Finance and Bank Accounts
Navigating the world of banking in the UK is an important step to financial independence. A bank account will make it easier for you to manage your finances and handle everyday expenses.
Banking in the UK
UK banks offer special accounts tailored to students, some accounts come with great benefits including:
- free rail cards
- shopping discounts
- cashback
Information on setting up a student bank account is available on our financial advice page.
Bank letters
Students who wish to open a UK bank account may need a letter of introduction from the University. Usually only international students will need this letter.
If you are a UK student, a certificate of registration should be enough to prove your status as a student. You can print out a certificate of registration from the Student Portal.
The information you enter into the Student Portal is used to produce the bank letter. Please ensure you have entered your term address in Newcastle in full.
If you need a bank letter, please visit the Hadrian Building (building number 4 on the campus map) where these will be issued until Monday 14 October. After this date, you can get one from the Student Services helpdesk in Great North House (building number 72 on the campus map). If you are not able attend in person, please submit your request to student-registration@ncl.ac.uk.
International students
Some accounts:
- offer overdrafts which do not charge you interest
- may offer no or cheaper rates of international transfer fees/exchange rates
- may need a small deposit to open an account
Make sure the term time address on your application is the same as the address on documents issued by the University. Any difference might result in your application being rejected. If this happens, you can re-submit your application.
Please note:
- it can take around 7 - 10 days for your debit/credit card to arrive
- some banks may offer a banking app that you can use straight away
- you can link this to your Apple Pay/Google/Samsung wallet account, to pay for goods and services
We recommend reading the Save the Student's guide to the top UK bank accounts for international students.