I had major problems when starting for a UK Airline last year.
Being Belgian, I assumed that EU rules applied also to the UK, but alas...
I was not able to get any bank account by any of the Scottish/ British Banks unless I had an adress in the UK (being resident), and could show a bill to them from BT or British/Scottish Gas.
But I couldn't become a customer to any of these companies without a UK bank-account. It was an impossible solution.
Then, The "Royal" Bank of Scotland refused to accept my Belgian Identity card, the only official proof of ID in my country, as, and I quote: " one can buy this little card for 5 pounds on the internet".
After 2 months, I did manage to get a "junior" account, where I couldn't have overdrafts, where it took more than one week for any transfer to appear on my account, and where they charged 39£ penalty if a direct debit was taken with unsufficient funds on the account to pay for it.
I have lived in almost all EU countries over the last years, the UK is by FAR the worst country to have a bank account.
I have never seen such xenophobic, unflexible and in general incompetent people then in the UK banks.
I'd rather fly in Irak then having to deal with these idiots again.I'm almost glad that I'm resigning from my current employer. (for urgent family reasons, not for living in a nanny-state)