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Proof of identity and address

What you need to open your bank account

Can I apply for a bank account?

We offer a range of bank accounts, with different features that may fit your needs.

For most of our current accounts, you need to be:

  • Aged 18+ 
  • A UK resident.

There are a few exceptions. Our Revolve account is for young people; you can apply between the ages of 11 - 17. For our Student bank accounts, you need to be aged 17+.

Some of our accounts have extra eligibility criteria required to apply. If applicable, you can find these on the webpage for the account you're interested in, or in our Current Account Terms & Conditions.

Verifying your ID online

We want to get your account up and running as soon as possible so we’ll ask you to upload some documents. To do this you’ll need access to a device that has a camera. 

This is important, as it helps us check you are who you say you are

We'll ask for;

  • Photo ID, such as: driving licence, passport or EU ID card.
  • A selfie to compare with your photo ID.
  • We might also need to see a proof of address, such as: a driving licence, utility bill, bank statement or tax document.

Please make sure the documents you use exactly match the information you enter in your application.

If you don't have your documents with you, you can select to do this later. Once you've finished your application look out for an email and text from us and our security partners, HooYu or DigiDocs

If you’re under 18, we may need some additional information. Please refer to ‘What ID do I need if I’m under 18?’ for guidance. 

Documents we can accept

The quickest way to get an account is to apply online, but if you haven't got the documents for online ID, we accept others when you return your documents to one of our branches or send them in the post to us. You'll need one item to confirm your identity and another document that we can accept as proof of your address. You may, however, use your Full or Provisional UK Driving Licence as proof of both your identity and address.

Documents we can accept in branch and by post:

Looking to open a savings account?

If you want to open one of our Instant Access Savings accounts, you must be a current account customer. If you want to open one of our Fixed Term accounts, or ISA's, you'll need to provide proof of ID and address. 

New to the UK?

If you're new to the UK or are arriving soon, you'll need to know your new UK address before applying, and enter this during your application. 

Once you've applied, we'll ask you for proof of identity and proof of UK address, which we'll need to verify before we open your account. 

FAQs - What you need to open a bank account

Why do banks ask for proof of ID and address?

It's important that banks work hard on processes that help prevent money laundering. This is when criminals try to disguise money that has been made illegally, to use it for their own future purposes.

To do this, criminals often attempt to open a bank account using fake or stolen ID. We try to stop this by verifying all of our new customers as genuine, by asking for proof of identity and often current address.

If you are applying online, we try our best to complete this electronically, using our security partners Digidocs or HooYu, so the process is as easy as possible for you. This is why we ask you to have your ID at hand before you begin your application.

Something else we can help you with?