Supporting guests to open a bank account: Homes for Ukraine
Information to help councils advise guests on opening a bank account.
Supporting guests to open a bank account
Councils and sponsors may need to provide information to guests to open a UK bank account, so they can receive interim payments and Universal Credit or other state benefits.
More information, including a list of some providers and their websites, can be found in the guest guidance about opening a bank account.
What a guest will need to do
To open a bank or building society account, guests will need to:
- make sure they have an email address set up in their name and a valid phone number, to help the bank or building society communicate with them
- collect all identification and visa documents
To open a new bank or building society account, they will need to provide some basic personal information. Here’s what the bank or building society may want to know about them:
- name
- date of birth
- nationality
- contact details (email address set up in the guest’s name and a valid phone number)
To open a bank or building society account in the UK, guests also need to show proof of identification and may be asked for things like a:
- passport
- biometric residence permit (BRP)
- driver’s licence
- recognised identity card
The quickest way to prove identification is likely to be with a passport or BRP (issued by the UK government). Some UK banks and building societies may ask for proof of address, though this is not required by law to open a bank or building society account.
If guests don’t have all the identification documents, they should take all the information they have with them to the bank or building society.
Banks and building societies are encouraged to find alternative ways to identify and verify their customers. The government has been working closely with the sector to support access for people from Ukraine who may not have standard identification documents.
Guests can apply for an account either in person at a bank or building society branch (they may need to make an appointment) over the phone, online or using a bank or building society’s mobile app. If going into a branch, guests should take all relevant identification documents with them.
Guests may need to download and fill in an application form from the bank or building society’s website.
Guests could ask their sponsor to help them complete the form and go with them to the bank or building society.