State Savings Certificates Opening ID Requirements

[georged3rd]

For anyone who currently is or may be going through the process of opening a State Savings Certificates account in the future, where the current application form at http://www.statesavings.ie/Downloads/ApplicationForm.pdf states that the following documentation is required;

Proof of Identity - Photo ID of current Passport or current EU Driving License

Proof of Address - One of the following documents - Electricity, telephone, gas bill or bank, building society or credit union statement (issued in last 6 months) or official letter from the Revenue Commissioners or Dept. of Social Protection which shows account holders name, address & PPSN (issued in the last 12 months)

Proof of PPSN - .....(see link above)

Because the Proof of Identity requirement above isn't clear (I mean what's a 'Photo ID of current Passport' anyway? A photocopy of the passport? An original photo that is the exact same as in your passport?? Does it need to be stamped/signed by the Guards??...you catch my drift...it's unclear) I phoned the Savings Certificates helpline on 1850 30 50 60 (from the application form) who didn't know the requirements (they ended up giving me wrong info) but they did give me the number of the An Post Compliance Dept (01-7057167) where after eventually getting through I was able to confirm the following;

For Proof of Identity;
- If opening the account in a post office; bring your passport or driving license to the post office. They'll photocopy & certify it.
- If opening the account by post; strictly speaking An Post request that you send the ORIGINAL passport or driving license by registered post (at your own cost of course) and they will return it to you also by registered post.

As I already had a photocopy of my current passport, stamped & certified by the Guards in 2010, can't get to a post office during work hours & don't want to send my original passport or drivers license via post (registered or not) they said they'd accept the photocopy of my current passport, stamped & certified by the Guards in 2010 if I sent it to a specific contact in the Compliance Dept (i.e. they would make an exception). Note: this is unlikely to apply to all applications, unless prior agreement is made with the Compliance Dept, I assume.

Also, if you intend lodging by Debit Card watch out for your financial institution's single & daily maximum transaction limits (usually a figure significantly less than the Certificate's maximum amount of 120k sole). If applying by post a personal cheque (or bank draft, assuming its accepted) are your only options.

Btw, as regards the remainder of the required documentation;
For Proof of Address;
- an original is required (again not stated on the application form and may not be known by the An Post helpline reps).
For Proof of PPSN;
- an original or photocopy will suffice.

So just a word of warning to save yourself some time in your application, particularly if applying by post.

 

[dub_nerd]

When I did this a few weeks ago, I didn't have an original utility bill. I've gone to the effort of trying to make all my dealings with everybody electronic in the last couple of years so I think the requirement for "original copies" is getting a bit outdated. Anyway, I colour-printed a Revenue doc from ROS and an ESB bill from PDFs on the computer, said nothing about whether they were "original" or not to the guy in the Post Office, and he took them with no questions asked. Once he's photocopied them and handed them back to me, I doubt if there's any way anyone can tell in future that I gave him printouts. Not that I think it should matter ... I don't know what else I could have done.

 

[georged3rd]

I've gone to the effort of trying to make all my dealings with everybody electronic in the last couple of years so I think the requirement for "original copies" is getting a bit outdated.....I don't know what else I could have done.

Myself and many others too. Most financial institutions and utility companies no longer issue hard copy statements & if they do they tend to be chargeable more often than not. The requirement for at least one form of original identification with photo, name & address I can understand though for this kind of product, particularly given the account lodgement limits involved.

But the exclusion of the exact details of the requirements from the application form I can't understand. Seems sloppy. If it was a 'professional' financial institution (does such a thing actually exist? one has to ask) such as a bank operating in the private sector it would be rare to see such sloppyness on application forms (and to a lesser degree such lack of staff training on application basics, though from experience that's not rare in banks either) but as we're effectively dealing with the Irish public sector here I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised (at the risk of sounding like I'm jumping on the public sector bashing bandwagon which is OT).

 

[fernrock]

If it was a 'professional' financial institution (does such a thing actually exist? one has to ask) such as a bank operating in the private sector it would be rare to see such sloppyness on application forms .

I have been trying to open a joint direct deposit account with Ulster for over 10 days. Both my wife and I are already Ulster account holders.
Got a letter advising me that we need to submit proof of pps.

When I rang the number on the letterhead, I was advised that this number only dealt with already open accounts, and , NO they could not transfer me to the relevant area or give me the number.
So there are still sloppy banks.