Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

Hello

Does anyone know if youcan open a bank account on the greel side without a greek address?

No!

Sorry about previous short reply - hit submit by accident. The banks in the south will not open accounts for people living in TRNC. They will ask for a utility bill to confirm your home address. The main banks, like Bank of Cyprus, have quite recently been having a drive to confirm home addresses. If you have had your correspondence sent to a PO box, they have been contacting such customers and asking for proof of home address. Without it, account closed!

Can you not use you UK address ?

The banks in the south also ask for your Greek Cypriot national insurance number

David wrote:Can you not use you UK address ?

Good question.

I am pretty sure in the U.K. you can open a bank account with a U.K. branch of the Bank of Cyprus either on line or in branch.

However; wether the services of the U.K. branch can be used when you visit a branch in the ROC where you do not actually have an account is something that would likely need asking. I have no evidence but I would think not.

Does the account have to be in a branch in the ROC or is it just an account with the Bank of Cyprus anywhere?

PoshinDevon wrote:

David wrote:Can you not use you UK address ?

Good question.

I am pretty sure in the U.K. you can open a bank account with a U.K. branch of the Bank of Cyprus either on line or in branch.

However; wether the services of the U.K. branch can be used when you visit a branch in the ROC where you do not actually have an account is something that would likely need asking. I have no evidence but I would think not.

Does the account have to be in a branch in the ROC or is it just an account with the Bank of Cyprus anywhere?

1. You must be a resident of the UK (live there permanently for at least 90 days within one calendar year) to open and hold a bank account located within the UK. Our, separate, accounts with Barclays Bank were arbitrarily closed by the Bank some three years ago for this very reason. Offshore rules are different.

2. When we lived in the RoC in 1997, we had a bank account with the BoC. We were never asked to provide an RoC National Identity Card, nor did we have them either. Passports, proof of an address and some money to open an account were all that was required. I doubt many UK-based expats currently living within the RoC have ROC ID Cards either, but most will have bank accounts there.

tomsteel wrote:

PoshinDevon wrote:

David wrote:Can you not use you UK address ?

1. You must be a resident of the UK (live there permanently for at least 90 days within one calendar year) to open and hold a bank account located within the UK. Our, separate, accounts with Barclays Bank were arbitrarily closed by the Bank some three years ago for this very reason. Offshore rules are different.

Thats Odd , I still have accounts with Nationwide and have lived here for 14 years and they are still active

I did query this action with Barclay's at the time and was told those were the UK/EU banking rules to prevent money laundering. I had been a customer for over 50 years. Make of that what you will!

That mate of Trumps who was sentenced last week, apparently had $49Million in a RoC bank. (hidden away from US tax man) I bet he didn't have to produce a utility bill!!