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Opening a bank account

Most people who are in the UK will probably wish to open their own UK account. If you open a UK bank account, you will be able to pay your tuition fees in instalments by direct debit.

In order to open a UK bank account, you will need:

  • your passport
  • a letter from Birkbeck confirming your student status (from My Birkbeck Student Centre)
  • a document confirming your address in the UK (for example, a contract for accommodation)

It is also helpful to bring information about your bank account(s) and evidence of your address in your home country.

Some Tips

  • Check with your home bank to see what methods of transferring money are available, including the security of each method and the costs involved.
  • Check whether your home country bank has a special relationship with a bank in the UK, and whether this can help you with setting up an account or in any other way.
  • See if you can use a cash card from your home country bank in UK bank machines, to take money out of your account in your home country.
  • You must assume that it will take at least 2-3 weeks to open a UK bank account, so you will need to make sure you have access to the money that you will need during this period by making financial arrangements similar to those you might make if you were a tourist (e.g. travellers' cheques, credit card, cash card).

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