Best student bank accounts for international students UK

It might not be a task that excites you, but if you’re studying in the UK then setting up a British bank account will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Many banks, however, require you to spend a certain amount of time in the UK before allowing you to open up a dedicated student account. This guide will explore the options available to you. If you plan on staying in the UK for the long-haul then you may be eligible for a range of dedicated UK student accounts.

Compare bank accounts for international students

1 - 10 of 10

Updated daily

We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.

Learn how we maintain accuracy on our site.

Close

Sort by:

Name	Product	Ratings	Account fees	Funding requirement	Interest (AER)	Arranged overdraft	Incentive	Representative example	Link
OFFER Revolut Standard Account Revolut Standard Account	OFFER	Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER		Get a £20 welcome bonus when you spend your first £20 (T&Cs apply).		Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
Bank Account Bank Account		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	(Subject to status)	Discounts and exclusive offers for dining experiences, leisure activities and shopping available through HSBC home&Away.	Representative example: 0% EAR (variable) on the first £25, 39.9% EAR (variable) on anything above that, giving a representative annual percentage rate (APR) of 38.9% APR (variable). Based on an arranged overdraft of £1,200.	View details		loading Fetching your data...
Monzo Account Monzo Account Finder Award		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39% APR representative (variable)	Monzo Instant Access Savings Pot earns you 4.10% AER interest (variable), paid monthly into the Pot you create.		Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
OFFER Suits Me - Essential Current Account Suits Me - Essential Current Account	OFFER	Not yet rated	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER		£10 when your wages or benefits are paid in for the first time (T&C's apply).		Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
Monese Account Monese Account		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	N/A			Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
CASHBACK Spend & Save Account Spend & Save Account	CASHBACK	Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39.9% EAR variable	Earn £5 cashback a month when making 20 or more debit card payments each month.	If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200 you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable/APR representative.	Go to site View details		loading Fetching your data...
Select Account Select Account		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39.49% EAR variable		Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable.	View details		loading Fetching your data...
OFFER Select Account Select Account	OFFER	Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39.49% EAR variable		Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.49% EAR variable.	View details		loading Fetching your data...
Classic Account Classic Account		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39.9% EAR variable	Everyday Offers - Earn up to 15% cashback from selected retailers when shopping with a Lloyds Bank credit or debit card.	Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable.	View details		loading Fetching your data...
FlexAccount Account FlexAccount Account Finder Award		Finder score ★★★★★ ★★★★★ User survey ★★★★★ ★★★★★	£0	No minimum funding requirement	0% AER	39.9% EAR variable	£200 for accounts switched when at least 2 direct debits are switched using the Current Account Switch Service.	Representative example: If you use an arranged overdraft of £1,200, you'll be charged interest at 39.9% EAR variable.	View details		loading Fetching your data...

loading

CompareClear

Why open a British bank account?

Here are the main reasons why you should set up a British bank account as an international student:

• Currency conversion fees. Most bank accounts charge currency conversion fees whenever you withdraw cash or spend money on your debit card outside of your home country. These conversion fees fluctuate over time, making it harder to budget if you’re now living in the UK. There might be other foreign loading fees charged on top of these too, depending on your bank.
• Fees for withdrawing cash. Some bank accounts may charge a one-off fee for withdrawing cash at a foreign cashpoint (which in this scenario, would be ATMs in the UK).
• Employers may not be able to pay you. If you’re planning on getting a part-time job during your studies, you may need a UK account in order to receive your wages. Most UK employers will want to pay directly into a UK bank account.
• Setting up recurring payments. Some companies won’t allow you to set up direct debits or standing orders from an overseas account. This could make it more difficult to pay your rent or utility bills.
• You might have to pay fees to transfer money to a UK account. This could make it more complicated to pay back friends in the UK, for example.
• You can easily do your banking in-branch with a UK account. This might be more convenient than having to make international phone calls to communicate with banking staff in your home country.

How to open an account

International students can typically apply for a UK bank account in-branch or via a bank’s website.

You’ll have to provide various personal details, financial details and information about your course.

On top of that, you may be asked to provide copies of your passport, bank statements from your home country, a university acceptance letter and a valid visa (if you’re from outside the European Union).

You’ll usually have to wait until you’ve received an unconditional offer for a place on your university course before you apply for a bank account. You can expect the account to take at least 7-14 days to get set up, so it could be worthwhile applying before you move to the UK to start your course.

Which banks are best for international students?

International students are likely to gravitate towards the same perks that UK students do. Money can be tight when you’re studying full-time, which is why many students choose bank accounts with an interest-free overdraft, freebies or retail discounts.

However, there are some other considerations for international students. They might want an account which charges no fees for them to send money back home. They may also be looking to avoid monthly account fees, which apply to some bank accounts that are specifically for international residents.

Also bear in mind that international students or non-UK residents may not qualify for the maximum interest-free overdraft limits that can be applied for with dedicated student bank accounts.

