Cookies on the Royal Bank of Scotland website

Privacy Notice:

We use cookies and similar technologies on our websites and mobile applications to help provide you with the best possible online experience. By using our sites and apps, you agree that we may store and access cookies and similar technologies on your device.

You can find out more and set your own preferences here.

Setting Cookie
Search
Search
Overlay
Royal Bank of Scotland ISAs

Apply for
an Instant Access ISA today

Make the most of your 2019/20 £20,000 ISA allowance

Overview
Interest rate
Balance examples
Opening and managing your account
See our full range of savings accounts
Apply now

Make the most of your savings

Start saving with as little as £1, and take your money out when you need it.

Save up to £20,000 tax free up to 5th April 2020.

Bring your ISA balances together in one place.

Summary Box

Account name: Instant Access ISA

What is the interest rate?

Balance

£1 - £24,999
£25,000+

Tax-free p.a./AER (variable)

0.35%
0.75%
Interest is paid on a tiered basis which means you'll earn one rate on your entire account balance. Interest is calculated daily and paid into your account annually on the first business day in April and at account closure.

Can Royal Bank of Scotland change the interest rate?

Yes, these rates are variable. If the rates are going down and your balance is £100 or more, we'll give you at least 14 days' notice. If the rates are going down and your balance is less than £100, we'll inform you before the change or shortly afterwards. If the rates are going up, we'll inform you before the change or shortly afterwards. For more information please see the Savings Account Terms (PDF, 501 KB)

What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a range of deposits?

Initial deposit at account opening

£1,000.00
£25,000.00

Balance after 12 months

£1,002.00
£25,187.50

Interest earned

£2.00
£187.50
These are only examples and do not take into account your individual circumstances. They assume that no further deposits or withdrawals are made; there is no change to interest rates and tiers; and any interest earned stays in the account.

How do I open and manage my account?

Your eligibility

To open an Instant Access ISA you must be aged 16 years or over and be resident in the UK for tax purposes.

You must:

  • not have subscribed to another cash ISA (including a Help to Buy: ISA with another provider) or have subscribed more than the overall subscription limit in total to a cash ISA, a stocks and shares ISA, an innovative finance ISA and a lifetime ISA in the same tax year
  • hold the account solely in your name

If you already have a current account with us you can open your account on our mobile app, online or in branch.

If you don't have a current account with us you can open your account online or on our mobile app (you need to register for online banking before you can get our mobile app). 

We will need your email address and mobile number to open your account. 

You can manage your account on our mobile app, online, in branch or by telephone.

Balance and ISA allowance

There is no minimum deposit required to open the account; no minimum deposit needs to be made on a regular basis; and there is no maximum balance limit.

However, there is a limit on the amount you can pay into your account each tax year (6 April to 5 April). This annual limit also known as your “ISA allowance”, is set by the Government and may change from time to time. For tax year 2019/2020 it is £20,000. If you pay in more than the limit any excess money will be returned to you.

If you make a payment for a tax year into your Instant Access ISA, you can’t make any payments for that tax year into any other cash ISA.

You can transfer all or part of any ISA held with another provider to us. Click here to find out more.

Can I withdraw money?

This is a non-payment account.

Yes. No notice is required.

  • You can withdraw money: in branch or by transfer to any other account based in the UK (online or on the mobile app).
  • If you make a withdrawal, you will not be able to deposit more money into your account if it means you will exceed the annual limit.
  • You can transfer your ISA (or part of it) to another ISA manager.

There are daily limits on the amount of money you can withdraw from your account by phone, online or mobile app. Find out more about the daily limit or speak to us on the phone about them.

Frequently asked questions

Have your statements at your fingertips

We'll send you an email when your statements are ready to view in Online Banking. You can check them whenever you want.

Definitions

AER: Stands for the Annual Equivalent Rate. It shows you what the rate would be if interest was paid and compounded each year.

Gross: The interest rate you are paid without the deduction of UK income tax.

p.a.: per annum (per year)

Get ready to apply

Before you apply, we need to check you're happy with a few things. And ask you a few questions up front. Then we can make your application as quick and simple as it can be.

First things first. Please take a look at the important legal info:

If you carry on applying, it means you're happy with what's in these documents, including the FSCS information sheet. Please take some time to review, print and/or save the important information.

How your information might be used

It’s important for you to understand how we use and share your information. Please read this short summary before you continue with your application.

All okay? You're nearly ready to start.

To speed up your application for our Instant Access cash ISA account, we need to do a few final checks with you. They'll only take a minute.

Continue
Are you an existing Royal Bank of Scotland Customer?
Previous
Next

You're all set

You’ll need these bits of info handy for your application:

Have your National Insurance number. You’ll find it on your payslip, P60 or any letters from HMRC.

Be at least 16 years old and a permanent UK resident, or a Crown Servant serving overseas, their spouse or civil partner.

Have a phone number and email address we can contact you on.

Previous
Do you use online banking?
If you log in to Online Banking we can pre-fill some of the application for you.
Previous
Next

You're all set

Remember, to apply for a Instant Access cash ISA, you must: 

Have your National Insurance number. You’ll find it on your payslip, P60 or any letters from HMRC.

Be at least 16 years old and a permanent UK resident, or a Crown Servant serving overseas, their spouse or civil partner.

Have a phone number and email address we can contact you on.

Previous

Register for online banking

You'll need to sign up for online banking with us in order to apply for the Instant Access ISA account online. The good news is that it normally takes just 5 minutes.

What you'll need

You'll need your sort code and account number, and your Royal Bank debit card if you have one.

Previous