Student guide

Open a UK bank account

What you're shortest of in your first fortnight is a UK bank account. The big high-street banks make you wait for an appointment; a digital bank takes ten minutes to apply for on your phone. Use it to get life up and running, and sort out the big-bank account in your own time – you can do both.

How long: About 10 minutes to apply in the app; the physical card usually arrives within a few days, and you can use your phone wallet while you wait
What you need: 16 or over and living in the UK long-term with the right to be here; a phone that can run the app; in-date photo ID (a passport is fine); a UK address where you can receive the card
What you get: A UK account and card for receiving money from home, paying rent and getting your wages

First, a myth to clear up

You'll often read online (including in an old version of this guide) that digital banks don't need proof of address. That's out of date. Monzo's official help page now says:

You may be asked to verify that you live at the address you gave us, to confirm you live in the UK.

The good news: one of the documents it accepts is "a valid UK tenancy agreement" - which most new students have. Once you've signed for a place, you've got one, so save a digital copy now. (Halls usually give you a tenancy or licence agreement too, which counts as the same kind of thing. But a uni "accommodation confirmation letter" isn't on its list, so don't count on it. Whether anything off the list will do is up to what they ask for at the time.)

It also accepts: a gas, electricity, water, landline or broadband bill from the last 3 months; an official letter from DWP, Jobcentre, NHS or HMRC from the last 3 months; this year's Council Tax bill; a UK bank, credit card, pension or investment statement from the last 3 months; or a UK driving licence. It doesn't accept: bill reminders, arrears or debt collection letters, or a P45 or P60.

What you need

Age and status: 16 or over, and living in the UK long-term with the right to be here (a Student visa counts).
Photo ID that's in date. It accepts a passport, a driving licence (a provisional one is fine) or a national identity card. A CitizenCard isn't accepted – it proves your age, it isn't an ID document.
A phone that can install the official app and keep it updated (a digital bank lives entirely in its app, and old phones can't run it).
A UK address where you can actually receive your card.

Seven steps (from the official help page, in our own words)

Check your phone can run the app. If your software's too old, none of the rest will work.
Get your ID out. A passport is the safest bet.
Search for the bank by name in the official app store and download it. Stick to official channels – ignore any install file someone messages you, and any "we'll open an account for you" middleman.
Fill in your basic details: address, email and mobile number, plus your job and how you plan to use the account (every regulated bank asks this – it's not them being awkward). This is where you might be asked for proof of address, as above.
ID check: take a photo of your ID and record a selfie video. The system compares the video with your ID to make sure it's you and that you really are the one opening the account.
Pick an account type (the free basic account is plenty for a student, so don't get talked into a paid tier).
Wait for the card and activate it. It usually arrives within a few days. Follow the prompts in the app to activate it.

That's about ten minutes to apply. While you wait for the card, you can add it to your phone wallet and start using it.

How the high-street banks fit in

At the start of term the big banks (HSBC, Lloyds and the rest) are packed with freshers, so book online if you can rather than queuing - an appointment beats an early start. They usually want a proof-of-study letter, which you can download yourself from your uni's student system (see "What your student status letter unlocks"). Let the digital bank tide you over and add the big-bank account at your own pace. The two don't clash.

Before you go in, and once you're set up

Not knowing what to say trips people up more than missing paperwork: read "Opening a bank account: what to say at the counter" before you go in and save it on your phone;
The day your account opens, screenshot your sort code, account number, IBAN and SWIFT and send it to your family.

Common mistakes

Waiting on a big-bank appointment before you've even landed. Branches are fully booked at the start of term, so let a digital bank cover you for now.
Thinking you'll never need proof of address. As above, they might ask – save your tenancy agreement now so you're not scrambling.
Putting down any old address. It has to be somewhere you'll actually get your card. If you haven't got a place yet, use your halls or another reliable delivery address.
Using a CitizenCard as ID. It isn't accepted.
Buying a "ready-made" account. "Verified accounts" sold online are money-laundering tools. For what happens if you get involved, see "Your account isn't a pass-through".

If it just won't go through

If you can't pull together the ID or proof of address, or you're stuck on the checks, the official help page points you somewhere: MoneyHelper (free, government-backed money guidance) or Citizens Advice. Both have free guidance specifically on opening an account without the usual documents.

Opening a bank account: what to say at the counterThree minutes to read; read it again before you go in

These are scripts, not facts. The English below is our own wording, not any official requirement; which documents you need, and whether they can open the account there and then, depends on the bank and your uni's own page (see "What your student status letter unlocks").

