proof of good credit rating
I have just been offered a new job in Qatar and will be moving there in 8 weeks time.
I understand that to open a bank account there I will need proof of residency and proof of employment.
Will I also need a letter or suchlike from my current bank in the UK to prove that I have a good credit rating, or will they do their own checks, or will I simply have no credit record there and have to re build it?
Welcome aj! Yes, to open a bank account you will need a residency permit and a letter from your employer. However, if you have any kind of address back in the UK you might not need to do so. You can use your credit card and ATM from the UK. Checks are almost never used here except for pre-paying rent and I'm not sure if they need to be on a local bank. I think we brought six months of bank statements with us from the US but we never needed to use them for anything. The local banks here are a bit of a hassle, truth be told. Difficult in terms of customer service, on-line banking and the like. But not impossible. I'm not sure about credit ratings, if you owe money they usually don't let you leave the country permanently.
Mandi