Opening a UK Bank Account When You Have Just Arrived: What You Need and What to Do Without Proof of Address

A UK bank account is the first thing most newcomers need: salaries, rent and nearly every household bill are paid through one. Banks ask you to prove who you are, and usually where you live. The identity part is straightforward with a passport. Proof of address is the usual obstacle in the first weeks, and there are ways round it.

What banks usually ask for

• Proof of identity. A passport, or a national identity card where the bank accepts one.
• Your immigration status, if you need permission to live in the UK. Most people now have an eVisa rather than a physical card, and prove their status by sharing a code generated on GOV.UK.
• Proof of address. Often a recent bill, a tenancy agreement or a letter from an employer or university. This is the part newcomers find hardest.
• A UK mobile number and email address, for security codes and the app.

If you have no proof of address yet

• Ask the bank which documents it accepts. Many take a signed tenancy agreement, a letter from your employer, or a letter from your university.
• App-based banks often carry out the identity check in the app, with fewer paper documents.
• Some banks offer accounts designed for people moving to the UK, which the bank describes on its own site.
• Once you have one account, statements from it become proof of address for the next thing you set up.

Basic bank accounts

The largest UK banks must offer a basic bank account, with no monthly fee, to eligible people who cannot get a standard account. It has no overdraft, but it takes a salary and pays bills by direct debit, which is what most newcomers need first.

What to set up once the account is open

• Give your employer the account details for your salary.
• Set up direct debits for rent, council tax, energy and the rest.
• Turn on the app's alerts for payments going out.
• Keep your address the same on the account as everywhere else.

How Wisemium helps

Once the bills start, Wisemium keeps each one in one place, with what it costs, how it is paid and when its contract ends. Start with your postcode and add them as they arrive. Wisemium does not open bank accounts, recommend banks or give financial advice.