The short version

The question students actually ask is "what do I say when I walk into the bank?" Freezing up is more common than missing paperwork. Each card has three lines: the situation / your opening line / what the staff might say back, and your reply. Save it on your phone and read straight off it if you go blank.

Card 1 · Saying why you're there

Situation: you walk up to the counter or the welcome desk.
You say: Hi, I'm an international student. I'd like to open a student current account, please.
They might say: Do you have an appointment? / Have you booked? You reply: No, I haven't. Could I book one, please? What do I need to bring?

Card 2 · Handing over your documents

Situation: they ask to see your ID.
You say: Here's my passport, my university letter, and my eVisa share code.
They might say: Do you have proof of address? You reply: My university letter has my term-time address on it. Is that OK? (Your enrolment letter prints your term-time address, so make sure that address is right.)

Card 3 · When you can't follow

Situation: a fast accent, lots of jargon.
You say: Sorry, could you say that again, a bit more slowly, please?
Still lost: Could you write it down for me, please? (Asking them to write it down is a hundred times better than pretending, and you can snap a photo of it.)

Card 4 · Getting your account details (so family can send money)

Situation: the account's open.
You say: Could I have my sort code and account number, please? And the IBAN and SWIFT code for international transfers?
They might say: They're in the app / on your welcome letter. You reply: Could you show me where in the app, please?

Card 5 · When your card arrives

You say: When will my card arrive, and is it going to this address?
They might say: Within 5 to 7 working days. / It'll be posted to the address on your letter. You reply: Could you double-check the postcode for me, please? (Wrong address, lost card – get them to read the postcode back to you.)

Card 6 · Is there a credit check?

You say: Is there a credit check for this account? I've just arrived in the UK.
They might say: Not for a basic student account. / We'll need to run a check. You reply: If it's declined, is there a basic account I can open instead?

Card 7 · Wrapping up

You say: Thank you. Is there anything else I need to do before the card arrives?
They might say: Download the app and activate it when the card comes. You reply: Got it. Thank you very much.

Three lines that work anywhere

I'm sorry, my English isn't very good. Could you please speak slowly? (beats pretending)
Could you write that down, please?
Could I take a photo of this, please? (photograph anything the staff write down for you)

Where people trip up

Nodding and saying yes because you're nervous – if you didn't understand, say so;
Leaving with the card but not the account details – then nobody at home can send you money;
Treating these scripts as rules – the documents you need are whatever the bank and your uni's page say.

What your student status letter unlocksA few minutes to download it yourself once enrolment is processed; at some unis it only appears the next working day

The short version

The status letter your uni issues (names vary: statement of student status / confirmation of study / statement of registration) is a student's skeleton key: download it yourself as soon as enrolment is complete, save it to cloud storage and print it whenever you need it. Banks, council tax exemption, proving to your landlord who you are – they all accept it.

What it's good for

Opening a bank account: high-street banks often ask for a "university letter" as supporting evidence – this is it; some unis also have a dedicated bank letter in the same place;
Council tax exemption: if you're renting, this is what gets you exempted (see the "Full-time students don't pay council tax" guide);
Proving to your landlord / letting agent that you're a student; visas, scholarships and anything else that hinges on your student status will generally accept it too.

The surprise: you don't need it to register with a GP

Older guides often list "registering with a GP" as one of its uses. The NHS position is that you don't need ID, proof of address or proof of identity to register with a GP - so don't hold off seeing a doctor waiting for this letter; you can register as soon as you arrive. It's also a handy way to tell whether a guide is out of date.

How to get it, step by step

There are no website screenshots in this section, and that's deliberate. The letter lives in your uni's student system; universities aren't public bodies and aren't covered by the OGL, and we don't screenshot pages we haven't been licensed to use (the policy is in our 20260904 sprint notes).
The more practical reason: every uni has a different way in (UCL uses Portico, KCL uses Student Records, Imperial uses eDocuments in My Imperial), and even the letter's name is different. What follows is what all three unis' official pages have in common, plus how to find your own uni's page. If any step doesn't match what your uni's page says, go with your uni.

Step 0: find your own uni's page first

Search for "your uni's name + student status letter" (or confirmation of study / statement of registration), and only trust .ac.uk domains;
That page will tell you three things: which menu in the student system it's under, how long after enrolment it appears, and whether you can download it yourself;
Save that page and note the date you looked at it.

