Account opening criteria
High Interest, Package, Reward & Standard current accounts
- You must be 18 years of age or older
- You must not have been declared Bankrupt or have registered for an Individual Voluntary Agreement within the last six years or be in the process of doing so (Does not apply to M&S Bank)
- You are a UK resident
Student accounts
- You’re aged 18 years or over
- You’ve been accepted onto a full-time UCAS course at a UK institution for at least 2 years
- You don’t already have a student account with another Banking institution
Children’s accounts
- You must be aged between 11 and 18 years old
- You must be living permanently in the UK
Credit building
- You must be aged 18 or over to apply
- You must have a residential address in the UK
Before applying, please always check each banks specific opening criteria on their website.
International bank accounts
International bank accounts enable those living and working abroad to access their money whenever they need to.
They are provided by the offshore divisions of UK high street banks and enable expatriates to benefits from all the usual perks associated with an onshore current account such as an overdraft, debit card and, in some cases, a cheque book. Accountholders can also choose which currency they want their account to be denominated in.
That means if you are a British expatriate living in the US, you can choose a US Dollar account, or if you are living in Spain, you can open a Euro account.
However, international bank accounts aren’t usually available to everyone, and many of them require you to keep a high minimum balance, or you will be charged a monthly fee, usually ranging from £5 up to £15.
Some accounts come with added extras, such as a concierge service or travel insurance, which is particularly useful for those who travel extensively abroad. Most now offer 24 hour internet and phone banking, making it easy for those on the move to manage their money wherever they are.
