Opening an Aussie/NZ bank account?

[Condi]

Anyone done it? Im going to Aus for about 9 months on a working visa so think it'll be easier to set up an Oz account and transfer funds electronically. Does anyone have any suggestions on what bank and what account is easiest? It doesnt look quite as simple as asking for a current account like we do here......

Then im off to NZ for a while (unknown time period) is there an account which covers both countries, or do I need two separate accounts from two separate banks?

TIA

[Hub]

I have done it in Australia, but it was about 7 years ago now. From memory, if you do it within a few weeks of getting there you can open one with just your passport. Most (if not all now) banks charge a monthly fee for a current account, so shop around. I managed to get a fee free account through the 'Woolworths' supermarket chain but I'm not sure if they still do it now.

Edited by Hub on Saturday 16th October 16:34

[v15ben]

I went with NAB back in 2008 on my working holiday visa trip. You will be charged a monthly account fee of about $5 a month depending on the bank. They also charge you every time you use another bank's ATM. Mine was $2 which can get out of hand on trips away or nights out if there isn't a branch of your bank around!

I went for NAB as they had ATMs near my apartment, my office and were quite common in other cities around the country (I was in Sydney.) Unless you are sending money home often or need something specific, I'd say getting a bank with a lot of ATMs in the areas you will get cash out in order to avoid ATM fees is the main thing to think about.

I found their service was decent enough and internet banking was easy to use. I didn't transfer money home, but their service was easy enough according to friends and didn't cost too much.

[Colonial]

The big 4 are Westpac, ANZ, NAB and Commonwealth

All much of a muchess. As Ben said, monthly fees etc

[BenjiA]

http://www.commbankuk.co.uk/about_us/why_cba/

Get these guys to set it up before you go out there. Nice guys, genuinely helpful.

I used to work there, not in this dept though.
Other banks are availiable.

[VEA]

This is the one I have just used

https://www.bnz.co.nz/personal-banking/internation...

NZ only though.

[RobDickinson]

Piece of piss We had a bank account and card in about 15min in NZ, most of NZ's banks are Aus owned/based too.