Opening a UK bank account
Opening a UK account turns on two conditions: proving identity and address, and the bank being authorised. Eligible deposits at a PRA-authorised bank are protected up to £120,000 per person, a limit raised on 1 December 2025.
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An address is what most of the first months in the UK depend on, and a bank account is where that becomes obvious: it is asked for by an employer, a landlord and a local authority alike. The wider sequence is at settling in the UK.
01
How is a bank account opened in the UK?
Opening an account is in substance an identity and address verification process. Under its anti-money-laundering obligations the bank establishes who the applicant is and where they live before the account is opened, and no account is opened until both are settled.
That is why the address comes first in the sequence of settling in: without one, the verification cannot complete. The order of the first months is set out at settling in the UK.
02
Which documents are asked for?
Banks do not publish a single shared list, and what every list holds in common is core identity, address and, for a company account, the registration details. The list itself varies from bank to bank.
- Photographic identity — passport or national identity document.
- Proof of address at a UK address.
- Immigration permission where the applicant is not a British or Irish citizen.
- For a company account, the Companies House registration details.
03
How is a bank's authorisation verified?
Verification is a single check the reader carries out themselves without an intermediary. The Financial Services Register is the public record of firms authorised by the FCA or the Prudential Regulation Authority, and it is searched by name.
04
How much of a deposit is protected?
Eligible deposits at a PRA-authorised bank are protected under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme up to £120,000 per person. That limit rose from £85,000 on 1 December 2025 and applies per banking licence rather than per account.
Because the limit applies per licence rather than per account, two brands sharing one licence share one limit. Which brands share a licence is published, and it is worth checking before splitting a balance.
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05
How is a company account separated from a personal one?
A limited company is a legal person separate from its owners, so its money is kept separate from theirs. Collecting company income in a personal account creates an accounting problem rather than a convenience, and it is examined if the company is wound up.
The separation is what limited liability rests on, and it is examined if the company is ever wound up. The structures themselves are at UK business structures.
06
What does British Global do at this stage?
British Global fits the account opening into your relocation plan: it sets out your requirement and your timetable in a written preliminary report, and shows how the account fits with company formation and the settling-in steps.
Insurance and investment services are provided only by firms authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and authorisation is verified on the Financial Services Register before any engagement.
07
Frequently asked questions
Is a UK address needed to open an account?
Proof of address is part of the verification, which is why the tenancy usually comes first in the sequence of settling in.
Is the £120,000 limit per account?
No. It applies per person per banking licence, so two brands sharing one licence share one limit.
Can company income go into a personal account?
A limited company is legally separate from its owners, so its money is kept separate. Mixing them creates an accounting problem.
Sources
- Bank of England — Eligible deposits at a PRA-authorised bank are protected up to £120,000 per person under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, a limit raised from £85,000 on 1 December 2025. — 31 August 2026
- Financial Conduct Authority — The Financial Services Register is the public record of firms authorised by the FCA or the Prudential Regulation Authority. — 26 August 2026
- GOV.UK — A limited company is legally separate from the people who own and run it. — 26 August 2026
