just to confirm - no problem holding BD card when based outside UK. I'm based in Ireland and have one. You just can't get a BMI credit card, which is a nuisance, since it would allow you to accumulate more destination miles.

Keep those boarding passes until you see them on the account, especially if you e.g. travel with Singapore (sorry Singapore, I love your service except for crediting miles), when the *G on the boarding pass isn't a guarantee they will be posted correctly. You might have to send them in with the ticket. But you get them eventually.