How Would A Secondary School Student Open A Bank Account? [No Utility Bill]

Vilas

I am in need of a bank account and do not have a single utility bill with my name. Are there are banks that allow you to open without one? I haven't managed to find one. I still live with my mother and the bills are in her name. Would I be able to use her bill as proof of my address?

Cheers.

Red Alert

As far as I recall my mum did with me (all of 16 years ago!) and they were happy enough since she was a customer in that branch.

notharrypotter

the school will give them a letter verifying that they are a student attending the school.
Then they must this an their passport to the bank and they can open an account.
if they are in leaving cert get the letter before they leave school. Once they have left school its very difficult to open a bank a bank account without lots of supporting documentation.

wavehopper1

I did this a few years ago with a student on a YouthReach programme attached to a school.
Get a letter from the school - remember that what the bank really needs (for legal reasons) is proof of address. I remember having to go back to the school to get a revised version which stated the student's address.

Basically, go into the bank and talk to customer service, and ask them exactly what you need. They might even print out a sample letter you can give to your school's office to copy the format.
We also needed a passport. It's possible that a birth cert will be enough - again, go into the bank and ask.

One more thing - I'm going from memory, but one of the major banks was a lot easier to deal with than the other. This was a rural town, and one of the banks (BOI) was more helpful, the other didn't seem to want to know.

blackbird 49

When my son opened a account with the Bank of Ireland, they asked for a letter from the school to show he was a student there and they asked for a photo id to which he produced his passport,

Vilas

Thank you for your responses. A school's letter was enough. Got the application done and I should be set up rather soon.
Cheers everyone.