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The short answer
If your UK account was opened on or after 28 April 2026, the bank must give at least 90 days' notice and reasons specific enough to understand, plus how to complain. Accounts opened earlier are governed by their contract, with two months' notice where the contract provides for it. Use the notice period to move incoming payments and direct debits, and complain to the bank, then the Financial Ombudsman Service, if the closure looks unfair.
A closure letter often arrives a few months after the move: the bank has noticed a Nigerian address, Nigerian logins or regular transfers to Lagos, and decides the account no longer fits its terms. The letter feels final. Often it is, but the rules on how a bank closes an account give you time and, for newer accounts, a reason.
How much notice the bank must give
The Payment Services and Payment Accounts (Contract Termination) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/688) came into force on 28 April 2026. They split accounts by the date the contract was made.
| Account opened | Minimum notice | Reasons required? |
|---|---|---|
| On or after 28 April 2026 | At least 90 days before termination takes effect | Yes, detailed and specific enough to understand why |
| Before 28 April 2026 | Two months, where the contract provides for it | Not required by these rules |
For newer accounts, the notice must also explain how to complain to the bank and that you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. Banks cannot contract out of the 90-day rule.
When there is no notice
The same regulations allow a bank to close without notice where it cannot carry out customer due diligence under the money laundering rules, has reasonable grounds to suspect serious crime linked to the account, or is required to by the FCA, HM Treasury or the Secretary of State. Notice can also be shortened where a customer gave incorrect information when opening the account. If your letter gives no notice period, it is probably relying on one of these.
Read the letter for four things
- The closure date. Count back to see whether the notice meets the rules above for your account's opening date.
- The reason. For newer accounts it must be specific. 'You no longer meet our eligibility criteria because you live outside the UK' is a reason; 'commercial decision' alone may not be enough.
- What happens to the balance. Usually a cheque or a transfer to an account you name. Name a sterling account you will still hold.
- Whether another account is offered. Some banks move non-resident customers to an international range rather than closing outright. Ask.
Use the notice period well
Ninety days is enough to rebuild your sterling set-up if you start in the first week. Two months is tight. Work in this order:
- Incoming money first. Pension, rent and salary payers can take weeks to change bank details. The International Pension Centre, for example, takes bank detail changes by phone or letter, not online.
- Then direct debits. List every one from your last 12 months of statements, including annual ones such as insurance renewals.
- Then cards. Subscriptions on the old card fail on the closure date.
- Download statements. You lose online access when the account closes. Keep a year or more, especially if you file UK tax or need proof of income.
Example timeline
Example only. Tunde's account was opened in 2019, so the two-month rule in his contract applies. A letter dated 1 March gives a closure date of 1 May. Week one: he asks his UK tenant's letting agent and his former employer's pension scheme to update his bank details. Week two: he lists nine direct debits and moves the five he still needs. Week four: he downloads three years of statements. By mid-April only the old account's own standing order remains, and he cancels it the week before closure.
Can you open a basic bank account instead?
UK basic bank accounts are fee-free sterling accounts that large banks must offer. Regulation 23 of the Payment Accounts Regulations 2015 makes eligibility depend on being legally resident in the UK, so once you live in Nigeria a basic account is unlikely to be the answer. Our guide to basic bank account eligibility has the detail.
Complaining
If you think the closure is unfair, for example the reason is wrong or the notice is short, complain to the bank in writing and keep the reference. The Financial Ombudsman Service says businesses have 15 days to reply to complaints about payment services, rather than the usual eight weeks, and you normally have six months from the final response to refer the complaint. The ombudsman can look at whether the bank followed its terms and treated you fairly; it cannot force a bank to keep a customer it is entitled to close.
Where Pryme fits
A Pryme account gives you local sterling account details alongside naira, dollars and euros, so a payer in the UK can keep paying you in pounds after your UK bank account closes. Pryme accounts can be opened while living in Nigeria. See the multicurrency account and how Pryme works. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's services are carried out through regulated partners; Pryme is not a UK bank, so check that any UK payer or lender accepts the details you give them. For the wider move, see keeping a UK account after moving back.
Questions people ask
How much notice does a UK bank have to give before closing my account?
For accounts opened on or after 28 April 2026, at least 90 days, with reasons. For older accounts, two months where the contract provides for it. Some cases, such as suspected serious crime, need no notice.
Does my UK bank have to tell me why it is closing my account?
For contracts made on or after 28 April 2026, yes: SI 2025/688 requires reasons detailed enough for you to understand the decision. Older contracts are not covered by that requirement.
Can I complain if my UK bank closes my account because I live in Nigeria?
Yes. Complain to the bank first; the Financial Ombudsman Service says payment services complaints get a reply within 15 days, and you then have six months to refer it.
How do I receive pounds after my UK account closes?
You need another account with sterling details. A UK bank's international range, or a multicurrency account with GBP details, are the usual options; check your payers accept them.
Sources
- legislation.gov.uk: The Payment Services and Payment Accounts (Contract Termination) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 (SI 2025/688) · accessed Oct 2026
- legislation.gov.uk: Payment Accounts Regulations 2015, regulation 23 · accessed Oct 2026
- Financial Ombudsman Service: How to complain · accessed Oct 2026
- GOV.UK: International Pension Centre · 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.