Latest student bank account reviews

Revolut - Revolut Standard

Finder rating

★★★★★

Customer rating

★★★★★

Go to site Read review

£0

Min. opening balance

£0

Account fees

0% AER

Interest (AER)

• Account info
• Pros/cons
• Details

Get a £20 welcome bonus when you spend your first £20 (T&Cs apply).

Revolut’s digital banking app means you don’t even need to be in the UK to open an account. It only takes a few minutes and you can do everything from your phone. If you’re not a citizen of the country of your personal address, you’ll just need to provide a visa or a residence permit. Once your account is open, you can send and receive 29 currencies. However, Revolut isn’t a specific student account, so there is no option for an arranged overdraft.

• Low overseas fees
• Quick application
• Earn cashback on spending
• Set budgets for financial goals,
• Virtual cards for online purchases,
• Easy to transfer money internationally,
• Linked 'Junior' account available for one child

• 1% currency conversion charge on weekend spending abroad,
• Free cash withdrawals in the UK and abroad both limited to £200 per month,
• Cannot deposit cash or cheques into the account,
• Charged a fee to receive your bank card

Minimum opening balance	£0
Account fee	£0
Overseas card transactions	0% Mon-Fri (max. £1,000 per month)
Overseas cash withdrawals	0% Mon-Fri (max. £1,000 per month)

Barclays - Student Additions

Finder Rating: 4.5/5

★★★★★

Go to site Read review

£1,500

Max. interest-free overdraft

£0

Account fees

0% AER

Interest (AER)

• Account info
• Pros/cons
• Details

Save up to £653 with a free 12-month subscription to Perlego's online library of books, academic texts and tools. Terms and conditions apply. Offer ends 18 December 2023.

Barclays offers an interest-free overdraft of up to £500 for your first term, up to £1,000 for your first year and up to £1,500 for your second year and beyond. Alonside this, you can take advantage of a free 12 month subscription to Perlego, an online library of books, academic texts and tools. The Barclays app also helps you to budget as it tracks your spending so that you can stay in control.

• Free 12 month Perlego subscription for signing up;
• Plenty of budgeting features in the banking app;
• International students can apply for this account.

• There are many other students accounts with bigger overdrafts.

Minimum opening balance	£1
Minimum operating balance	£1
Switch service guarantee	Yes
Account fee	£0
Maximum overdraft in year 1	£1,000
Maximum overdraft in year 2	£1,500
Maximum overdraft in year 3	£1,500
At end of term	Account transferred automatically to Higher Education Account for graduates
Overseas card transactions	2.99%
Overseas cash withdrawals	2.99%

Lloyds Bank - Student

Finder Rating: 5/5

★★★★★

Read review

£2,000

Max. interest-free overdraft

£0

Account fees

2% AER

Interest (AER)

• Account info
• Pros/cons
• Details

Everyday Offers - Earn up to 15% cashback from selected retailers when shopping with a Lloyds Bank credit or debit card.

Lloyds offers up to 15% cashback with Everyday Offers when you use your debit card at certain retailers. You can also get an arranged overdraft of up to £1,500 for the first 3 years of your degree, rising to £2,000 for years 4 to 6.

• Interest-free overdraft;
• Free 3-year TOTUM discount card;
• Cashback with Lloyds’ retail partners.

• This account isn’t available to international students;
• There are larger overdrafts with some other student accounts.

Minimum opening balance	£1
Minimum operating balance	£1
Switch service guarantee	Yes
Account fee	£0
Maximum overdraft in year 1	£1,500
Maximum overdraft in year 2	£1,500
Maximum overdraft in year 3	£1,500
At end of term	Account transferred automatically to graduate account
Overseas card transactions	2.99%
Overseas cash withdrawals	2.99%

Sharia-compliant bank accounts for students

Al Rayan. The Al Rayan personal account is Sharia compliant and is available to anyone over the age of 16 years, including students. It is an interest-free account and comes with a debit card and cheque book. No monthly account fees are charged and funds deposited will be administered in accordance with Sharia principles. The account can be managed online or over the phone.

Alternatives to opening a UK student bank account

These alternatives aren’t necessarily as convenient or beneficial as a UK student bank account, so you might want to consider these options as a Plan B.

• Basic bank accounts. Most UK banks have a basic bank account, which international students may be able to apply for. These typically come with no perks or overdraft facilities, but at least you’ll be able to pay people, set up recurring payments and get paid without any fuss.
• Prepaid cards. You can transfer money onto these cards without paying any fees. Then, use the card to make payments or withdraw cash. Some of these cards allow you to set up direct debits and standing orders too. Just make sure there’s enough money loaded on to it on the day that these automated payments are due to be made.
• Challenger bank accounts. These digital-only accounts can often be set up in minutes via an app and don’t always require you to have a proof of UK address. They don’t come with student-specific features or perks but usually have sophisticated spending analysis and saving tools to help you budget for student life. Popular apps include Starling, Revolut and Monzo.
• Use a bank account from your own country. If you do this, make sure to choose an account with low fees on foreign transactions for when you’re living in the UK.