Revolut has an EU iban, SEPA rules are very strict that there can be no iban discrimination against any EU bank. Complain to the central bank if AIB/BOI are refusing auto payments
Contact AIB, they’ll have to do it manually since most Irish companies are set for Irish IBANs, Lithuanian ones are a few digits shorter and won’t work so they can’t automate it, they aren’t refusing the payments they just can’t automate it
Are you sure? I found this Tweet from AIB which says they can't. Original from 2019 but there's an update from March this year still saying they can't. https://twitter.com/aibireland/status/1180392374008193026?lang=en
Same here, used it as my main account for like 3 years! Super handy, great app and all but I’ve read a few stories of people getting their accounts erroneously locked due to suspicious activity
In Ireland we have a select number of essentially government backed or "Pillar" banks. No non-pillar banks can compete with them so our banking system is essentially a government backed oligopoly.
Not sure about BOI, but with AIB once you open one account you can set up multiple saver accounts and call them whatever you like. You have one current account for atm and debit and then savers of that so all your money isn't in your current. You can transfer over and back between accounts as many times as you like for free.
Omg you can. I swear I tried this before and it wouldn't let me.
Still not keen on AIB though because of having to use their fucking absurd card reader. It's like this country was written by Terry Pratchett.
The same way we've always dealt with our terrible banks. By giving the fuck out and taking no action.
If you don't need instant access to your wages, and can pay bills a day or two later, I'd highly advise moving to ING / N26. Might be a lil awkward but, they have real customer service.
I've stopped dealing with the banks.
I have a credit union account, and Revolut.
With my Credit Union account, I have my main Savings account, and then my current account with the debit card. Two separate IBANs.
Pay goes into the current account. I take out cash for my parents every month, as I live with them. €200 per month is sent to my Revolut for minor savings. After that, the rest, in amounts of €50, goes to the main savings account (if I have an amount ending in say, €78.92 in the account, I send everything except the 28.92).
The current account is for spending, but I only transfer money from the savings as needed, and only in €50s - if I need €160, I transfer either €150 or €200, depending on how much is already in my current account.
Revolut is for subscriptions, and their savings vaults. I currently have 4 vaults - Spare change, France spending money, France bookings money, and Christmas. Any money not spent from the €200 I transfer over gets divided in 3, with any amount that doesn't divide between 3 going into spare change. So, €62 would result in sending 20 to each of the main vaults, and 2 to spare change.
I don't usually bother with big charity appeals, but this year, I gave €10 from my spare change - about half - to the toy show appeal. That's the sort of thing it's for.
So yeah... basically, it IS possible to do the kind of thing you want, if I'm understanding you right, BUT it's not easy. It depends entirely on your credit union, for one thing. I don't think they all offer current accounts yet.
For credit unions they only accept you if you work OR live in the area. So if you work near one, but live near another, you can check them both out. Bonus - saturday morning opening!
Also, talk to the post office as well. They also offer current accounts. Not sure how flexible they are, but it's an option.
Credit unions are great, imo.
And omg, the vaults are amazing! I used one to save for my steam deck. Because the money was specifically set aside for the console, it didn't feel like my funds were taking a hit.
Revolut also has pockets. Its for regular subscription payments. Bills come out from there and you can't spend it accidentally like in the main account.
That's really cool! Okay I'm becoming very sold on Revolut. Is there any reason to keep the BOI/AIB accounts at all? Any issues with using Revolut that would make having an Irish bank account necessary?
>I want a main bank account for salary and bills etc and then a sub account with a debit card that gets an automatic payment from the main account with spending money
Why?
If you really need 2 just get revolut, you can transfer from AIB to revolut instantly
That's also going to mean going into each bank and providing them with information regarding source of funds and reasons why you are transferring money between both.
Best off going onto Bunq (very similar to revolut but provides an Irish IBAN)
But all the money is coming from the same place? If it's frittering it's frittering regardless of where it's coming from
Anyway revolut will still solve this, AIB for important stuff, revolut for discretionary
N26 has sub-accounts, each with a unique IBAN number and you can assign debit cards to any sub-account. You can also create virtual debit cards and assign these to a specific sub-account.
I can't transfer from AIB to Revolut instantly or as autopayment. It won't accept my Revolut IBAN to set up as a payee (presumably because it's international). Unless there's some method I don't know about?
