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The short answer
You will need your passport, proof of your immigration status (now usually an eVisa share code from your UKVI account) and proof of a UK address such as a tenancy agreement or university accommodation letter. App banks such as Monzo say an application takes about ten minutes, and designated banks offering a basic bank account must open or refuse a completed application within 10 business days.
Why you cannot open it from Nigeria
Most UK current accounts are for people who live in the UK. Monzo, for example, requires you to live in the UK full time with the right to reside. That means the account normally waits until you have arrived and have an address. Plan your first weeks around this: bring a card that works abroad, and arrange how family will send money until your UK account is ready. Our guide to receiving money from Nigeria as a student abroad covers the options.
The documents
- Passport
- The usual identity document. Monzo lists passports among accepted photo ID; it must be in date.
- Immigration status
- A share code from your UKVI account proves your status. Rowan's guide notes it lasts 90 days and can be reused within that time. If you still hold a BRP, take it too.
- Proof of address
- A tenancy agreement, a university accommodation letter, or a university letter confirming enrolment and the address it holds for you.
- Selfie video
- App banks such as Monzo and Starling compare a short video with your ID.
- Phone
- A smartphone for app banks; Starling lists one as a requirement.
Which kind of bank
App banks
Monzo and Starling let you apply from a phone. Monzo says applying takes about 10 minutes; Starling says minutes and posts a card that usually arrives in 5 to 7 days. Both may ask for proof of address. Our comparison of Monzo or Starling for Nigerian students sets out what each publishes.
High-street banks
Branch banks offer student and international student accounts with conditions that vary by bank and change often. Check each bank's own page for the documents and whether you must visit a branch. No official source lists which banks accept which documents.
The basic bank account
Rowan's guide (checked March 2026) explains a legal route: designated banks must offer a basic bank account to eligible people, open or refuse a completed application within 10 business days, and charge no fee for sterling services. It has no overdraft. If you are struggling with a standard account, ask for a basic account by name.
A realistic first month
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before you fly | Sign in to your UKVI account and check you can view your eVisa |
| Day 1 to 3 | Move in; keep your tenancy or hall letter |
| Week 1 | Enrol; request a university letter if the bank you choose takes one |
| Week 1 to 2 | Apply to an app bank; if refused, try another or ask for a basic account |
| Week 2 to 4 | Give your account to your employer and landlord; set up rent payments |
This is an example plan, not an official timeline. Delays usually come from address checks rather than identity checks.
What to check first
- Your passport is valid for the whole course.
- You can generate a share code in your UKVI account.
- The address on your tenancy or hall letter matches the one you type into the application exactly.
- The bank's limits and international transfer charges before you rely on it for rent.
If your application is refused or stalls
A refusal from one bank is not a verdict on you. App banks and high-street banks use different checks, and most refusals for new arrivals come down to the address, not identity or immigration status. Work through it in order:
- Read the reason the bank gives, if any, and fix that one point (for example, re-enter the address exactly as it appears on your hall letter).
- Wait for any document request inside the app rather than starting a fresh application, which can trigger a second set of checks.
- Try a different bank, preferably one that lists the document you already hold.
- Ask a designated bank for a basic bank account by name.
- Speak to your university's international student team, which often knows which local branches work well with new students.
Mistakes that slow students down
- Using a Nigerian address or phone number on the form when the bank expects a UK one.
- Applying before you have moved into the address you list.
- Letting a share code lapse between applying and the bank's check; generate a fresh one if needed.
- Spelling your name differently from your passport, including the order of first, middle and surnames.
- Relying on one account for rent before you know its limits and transfer charges.
Once your account is open, give the details to your employer and landlord promptly, and keep the welcome letter or first statement: it becomes useful proof of address for the next account or service you open. Our guide to proof of address for a UK student bank account covers the address problem in more depth.
Where Pryme fits
A UK account is for paying rent and receiving wages in the UK. For money coming from Nigeria, a Pryme Personal Account can be opened from any country and holds NGN, GBP, USD and EUR with local details for each; money stays in the currency it arrived in until you choose to Swap. Outside Nigeria, Pryme works through regulated partners. See multicurrency.
Questions people ask
What documents do I need to open a bank account in the UK as an international student?
Your passport, proof of immigration status (usually an eVisa share code) and proof of a UK address such as a tenancy agreement or university accommodation letter.
Can I open a UK bank account before arriving from Nigeria?
Usually not. Banks such as Monzo require you to live in the UK full time, so you apply after you arrive and have an address.
How long does it take to open a UK bank account as a student?
App banks say minutes to apply. Designated banks must open or refuse a completed basic bank account application within 10 business days.
Do UK banks accept eVisa instead of BRP?
The BRP is being replaced by the eVisa, and a share code from your UKVI account proves your status. Ask the bank if its form still mentions a BRP.
Sources
- Rowan guide: Opening a UK bank account on a Student visa (checked 21 Mar 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
- Monzo Help: How to open a Monzo Personal Account · accessed Oct 2026
- Starling Bank: Open a bank account online · accessed Oct 2026
- UKCISA: Student work (last updated 28 Jan 2026) · 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.