Best Posts in Thread: Letters from abroad

All of the above applies but if I can add that it can helpful to have an additional mailing address in UK with friends/ family who can open letters and email or call you with the information. We are now registered to pay UK tax on line but to do so we needed a one time access code that was valid for 10 days. They mailed it to friends who then wats apped the code to me. Same has happened with new bank cards that arrived here but had an acivation code coming under a second letter but had to be used within 10 days. I got it redirected to our pre registered secondary address with friends in UK and it worked.
Banks in UK have been understanding, tax and pensions office not so helpful when you explain delays. Proof of life request was 10 weeks getting here but we were fore warned by someone on this site and knew exactly what to do. Thanks who ever did that it was great info.

 

I would keep my bank statements out of the mail system, period. There's no reason for that information to be floating around when you could access it digitally.

 

Getting bank statements sounds seriously unappealing to me. It's best to keep any sensitive information out of the physical mail system. Imagine someone intercepting your mail and seeing your bank account statements. They could follow that up with a home invasion and a trip to the ATM. I'm not trying to scare you away, but these things do happen.

 

usglobalmail.com a private mailbox service in Texas. They will forward your mail anywhere in the world or you can have them scan it to pdf file and download it.
Highly recommended.

 

I use online banking to check statements etc. I would go talk to your bank before moving here, to discuss 'change of address' getting new cards delivered etc. Different banks have different rules, and some are reluctant to send new cards by courier - although that does work - I've done it. In general, try to reduce your mail to an absolute minimum.

 

Normal (snailmail) from UK takes about 2 months, but it does get here. Best to go into the post office in Valencia and introduce yourself.