If you can't find it, ask your uni's student enquiries / student hub, or the Students' Union – they answer this question every day.

Step 1: get your address right first (the step people most often have to redo)

The letter prints the home address and term-time address from your student record exactly as they are, and your uni won't check them for you. All three unis' pages say this; UCL tells you outright to check your address is correct before you generate the letter.

So before you download it:

Go into "personal details / contact details" in the student system and set your term-time address to where you live now – check the house number and postcode character by character;
Make sure your name is spelt exactly as it is on your passport;
Changes don't take effect straight away – at some unis it's the next working day (Imperial says "updated by four in the afternoon the next day"). Don't download it the moment you've made changes – you'll just get the old version.

Step 2: wait for enrolment to be processed

The letter only appears once enrolment is fully complete (for international students that includes having your visa checked on campus). Imperial says it's available to download "from four in the afternoon on the next working day after enrolment"; for other unis, check their own page. If it isn't there yet, don't panic, and don't go and queue at the desk – it's most likely still being processed. Give it a working day and look again.

Why enrolment gets "stuck": the five problems that keep coming up in students' help posts (patterns across posts from four unis)

Bottom line first: the bit you did online before you flew out is usually called pre-enrolment, and it isn't the same as being fully enrolled. If the system says "on hold / pending / temporary", it hasn't failed – it's waiting for you to provide one of the things below:

It wants "proof of entry": a boarding pass, plane ticket or the entry date stamped in your passportHow to fix itYou can only upload it once you're actually in the UK; if you get a "deadline" email before you've arrived, reply saying when you'll arrive – that's what everyone who's been through it does

It wants your "visa checked": a passport or visa holdHow to fix itUpdating your eVisa doesn't mean your uni can see it – upload your share code or visa details in the student portal; some unis also need you to get it checked at a desk on campus

It wants a "UK mobile number": term-time phone number missingHow to fix itThat's why "Your first week: do it in this order" puts getting online and getting a UK number before enrolment – get a SIM first, then come back and fill it in

Your ID photo won't uploadHow to fix itPlenty of unis only accept JPG, and iPhones save as HEIC by default, which won't upload; before you travel, convert the photo to JPG, with a light background and no filters

There's a compulsory online mini-course / safety test you haven't doneHow to fix itDo it, then go back to the enrolment page and the options will become clickable; if nothing changes, log out and back in

Two smaller points: if you don't have an agent, leave the "authorised representative" box blank; your IT account and uni email are usually sent out before you're fully enrolled, so if you can't find them, check your spam folder first.

Don't keep refreshing the system. Check your status, check your inbox and send whatever the email subject line asks for – unis review in batches, so even with everything in you may wait a few working days (go by what your uni's page says).

Step 3: find it in the student system and download the PDF

Log in to the student system (with your uni email account);
Look for a menu called something like "letters / documents / my documents / statement" – the name varies from uni to uni, and the page from step 0 will tell you;
Choose the status letter (some unis also have separate versions, such as a bank letter or one for the council – pick the one for what you need it for);
Download it or "print to PDF", and save it to cloud storage, not just on your phone.

Step 4: open the PDF and check three things

Name spellingWhat happens if it's wrongIf it doesn't match your passport, the bank will turn you down on the spot

Term-time addressWhat happens if it's wrongThe bank uses it as proof of address – the wrong address proves nothing

Course and datesWhat happens if it's wrongFull-time status and start and end dates: council tax exemption depends on those two lines

If anything's wrong: go back to step 1, fix your details, wait for the change to go through, then download it again. Don't take a wrong one along and hope for the best.

About "it needs a stamp and a signature"

These letters are mostly signed electronically now: UCL says plainly that they can't be signed by hand or stamped. When a bank or council asks for "the original", this PDF is the original; if they insist on paper, some unis will print it for you at the front desk (UCL says it can) – check the page from step 0.

Easy ways to get caught out

Downloading straight after changing your address. Updates aren't instant, so you'll get the old address;
Only saving it on your phone. Lose your phone and you lose the letter – save it to cloud storage;
Following another uni's process. The way in, the name and the wait are all different, so go by your own uni's page;
Putting off registering with a GP because of it. You don't need it for a GP.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Official pages

monzo.com/help/opening-an-account/how-to-open-a-Monzo-Personal-Account

Checked against official pages on 5 Sep 2026.

Not official advice. Rules change, so always check the official page.