Opening a Student Bank Account
International Students
If you are an international student on a course of less than 6 months, you may not be able to open a bank account. Read our tips on how you can access your money.
All students need a bank account of their own. For your own safety, you should not keep large amounts of money in your bag or in your accommodation - pay it into a bank account as soon as you can. Then, you can easily withdraw money from locations such as the cash machine in University House.
If you have not opened a bank account before you arrive at University, it should be the first thing you do once you are settled into your accommodation. There is a Natwest on campus, and many other banks in Manchester City Centre and Salford Precinct. At registration, Barclays Bank often have a stall where they help new students who wish to open a student bank account with them.
Choose your bank account carefully, things to think about include:
- Can you get a debit card?
- Can you set up direct debits? This makes it easier to pay regular bills, rent etc.
- Do you get a free overdraft and how much is it? If you overdraw past your limit you may have to pay bank charges.
- How much interest do you get?
- Can you transfer money to accounts overseas or use your debit card abroad? This is useful if you are an international student or plan to study abroad.
- What perks do you get? Most student accounts offer rewards such as rail cards, cash back and reduced concert tickets.
You will need to bring identification with you when you apply for your bank account. Documents that help include:
- A passport or UK driving license
- A letter from the University offering your place and showing your home address
- A document confirming your address whilst at University (e.g. an accommodation contract or tenancy agreement)
- A letter showing your funding arrangements (i.e. from your sponsor, Student Finance England etc)
- If you are an ERASMUS student you may also need a letter from your home institution.
For help choosing an account, you can compare Student Bank Accounts on the Money Saving Expert website.
The Monetos website has further information on opening a bank account in the UK. It is also useful for advice on opening a bank account in another EU country, particularly for an Erasmus study or work placement.