How to open bank account as a non resident in United Kingdom
United Kingdom is one of the safest countries in the world in all aspect, whether it is economically, politically or financially.
Great Britain is as safe as it gets for international clients who are not based in the United Kingdom, and are interested in open an offshore bank account in a foreign country, and not have to worry about their funds.
Opening an offshore bank account in the UK. That’s the same level of safety as opening in our other financially stable country, such as Canada, US, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, In other similar countries in the western part of Europe.
UK based offshore banks are financially sound and secure the funds of their customers without over lending to local or international customers.
Offshore banks in UK for non residents
United Kingdom is home to many international bank, Have not all international banks based in the UK opens accounts for non resident disasters and individual.
Most banks in the UK require customers to have some form of connection to the country, what that means is:
- Businesses that are looking to open a bank account in UK. Usually a request apply banks in the United Kingdom to estimation of suppliers in the country.
- Private clients interested to open bank of the UK should live in the country, or have a residency or permit visa issued by the United Kingdom government.
A small number of banks are willing to accept international customers and do not need them to have the required connection as mentioned above, these are known as UK based offshore banks.
Requirements to open a non resident bank account in the UK
Opening non resident accounts for international customers offer both business and personal accounts.
To open a non resident business account in UK it is necessary to meet the account balance requirement of $150,000 USD, the more the business is able to deposit and maintain in the account permanently, the more banks are going to consider their application.
Opening an offshore bank account in the United Kingdom is not as simple as submitting your paperwork and willing to deposit the mandatory required amount to be maintained as account balance, The bank also have to consider a number of factors when determining whether to open a non mess foreign businesses:
- Business activity
- Business model such as the countries that the company is conducting business to and from.
- Company source of funds
- Initial source of fund used to start the company.
- Owner’s nationality
Once the bank has conducted their due diligence, known as Know Your Business (KYB) and are satisfied the results, offshore banks in the UK will proceed with opening the bank account for foreign registered companies.
How to open a bank account as a non resident in the UK
To open a personal bank account without holding any residency documents issued by the UK government can be done by banks that support international clients that are not domiciled in the UK.
There are a number of factors that banks consider when deciding whether or not to open an offshore bank account, for customers that live overseas.
- Offshore banks in the UK needs to consider the following points before opening accounts for customers that are not living in the country.
- Client’s nationality.
- Customer’s original source of funds that is to be used to fund the UK offshore account.
- Countries where the customer needs to send funds to and received from.
- Country of residence.
- Reason for bank account opening.
- Type of account the customers looking for, whether it is transactional or investment, as some offshore banks in the UK only offers one and not both.
The vetting process of understanding a customer’s profile was known as Know Your Customer (KYC), if the above requirements are in line with the bank’s policy, banks in the UK that accept international customers will proceed to open the non resident bank account for international relocated customers.
Banks that can open offshore accounts for international customers in United Kingdom
As of 2025, United Kingdom has 6 banks that welcomes international customers, both business and individual customers, that do not have any relations to the UK.
The starting balance needed to open an offshore bank account in the UK is $120,000 to $4,000,000 USD or Sterling Pounds (GBP).
Banks that opens accounts for non resident customers in the UK offers bank account for both business and personal, and support them with multi currencies accounts including the major currencies – USD, EUR, GBP.
Offshore banks in the UK offers various transfer protocols for sending and receiving international payments:
- SWIFT
- SEPA
- Chaps
- BACS
- Faster Payments
International customers are able to obtain both Visa and Mastercard, debit and credit cards in the UK, without any residency requirements.
Banks with private bankers in the UK
Private bankers are important for customers who are looking for professional assistance in managing their wealth, and financial planning.
It is possible to open a non resident bank account with a dedicated private banker for businesses and individuals, assigned to ensure of your financial success.
How BUH consulting can assist
Our offshore account opening team will work with you to understand your requirements, eligibility criteria and apply for your business and personal bank account with the most suitable banks, and assign relationship managers from various internationally focused banks in the UK, that can open a non resident bank account for your company or private needs.
Contact information
For a tailored solution, contact us to discuss about your requirements.
Email: – sam@buh-consulting.com
Phone: +971585086656
Whatsapp: +971585086656
Telegram: BUHConsultingAE