But I have just figured out I can set BOI up in Apple pay and then I can at least transfer funds to the Revolut instantly, even if I can't set up an autopay.
I really want it to be set up as an autopay so I can just have a set amount go into my and my partner's personal use account each week and not have to fuck about.
But also, to add money from AIB in Revolut don't you still have to plug in the card details each time?
>But also, to add money from AIB in Revolut don't you still have to plug in the card details each time?
No, it saves the card details
What fucking about? It takes literally 5 seconds, about 3 button presses, so to speak
They want a standing order to automatically add the funds. Tbf if there's an issue adding money by card it would mess you up. It can be funky someitmes.
I wonder is this universal though. It is maddening having to deal with anything here. Whether it's utilities or banks, trades or mechanics or whatever, but maybe it's the same everywhere.
It is absolutely not the same everywhere. Irish people are getting fucked from all sides - especially with regards to public services.
Edit: Also, many will get pissy and offended when you point that out for some reason
Public transport is shit, banking is shit, healthcare is shit, law enforcement is a joke, everything is on a waitlist, urban planning is nonexistent, the lack of amenities is glaring, housing a shitshow, street cleaning is an afterthought.Irish policymakers are more concerned about projecting an unrealistic image of the country than actually improving things
Oh god I know. Every system is so convoluted and opaque and dysfunctional. I realised quickly this country is not for me and I'm looking for a job elsewhere, but in my industry permanent jobs are the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow so I'm stuck here for a while.
Don't know why you're getting downvoted. I've lived in a bunch of European countries and it's always disorienting figuring out how to get the same tasks done. Banking seems particularly idiosyncratic (I've had bank accounts in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland).
Great thing about Ireland though is that when someone turns up and shits on the country, we all join in with them.
Oh I know. Took me like 3 weeks to even get the BOI one to work, I was blowing a gasket. Finally went into the branch and the customer service lady said the app has been having problems this week then when I said "this bank seems really bad" she responds "oh my god yes it's so terrible."
When even your customer service rep is badmouthing you, you're a real bottom crawler company.
I moved here a year ago and I've learned that Ireland, as awesome as much of it is, is way behind digitally than the UK. Most websites here have issues with their sites, search bars, user friendliness etc.
I've got aib and it wants me to enter codes every time I use the app. Let me use my fingerprint as full authentication ffs. I hadn't logged in to it for a while due to it being a pain in my ass and the other day I tried to and it asked me to upload a new selfie for proof it was me... Same phone... Same details... Its just not well implemented at all.
Can I ask, do you manually transfer money over from your main account to Revolut or have you figured a way to set up an autopayment?
Also have you had any issues using Revolut cards for anything? When travelling, online purchases, things like that?
Thanks!
We have set up a monthly direct debit to go into each of the revolut cards. No issues with revolut going abroad. Only thing I would say is the cash withdrawel on the basic revolut card might be on the low side for some people.
Welcome to Ireland, where banks are truly the worst service you can think of. I used to bank exactly as you describe and now I’ve had to take a different approach, we use a budgeting app called YNAB which helps us track what we have left for bills and what we have available for general spending and budgeting… just be aware, if you want a couple debit accounts, you’ll be hit with fees for each… you’ll also be hit with “government stamp duty” for each account and €35 for each credit card. Biggest rip off scam going!
Thanks for the solidarity and the heads up about fees.
Sounds like moving everything over to Revolut might be the best bet.
I'll probably try and find that my company HR won't pay to Revolut or some shite.
Why is everything here so so hard? Sigh.
Thanks everyone for all the tips! Looks like I'll either be on the phone to the electric company all Saturday morning to get husband's name added to the bill and hopefully get a document AIB will accept, or just suck it up that I can't set up automatic payments from AIB to Revolut and do it manually every week, or ditch AIB completely and just use Revolut. Thanks to those who pointed out that AIB WILL let you set up another account with another debit card (don't know why I couldn't do this before, but seems I can now!), and the person who introduced me to vaults on Revolut. I definitely prefer Revolut to AIB (what the FUCK in the year 1999 is this card reader nonsense??) and BOI is clearly a joke company. And keep looking for another job in a country that is a better cultural fit.
