. However, they are affiliated rith Bank of Scotland, who do international accounts.

This week did my first IBAN transfers - charge of (only?) €21.

I already had an account with Lloyds as well, I've just changed my address and now get everything posted out here.

Lloyds also have off-shore accounts, I have a sterling account and a euro account with them. I thought you needed loads of dosh as well, and you do with certain banks but with Lloyds you don't (luckily for me!). You can also access both types of account through online and telephone banking.

The only issue that has come up recently is that if you open an off-shore account you not really supposed to have a UK based account as well, as the off-shore branch becomes your home branch - but they are not that bothered about it.

We have a Lloyds TSB Current Account, Internet savings account and a German address.

They send statements and replacement cards to us here in Germany.
We have access to our account online too

I'm impressed, my post all goes to my dads place in England, do I just need to tell them i dont live there anymore and they start sending the post here?

yep, just change your address - I changed mine a couple of months back with Lloyds and have since received mail from them no problem.

I can confirm what people have said in previous posts. When I moved here three years ago I was a little wary of informing my bank (First Direct) but did so after a while and they were fine about it, especially as I have a Gold Card with them, one of the conditions of which is that you have to live in the UK. They give me a pretty tight rein on it though

I think it is important to keep a UK bank account in case you need to move back and need credit.