Banking for international students

If you're able to join us on campus, opening a UK bank account is by far the safest and most effective way of managing your money as an international student. 

Want to get the process going? Here is what you can do right now to ease the application process:

• Consider which bank to open an account with before you arrive in the UK. This can involve researching different banks and getting familiar with the process.
• You can find useful information about the different banking options available to you in the UK on the International Students webpages.
• Speak to banks in your home country about any possible links they may have with their branches in the UK or with other UK banks.
• Some banks may let you begin the process of opening a bank account from your home country by completing an online application in advance.
• Update your term-time address to your UK address in Portico as soon as you can after you've completed pre-enrolment. This way you'll have the correct letters available if these are required by a bank.
• Be aware that if you are on a programme of study for 6 months or less, you may not be able to open a bank account with certain high street banks. Most banks should, however, consider your application.
• Check in with the bank where you intend to open an account, and ask what documents they require before scheduling an appointment. Bear in mind that with social distancing regulations likely to still be in place, banks may have alternative arrangements in September 2020.

Students on a programme for less than 6 months

Please note that if you are on a programme of study for 6 months or less (as is the case for many affiliate students), you may not be able to open a bank account with certain banks. 

Instead, you may wish to look into obtaining a pre-paid cash card instead. This allows you to load money on to it and you use it in a similar way to a debit card. Some cards may charge you - so make sure you check on this to ensure you know if there are any fees. You should also check the limits on the card as some have minimum/maximum limits, so do some research to find the most suitable card for you. 

More information on pre-paid cards can be found on the Money Advice Service webpages.

It can take a long time to process bank account applications, so it is important that you bring sufficient funds to cover initial expenses for your first month in the UK. For safety reasons, it is not a good idea to bring large sums of cash. There is also a limit on the amount of cash you can bring with you to the UK, as explained on the GOV.UK website. 

Look for alternative options, such as:

• using pre-paid cards
• using digital banking services
• paying your UCL tuition fees online

If you have any questions, please contact the International Student Support team.  

UCL International Student Support team