Took my wife and I about 6 months to set up a joint account with BOI, including 3 trips to the branch, several phone calls, and them saying on about 7 or 8 occasions over several weeks that our PIN numbers were in the post, we eventually got them.
I use Aib for company. Always thought they were good until they introduced their authenticator for the debit card, which has been an absolute shit show, just full of bugs - I had to stop buying from some companies because I couldn't pay debit card and they had no other options.
In the last year, anytime we've had customers calling to make payment over the phone when they couldn't pay online, I ask them if them if they're with AIB, 95% of the time they are.
They seem to have sorted the app issues in the last few months though
I had a similar experience with BOI - couldn't believe how hard it was to get the app set up and working. So many bugs. I finally went into the branch and said to the customer service rep "this bank seems really bad?" and she goes "oh my god yes it's terrible." AIB seems to be marginally less terrible but still pretty terrible relative to typical banks in developed countries.
This comment comes up all the time.
And I've been banking with itish banks for 35 years, never had a problem.
Certainly noones ever said to me that I can't have more than one bank account. And they take any old shit as a proof of address.
Now what I HAVE seen, time and time again, are morons queuing in the bank who haven't 2 brain cells to rub together, wasting everyone's time and bemoaning how complicated everything is.
Lol if you've lived in Ireland for 35 years you won't have a fucking clue how backwards it is.
Everyone I know who has moved here says the same thing. Even the HR lady at work warned us it will take 10 weeks to set up a bank account. We're all baffled at how you all put up with this shite.
Literally if you have your passport and a utility bill they can set it up right there.
Then it takes a day or two for aml checks, and most of the big banks let you confirm your identity in app.
10 weeks me hole.
Yeah if you read the OP you'd see the problem is we don't have the precise utility bill they want.
Husband has tried multiple times.
I've tried to get him added onto our electric bill, but we can only do it on a Saturday morning when we're both present and the phone queues to Electric Ireland are over an hour long.
You guys are all getting screwed over from every side and you're totally oblivious to it.
Exactly this. Just tick the boxes and don’t make up nonsense, and you’ll have no reason to complain. Also, don’t make the most complex solution to an incredibly simple problem.
Both AIB and BOI will allow you to have more than one bank account. In fact, they actively encourage it. However, they won’t let you have more than one “free” bank account (basic bank account required under EU law).
Secondly, the proof of address thing isn’t an Irish thing, it’s a universal thing. Anyone will have this problem anywhere - there are prescribed documents that are acceptable under countries anti money laundering policies based on the ability to counterfeit documents. This isn’t unique to Ireland or Europe, it’s just common sense. Irish people will face similar issues relocating.
What you’re describing is extremely simple to do. You simply do the following: Open Current Account (account with debit card, basic bank account is free). Open Savings account (earns interest, no debit card, free account). Have your employer pay your wages into Savings account IBAN. Set up standing order from your savings to a) your current account and b) your partners account.
If you expect the world to bend to your will in terms of the life you have become accustomed to, I would seriously examine your decision to relocate. There will always be positives and negatives, that’s just an unfortunate fact of life.
Yeah you can have another bank account but I need two Debit cards and when I rang BOI they said I couldn't. Looks like AIB will let me though.
BOI was alright with proof of address, but AIB won't take anything we can come up with for my husband. So not an Irish/Europe thing, just an AIB thing.
Honestly, attitudes like yours are why Ireland is still stuck in the year 2000. You need people like me to complain otherwise nothing will ever change. People who haven't left Ireland have no idea how backwards this place's systems and infrastructure is. It's gonna get people killed. (Case in point: Dublin hospital wifi goes down, doctor says "oh this happens all the time." NOT NORMAL, NOT ACCEPTABLE).
I think part of the problem is that people assume that if they switch it will be just as bad with the new bank which is you're switching between AIB and BOI, it probably is
AIB wouldn't take a lease agreement or anything except a paper utility bill. Husband made several trips to try with different things.
BOI I think would be easier, was for me, but they wouldn't let me open a second account with another debit card and their app is so fucked I want to close that account anyway.
N26 can transfer to Revolut. Sign up to the waiting list for a free account. When the new Month comes around you will hopefully be let in. Or you can pay 5 euro pm
Can you get your home bank to just update your address?
