Opening a bank account and documents needed

If you're moving to Leeds from outside the UK, you'll need access to your money and the easiest way is to open a UK bank account. 

It can take several weeks to open a bank account. Be prepared and think about arranging money for when you arrive before you travel to Leeds.

Below you’ll find the answers to some of the questions that you might have at this stage. Find out more about what documents you need to open a bank account, how to obtain them and how to choose the best bank that suits your needs.

What documents will I need? 

1. Proof of your identity  
   Your passport or EU national identity card. 

2. Proof that you are a student 
   Your offer letter or a bank letter from the University. See information below on how to get your bank letter. 

3. Proof of your address 
   Accepted documents include a housing contract, a utility bill or a bank letter from the University.  
   If you provide a tenancy agreement for private sector accommodation, it will need to be signed by the landlord. 

4. Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) 
   If you’re an international student on a student visa, some banks require you to show your BRP to open an account. 

Your University bank letter 

Your letter is valid for 3 months. It’s important that the information on your letter is correct before you visit a bank. The information that appears on your bank letter will be automatically downloaded from the personal details you enter on Minerva.

Follow these steps to check that you’ve entered the information correctly so that you can obtain a bank letter:

Activate your IT account and complete the online registration process.  

It’s very important that your personal details on Minerva are correct as this information will later appear on your bank letter. Check the following points: 

1. Your name and surname 

• Your name must match the one shown on your passport or Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). 
• Your name must be entered in this format: first, last name or first, middle, last name (if you have a middle name). 

2. Your address 

• Permanent home address – enter your address in your home country.
• Term time address – enter your UK address.  
• Complete all fields in full, including the ‘Nation’ field. 

You usually cannot open a bank account if you’re staying in temporary accommodation (in a hotel, for example). The University is unable to provide you with a bank letter if you have only entered a temporary address in the UK. 

It is important to reject the offer of University accommodation as soon as you have made the decision to live in alternative accommodation, as delaying rejecting the offer can have implications during registration and when receiving a bank letter with the accurate address listed. Let the University know that you wish to reject the offer by emailing accom@leeds.ac.uk. 

Decide which bank you want to open an account with.

The standard bank letter produced by the University will start with “To whom it may concern”. This means that it won’t be addressed to a specific person. The following banks accept the standard University of Leeds bank letter: 

• HSBC
• Lloyds
• Santander

If your chosen bank is not listed above and you need the letter to be addressed to the bank manager, apply online for a Registration Status Certificate. Please be aware that it can take up to ten working days to receive your bank letter when requesting it via a Registration Status Certificate. 

Find more information on choosing a bank. 

Where will my bank letter be sent? 

The University will send a digital document to your University of Leeds email address.

When will I receive my bank letter? 

Your bank letter will be generated automatically after completing the first three steps of your online registration. The University will email your bank letter to you within five working days from the start date of your accommodation contract.

Please check that you have entered the correct start date for your term-time (UK) address in Minerva   

I have not received my bank letter

If you’ve waited for longer than a week and you’ve still not received your letter, check that your full name and addresses have been entered correctly in Minerva. If you spot any mistakes, correct them as soon as possible. Entering information incorrectly on Minerva is usually the main reason for not receiving a bank letter. After any changes are made to your name or addresses in Minerva, a new bank letter will be generated and emailed to you the next working day.  

If you’ve waited for longer than a week and you think that your personal information is correct, contact the Student Documents and Visas team to notify them of the delay. Please email using your University of Leeds email account, including your full name and student number. 

I have other questions about opening a bank account

Get in touch with the friendly team in the Student Information Service (SIS). You can call them, email them, or visit them at one of the Student Information Points on campus.