Anyone have experience with Natwest International checking/debit cards with branches in the Channel Islands/IOM/Gibraltar?
They appear to allow remote account opening even for U.S. residents.
I am looking for an offshore personal multicurrency account in a stable bank with low fees. USD…GBP…EUR at a minimum.
Any comments about service and financial stability in a post-Brexit recession would be appreciated.
No but I have a similar need.
This bank is part of RBS which was underwritten by the UK government during the last financial crisis ie stable. The main currency is GBP. Costs and service are similar to a UK bank. Transactions in other currencies incur higher costs than eg Transferwise, but can be mitigated by combining a natwest account with transferwise. Their is a decent online banking portal and app which are almost the same as the UK service. Expect UK level kyc and security. They offer a cash management account with functionality for holding and converting euro/usd at close to spot rates. Their premium service is basically an insurance and concierge service (not really worth the extra cost).
Thank you for this very helpful response AdAm.
NatWest hasn’t been part of the Royal Bank of Scotland since 2016 (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NatWest_Holdings), which is significant because if Scotland seeks independence from the UK to rejoin Europe after Brexit, then RBS may not be covered by the UK government.
Correction: NatWest International is part of Royal Bank of Scotland International, so may be subject to changes in Scotland.
Thank you for bringing this up.