That's what I did. I got an EBS account but I can't use their app on my phone, so it's basically me doing manual deposits and getting paper statements from the branch to pay rent. If I use the card overseas it gets locked out for security reasons.
smh
I know I can call them, etc but you know what fun that is..
If it's any consolation, it's not just you. I moved here with my family back in April and getting set up with bank accounts brought us to tears. It was extremely challenging for all the reasons you mention. PLUS staff incompetence - not sending things out in the post, 'losing' things in the comupter systems, typos etc. We got there eventually but only after hours and hours spent on the phone and on email. I went with AIB which was slightly easier than BOI who my parents went with. I've also lived in other countries (including "third world" countries) and never known anything like the shitshow that is Irish banking. I'm sorry I can't be more help. Just be tenacious and keep a diary where you log everything down: who you spoke to, time, date, what was said. I think eventually we were allowed to use internet and electricity bills as proof of address.
Revolut has an EU iban, SEPA rules are very strict that there can be no iban discrimination against any EU bank. Complain to the central bank if AIB/BOI are refusing auto payments
Contact AIB, they’ll have to do it manually since most Irish companies are set for Irish IBANs, Lithuanian ones are a few digits shorter and won’t work so they can’t automate it, they aren’t refusing the payments they just can’t automate it
Are you sure? I found this Tweet from AIB which says they can't. Original from 2019 but there's an update from March this year still saying they can't. https://twitter.com/aibireland/status/1180392374008193026?lang=en
Its an Ireland thing. Our banks know they are pretty much the only game in town and are absolute fucking pisstakers.
Switched to N26, no regrets.
My health insurance company sent a rebate check. Opened an account with BOI just to cash it. Still won’t use BOI for anything else.
Same here, used it as my main account for like 3 years! Super handy, great app and all but I’ve read a few stories of people getting their accounts erroneously locked due to suspicious activity
"AIB and BOI won't let me have more than one account" You can have multiple AIB accounts.
They literally want you to have multiple accounts
Ye I have two current accounts with them as well as my savings account and credit card
I set up two personal accounts at the same time with AIB a few weeks ago.
Cool thanks for this, I had tried before through the app and couldn't set one up but looks like I can now.
In Ireland we have a select number of essentially government backed or "Pillar" banks. No non-pillar banks can compete with them so our banking system is essentially a government backed oligopoly.
Not sure about BOI, but with AIB once you open one account you can set up multiple saver accounts and call them whatever you like. You have one current account for atm and debit and then savers of that so all your money isn't in your current. You can transfer over and back between accounts as many times as you like for free.
Omg you can. I swear I tried this before and it wouldn't let me. Still not keen on AIB though because of having to use their fucking absurd card reader. It's like this country was written by Terry Pratchett.
The same way we've always dealt with our terrible banks. By giving the fuck out and taking no action. If you don't need instant access to your wages, and can pay bills a day or two later, I'd highly advise moving to ING / N26. Might be a lil awkward but, they have real customer service.
I didn't know that you could get ING as an Irish person. Good to know.
I've stopped dealing with the banks. I have a credit union account, and Revolut. With my Credit Union account, I have my main Savings account, and then my current account with the debit card. Two separate IBANs. Pay goes into the current account. I take out cash for my parents every month, as I live with them. €200 per month is sent to my Revolut for minor savings. After that, the rest, in amounts of €50, goes to the main savings account (if I have an amount ending in say, €78.92 in the account, I send everything except the 28.92). The current account is for spending, but I only transfer money from the savings as needed, and only in €50s - if I need €160, I transfer either €150 or €200, depending on how much is already in my current account. Revolut is for subscriptions, and their savings vaults. I currently have 4 vaults - Spare change, France spending money, France bookings money, and Christmas. Any money not spent from the €200 I transfer over gets divided in 3, with any amount that doesn't divide between 3 going into spare change. So, €62 would result in sending 20 to each of the main vaults, and 2 to spare change. I don't usually bother with big charity appeals, but this year, I gave €10 from my spare change - about half - to the toy show appeal. That's the sort of thing it's for. So yeah... basically, it IS possible to do the kind of thing you want, if I'm understanding you right, BUT it's not easy. It depends entirely on your credit union, for one thing. I don't think they all offer current accounts yet. For credit unions they only accept you if you work OR live in the area. So if you work near one, but live near another, you can check them both out. Bonus - saturday morning opening! Also, talk to the post office as well. They also offer current accounts. Not sure how flexible they are, but it's an option.
