Here in the UK, lots of banks offer bank accounts for free (they make money for example with selling additional packages such as for example insurances). But you’ll need a proof of address (for example an (electricity/water/ …) bill, an estate agent’s contract …), your passport and they will ask you about your job.

You can decide for your own which bank to choose, maybe you already know somebody who can tell you about his or her bank and how happy they are with it.

When you withdraw money from an ATM I would strongly recommend to always request a receipt. This makes it easier to get your money in case the ATM did not work correctly and did not give you your money. Usually this is never a problem, but it could happen anyway.

By the way: You can also use your debit card also for buying things in the internet, you don’t need a credit card for that as it is currently (2015) often the case in Austria.

When I started my job I was not required by my company to immediately give them my bank account details, which gave me some additional time to make the bank account. But it it generally not easy when you move to the UK without having any references for renting and no prove of address which is often required. When you rent privately with “all bills included” you might not even get an, for the bank acceptable, proof of address. But you might be able to ask your company (HR department) for help and advice.

Once you have your bank account you will also get letters from your bank, which can be used as proof of address. But, be aware that some agencies do only accept a proof of address which is a few month old, so in case you rent again and you have not received a bill/ letter from your bank within several month you might want to ask your company for giving you a proof of address.