Student Accounts in the UK

Stephen REA37G

Hey,

I'm moving to London in September to start uni. Have been looking at the various student accounts with the different banks, however all of them say you have to be 3 years resident in the UK to apply for the bank account.

Is there any way around this or is there a special international student account that any of the banks do?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

catbear

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-accounts/passport

You should try the banks around the uni again when you have an address with bills in your name etc...

pow wow

AFAIK all student accounts have that condition (mine has a UK nationality requirement but they haven't enforced it with me so far...)

You can open a regular account with no issues though. I know the benefits (i.e. free overdraft ) aren't the same but it would get you through basic banking.

JohnMearsheimer

Your university should be able to give you a letter saying you are a student at the university and you can present that to the bank when you go to open your account. At my registration day the uni asked me if I wanted one and they just printed it out and I brought it down to my local Lloyds branch.

Stephen REA37G

I've done that with Lloyds (was over in London on Weds). Got a letter from the uni to say I was going to be studying there. But they still wouldn't give me a student account because of the 3 year residence thing...