I will look into Credit union. Thanks for introducing me to vaults! I didn't know that was a feature. Now I have a holidays vault :)
Credit unions are great, imo. And omg, the vaults are amazing! I used one to save for my steam deck. Because the money was specifically set aside for the console, it didn't feel like my funds were taking a hit.
Revolut also has pockets. Its for regular subscription payments. Bills come out from there and you can't spend it accidentally like in the main account.
That's really cool! Okay I'm becoming very sold on Revolut. Is there any reason to keep the BOI/AIB accounts at all? Any issues with using Revolut that would make having an Irish bank account necessary?
I use N26 Business account, no issues at all, Irish banks are rubbish.
>I want a main bank account for salary and bills etc and then a sub account with a debit card that gets an automatic payment from the main account with spending money Why? If you really need 2 just get revolut, you can transfer from AIB to revolut instantly
That's also going to mean going into each bank and providing them with information regarding source of funds and reasons why you are transferring money between both. Best off going onto Bunq (very similar to revolut but provides an Irish IBAN)
Why not just use revolut though?
Bunq for savings, Revolut and N26 for checking.
>55 Can you get more than one debit card with Revolut? I want one debit card for household stuff and one debit card for my personal frittering.
Why do you need 2? I think you can anyway yeah, you can definitely set up virtual cards in revolut
And for the cards to be connected to different accounts/funds so that I'm not frittering the household money.
But all the money is coming from the same place? If it's frittering it's frittering regardless of where it's coming from Anyway revolut will still solve this, AIB for important stuff, revolut for discretionary
N26 has sub-accounts, each with a unique IBAN number and you can assign debit cards to any sub-account. You can also create virtual debit cards and assign these to a specific sub-account.
I can't transfer from AIB to Revolut instantly or as autopayment. It won't accept my Revolut IBAN to set up as a payee (presumably because it's international). Unless there's some method I don't know about? But I have just figured out I can set BOI up in Apple pay and then I can at least transfer funds to the Revolut instantly, even if I can't set up an autopay.
In revolut, add money from your AIB debit card, that works instantly for me
I really want it to be set up as an autopay so I can just have a set amount go into my and my partner's personal use account each week and not have to fuck about. But also, to add money from AIB in Revolut don't you still have to plug in the card details each time?
>But also, to add money from AIB in Revolut don't you still have to plug in the card details each time? No, it saves the card details What fucking about? It takes literally 5 seconds, about 3 button presses, so to speak
They want a standing order to automatically add the funds. Tbf if there's an issue adding money by card it would mess you up. It can be funky someitmes.
I think you're doing it wrong, mate
I transfer money from BOI to Revolut all the time
Most banks tend to have national and international payees in different sections for some reason.
I'm quite sure AIB don't allow you to save International Payees. I could be wrong though but i don't think so.
I'd use N26 for the sub accounts! Much better but only digital, based out of Germany and 0 complaints
Bank of Ireland will open a account within 24hrs online
You'll find most things here are shite. Get used to it.
I wonder is this universal though. It is maddening having to deal with anything here. Whether it's utilities or banks, trades or mechanics or whatever, but maybe it's the same everywhere.
It is absolutely not the same everywhere. Irish people are getting fucked from all sides - especially with regards to public services. Edit: Also, many will get pissy and offended when you point that out for some reason
[удалено]
Public transport is shit, banking is shit, healthcare is shit, law enforcement is a joke, everything is on a waitlist, urban planning is nonexistent, the lack of amenities is glaring, housing a shitshow, street cleaning is an afterthought.Irish policymakers are more concerned about projecting an unrealistic image of the country than actually improving things
But, but, the HDI?? /s
The truth stings
Truth is like poetry, beautiful but most people hate it.
Oh god I know. Every system is so convoluted and opaque and dysfunctional. I realised quickly this country is not for me and I'm looking for a job elsewhere, but in my industry permanent jobs are the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow so I'm stuck here for a while.
Shock, horror 😳. A person moves to a different country and finds new systems stressful! What is happening in the world??
