If you’re embarking on studies at King’s as an international or EU student, opening a bank account in the UK is the safest and most convenient way to manage your money.
You should be able to open a ‘basic bank account’ with a number of different banks. A ‘basic bank account’ provides easy access to banking facilities for adults in the UK. Additionally, some banks offer a bank account tailored specifically for your needs as an international student.
Important to know:
- You will need to provide evidence to be able to open a bank account – banks usually require several bits of documentation.
- It may take a few weeks to get your bank account fully set up.
- Your debit card and pin number will be sent to you in the post, so you will need a confirmed UK address.
- Make sure you bring sufficient funds to cover initial expenses for your first month in the UK.
We don’t advise that you travel with large amounts of cash as it is not safe to do so. Come with some cash for general spending (food and travel) but with a means to access more by travellers checks or a debit card from home. This can be costly so do weigh up your options carefully.
In this article we address some common questions from international students looking to open a bank account: