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The short answer
To close a Union Bank account, write a signed request asking for closure, take it with a valid ID to a branch, clear or transfer the balance, settle any loan or overdraft, and return the debit card and unused cheque leaves. The CBN Guide to Charges says banks should not charge for account closure, and an account you simply stop using becomes dormant rather than closed.
Before you start
Union Bank’s pages that we read in October 2026 do not set out a closure procedure, so this guide combines the CBN rules with what Nigerian banks usually require. Call UnionCare on 0700 700 7000 or +234 1 271 6816, or email customerservice@unionbankng.com, to confirm the current checklist before you go to a branch.
Check these first
- Loans, overdrafts or credit cards: these must be repaid or restructured to another account first.
- Standing orders and direct debits: cancel them, or move them to your new account, so payments do not fail.
- Salary and pension credits: give your employer or pension administrator your new account details, and wait for one payment to land there.
- Linked services: investment payouts, school fees, rent and online subscriptions that use this account or its card.
- Fixed deposits or savings products linked to the account: decide whether to break them or wait for maturity.
- Statements: download or request the statements you need for tax, visa or loan records, because access ends once the account is closed.
Steps to close the account
- Write a short letter to Union Bank asking it to close the account. Include your full name, account number, the reason (optional), where the remaining balance should be paid, and your signature as it appears on the mandate.
- For joint or business accounts, all required signatories must sign; companies usually need a board resolution.
- Visit a Union Bank branch with the letter and a valid government ID, such as your NIN slip, international passport, driver’s licence or voter’s card.
- Return the debit card and any unused cheque leaves, or confirm they have been destroyed if the branch prefers that.
- Agree how the balance is paid out: a transfer to another account in your name is the cleanest record.
- Ask for written confirmation that the account is closed, with the date.
- Check your BVN-linked accounts later to make sure it no longer appears as active.
Closing from abroad
If you live outside Nigeria, ask UnionCare whether a signed letter sent by email, with a copy of your passport, is enough, or whether the signature must be confirmed by a notary or embassy. Give clear payout instructions to an account in your own name, and keep copies of every message until you receive the closure confirmation.
Does it cost anything?
The CBN Guide to Charges, effective 1 January 2020, lists account closure as a waived charge, meaning a bank should not bill you for closing an account. Fees already incurred, such as SMS alerts, card maintenance or account maintenance up to the closure date, can still be deducted from the balance. If a separate “closure fee” appears, query it with Union Bank and, if needed, escalate to the CBN.
Worked example
Example: your account has ₦48,320 in it. You cancel a monthly ₦5,000 standing order, wait for your last salary to land in your new account, and ask Union Bank to transfer the balance there. If ₦320 of SMS and maintenance charges are due up to closure, ₦48,000 is transferred. Because a transfer of ₦10,000 or more carries the ₦50 stamp duty on the sender, ask whether the bank will treat this as your own-account transfer or deduct the duty, in which case ₦47,950 would arrive.
A dormant account is not a closed account
Many people stop using an account and assume it is closed. It is not. An inactive account stays open, can still attract charges allowed by its terms, and eventually becomes dormant. Under the CBN’s guidelines of 19 July 2024 on dormant accounts and unclaimed balances, as published by GTBank, accounts inactive for 10 years or more are treated as unclaimed balances and transferred to the CBN, from where the owner can reclaim them through the bank with an Asset Reclaim Form, ID, proof of residence and an affidavit.
Reactivating a dormant account is free under the 2020 CBN Guide to Charges, but it involves paperwork. If you do not want the account any more, closing it properly is cleaner than letting it drift. For the full rules, see dormant accounts and unclaimed balances in Nigeria.
If Union Bank does not close the account
Keep a copy of your signed letter and any acknowledgement. Union Bank’s contact page says complaints can be made by email, WhatsApp (0907 007 0001), phone, social media or at any branch, and that written appeals go to the Head, Customer Experience, within 30 days of the resolution outcome. After that, its page names the CBN Consumer Protection Department (cpd@cbn.gov.ng) for external review. See also Union Bank customer care contacts.
Where Pryme fits
If you are moving banks, you can open a Pryme account from any country before you close the old one, and move standing payments across while both are open.
Questions people ask
How do I close my Union Bank account?
Write a signed closure request, take it with a valid ID to a branch, settle any loans, clear or transfer the balance and return your card and cheque leaves. Confirm the checklist with UnionCare first.
Does Union Bank charge to close an account?
The CBN Guide to Charges lists account closure as waived. Charges already due up to the closure date can still be deducted.
Can I close my Union Bank account online?
Union Bank’s pages do not describe online closure. Ask UnionCare or email customerservice@unionbankng.com whether a signed scanned request is accepted for your account.
If I stop using my Union Bank account, is it closed?
No. It becomes inactive and then dormant, and after 10 years of inactivity the balance is transferred to the CBN as an unclaimed balance under the 2024 guidelines.
Sources
- Union Bank: How can we help you? (contact and complaints) · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-Bank Financial Institutions (effective 1 Jan 2020) · accessed Oct 2026
- GTBank: Guidelines for managing dormant accounts, unclaimed balances and other financial assets (CBN guidelines of 19 Jul 2024) · accessed Oct 2026
- Techeconomy: Stamp duty replaces EMTL, sender to bear ₦50 charge on bank transfers (1 Jan 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- CBN: Complaints management, Consumer Protection Department · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.