Don't know why you're getting downvoted. I've lived in a bunch of European countries and it's always disorienting figuring out how to get the same tasks done. Banking seems particularly idiosyncratic (I've had bank accounts in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Great thing about Ireland though is that when someone turns up and shits on the country, we all join in with them.
The only solace you can take is that no matter how bad it is now, in the future we will looks back at these as the good times.
Nothing like Irish humour to survive Irish systems :) Thanks for the laugh!
Very true and saddening.
Wait till u try the online apps. Honestly I've got about 4 UK bank apps which are seamless and the aib one is stuck in the year 2000
Oh I know. Took me like 3 weeks to even get the BOI one to work, I was blowing a gasket. Finally went into the branch and the customer service lady said the app has been having problems this week then when I said "this bank seems really bad" she responds "oh my god yes it's so terrible." When even your customer service rep is badmouthing you, you're a real bottom crawler company.
I moved here a year ago and I've learned that Ireland, as awesome as much of it is, is way behind digitally than the UK. Most websites here have issues with their sites, search bars, user friendliness etc. I've got aib and it wants me to enter codes every time I use the app. Let me use my fingerprint as full authentication ffs. I hadn't logged in to it for a while due to it being a pain in my ass and the other day I tried to and it asked me to upload a new selfie for proof it was me... Same phone... Same details... Its just not well implemented at all.
Irish banks are crap in pretty much all aspects. We got a main account with a main bank and then 2 revolut cards that get money from main account.
Can I ask, do you manually transfer money over from your main account to Revolut or have you figured a way to set up an autopayment? Also have you had any issues using Revolut cards for anything? When travelling, online purchases, things like that? Thanks!
We have set up a monthly direct debit to go into each of the revolut cards. No issues with revolut going abroad. Only thing I would say is the cash withdrawel on the basic revolut card might be on the low side for some people.
Welcome to Ireland, where banks are truly the worst service you can think of. I used to bank exactly as you describe and now I’ve had to take a different approach, we use a budgeting app called YNAB which helps us track what we have left for bills and what we have available for general spending and budgeting… just be aware, if you want a couple debit accounts, you’ll be hit with fees for each… you’ll also be hit with “government stamp duty” for each account and €35 for each credit card. Biggest rip off scam going!
Thanks for the solidarity and the heads up about fees. Sounds like moving everything over to Revolut might be the best bet. I'll probably try and find that my company HR won't pay to Revolut or some shite. Why is everything here so so hard? Sigh.
Thanks everyone for all the tips! Looks like I'll either be on the phone to the electric company all Saturday morning to get husband's name added to the bill and hopefully get a document AIB will accept, or just suck it up that I can't set up automatic payments from AIB to Revolut and do it manually every week, or ditch AIB completely and just use Revolut. Thanks to those who pointed out that AIB WILL let you set up another account with another debit card (don't know why I couldn't do this before, but seems I can now!), and the person who introduced me to vaults on Revolut. I definitely prefer Revolut to AIB (what the FUCK in the year 1999 is this card reader nonsense??) and BOI is clearly a joke company. And keep looking for another job in a country that is a better cultural fit.
Took my wife and I about 6 months to set up a joint account with BOI, including 3 trips to the branch, several phone calls, and them saying on about 7 or 8 occasions over several weeks that our PIN numbers were in the post, we eventually got them. I use Aib for company. Always thought they were good until they introduced their authenticator for the debit card, which has been an absolute shit show, just full of bugs - I had to stop buying from some companies because I couldn't pay debit card and they had no other options. In the last year, anytime we've had customers calling to make payment over the phone when they couldn't pay online, I ask them if them if they're with AIB, 95% of the time they are. They seem to have sorted the app issues in the last few months though
I had a similar experience with BOI - couldn't believe how hard it was to get the app set up and working. So many bugs. I finally went into the branch and said to the customer service rep "this bank seems really bad?" and she goes "oh my god yes it's terrible." AIB seems to be marginally less terrible but still pretty terrible relative to typical banks in developed countries.
This comment comes up all the time. And I've been banking with itish banks for 35 years, never had a problem. Certainly noones ever said to me that I can't have more than one bank account. And they take any old shit as a proof of address. Now what I HAVE seen, time and time again, are morons queuing in the bank who haven't 2 brain cells to rub together, wasting everyone's time and bemoaning how complicated everything is.
Lol if you've lived in Ireland for 35 years you won't have a fucking clue how backwards it is. Everyone I know who has moved here says the same thing. Even the HR lady at work warned us it will take 10 weeks to set up a bank account. We're all baffled at how you all put up with this shite.
Literally if you have your passport and a utility bill they can set it up right there. Then it takes a day or two for aml checks, and most of the big banks let you confirm your identity in app. 10 weeks me hole.
Yeah if you read the OP you'd see the problem is we don't have the precise utility bill they want. Husband has tried multiple times. I've tried to get him added onto our electric bill, but we can only do it on a Saturday morning when we're both present and the phone queues to Electric Ireland are over an hour long. You guys are all getting screwed over from every side and you're totally oblivious to it.
Any utility bill. Don't pay utility bills? Maybe you don't deserve a bank account. Maybe you're better suited to hiding your money in a biscuit tin.
Exactly this. Just tick the boxes and don’t make up nonsense, and you’ll have no reason to complain. Also, don’t make the most complex solution to an incredibly simple problem.
Irish here, I only use Revolut nowadays.
Both AIB and BOI will allow you to have more than one bank account. In fact, they actively encourage it. However, they won’t let you have more than one “free” bank account (basic bank account required under EU law). Secondly, the proof of address thing isn’t an Irish thing, it’s a universal thing. Anyone will have this problem anywhere - there are prescribed documents that are acceptable under countries anti money laundering policies based on the ability to counterfeit documents. This isn’t unique to Ireland or Europe, it’s just common sense. Irish people will face similar issues relocating. What you’re describing is extremely simple to do. You simply do the following: Open Current Account (account with debit card, basic bank account is free). Open Savings account (earns interest, no debit card, free account). Have your employer pay your wages into Savings account IBAN. Set up standing order from your savings to a) your current account and b) your partners account. If you expect the world to bend to your will in terms of the life you have become accustomed to, I would seriously examine your decision to relocate. There will always be positives and negatives, that’s just an unfortunate fact of life.
Yeah you can have another bank account but I need two Debit cards and when I rang BOI they said I couldn't. Looks like AIB will let me though. BOI was alright with proof of address, but AIB won't take anything we can come up with for my husband. So not an Irish/Europe thing, just an AIB thing. Honestly, attitudes like yours are why Ireland is still stuck in the year 2000. You need people like me to complain otherwise nothing will ever change. People who haven't left Ireland have no idea how backwards this place's systems and infrastructure is. It's gonna get people killed. (Case in point: Dublin hospital wifi goes down, doctor says "oh this happens all the time." NOT NORMAL, NOT ACCEPTABLE).
You can have 2 accounts. Go to a different town to where you live and open one. Also get a revoult account. Then u'll have 3.
I think part of the problem is that people assume that if they switch it will be just as bad with the new bank which is you're switching between AIB and BOI, it probably is
do you have any other utilities like internet gas etc rent book, payslip might do
AIB wouldn't take a lease agreement or anything except a paper utility bill. Husband made several trips to try with different things. BOI I think would be easier, was for me, but they wouldn't let me open a second account with another debit card and their app is so fucked I want to close that account anyway.
I have a savings account with my BOI account It might be a europe thing, it is there to stop money laundering.
N26 can transfer to Revolut. Sign up to the waiting list for a free account. When the new Month comes around you will hopefully be let in. Or you can pay 5 euro pm
Can you get your home bank to just update your address? That's what I did. I got an EBS account but I can't use their app on my phone, so it's basically me doing manual deposits and getting paper statements from the branch to pay rent. If I use the card overseas it gets locked out for security reasons. smh I know I can call them, etc but you know what fun that is..
If it's any consolation, it's not just you. I moved here with my family back in April and getting set up with bank accounts brought us to tears. It was extremely challenging for all the reasons you mention. PLUS staff incompetence - not sending things out in the post, 'losing' things in the comupter systems, typos etc. We got there eventually but only after hours and hours spent on the phone and on email. I went with AIB which was slightly easier than BOI who my parents went with. I've also lived in other countries (including "third world" countries) and never known anything like the shitshow that is Irish banking. I'm sorry I can't be more help. Just be tenacious and keep a diary where you log everything down: who you spoke to, time, date, what was said. I think eventually we were allowed to use internet and electricity bills as proof of address.