What Documents Do I Need To Open A Bank Account

Important information

Please make sure your documents haven't expired, and the details match exactly what you entered on your application.

If you need to confirm your identity and address with us, then using a UK photocard driving licence can be the easiest way of doing both at the same time.

Take me straight to:

I want to upload my documents online
I want to bring my documents into a branch
I'm sending my documents from outside the UK
I'm providing documents for a child under 18
I'm relocating from abroad (corporate clients)

I want to upload my documents online

Depending on whether you're providing documents to verify your ID, your address, or both, please make sure you're uploading the correct type of document in the correct format.

Remember, using a photocard driving licence is usually the easiest way for you to confirm your identity and address at the same time.

Once you know which documents you need, upload them using online ID verification.

You'll need to upload a photo of one of these documents:

UK photocard driving licence
Passport

Make sure to only upload photos of the original documents. We can't accept screenshots or photocopies.

If you're uploading a statement or bill, make sure that:

The document is addressed to you
The document is dated within the last 4 months
You upload the page that shows your name and current address
The whole document is visible

You can upload either a photo or a PDF copy of one of these documents:

UK photocard driving licence
Bank or credit card statement
Council tax bill (for the current billing year and dated within the last 13 months, or next billing year and dated within last 4 months)
HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) tax notification
UK personal tax summary
Mortgage statement
Sky, cable TV or utility bill
Department for Work and Pensions, Jobcentre Plus or Veterans UK letter confirming your right to benefits
Letter from a UK Border Agency accredited college or university, confirming your acceptance onto a qualifying course

I want to bring my documents into a branch

We can accept a wider range of documents if you bring them into one of our branches.

Remember, using a photocard driving licence is usually the easiest way for you to confirm your identity and address at the same time.

You'll need to bring one of these documents:

UK photocard driving licence
Passport
National identity card issued in the EU or by one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE or USA (we can't accept national identity cards issued in Greece or Romania)

If you don't have any of these, you can use other documents. However, this may limit the range of services that we can offer you.

I'm sending my documents from outside the UK

What documents you'll need to send us, and how, can vary depending on where you live.

If you're sending us your documents by post (or sending them in a language other than English) then you may need to get them certified by an independent authority. We'll advise exactly what you'll need to do and where to send them below.

You'll need to provide one of the following documents, either by posting a certified copy, or by uploading a photo of the original document online:

Your current passport or travel document (copies of passports should include all pages that contain signatures, the passport number and any extension dates where applicable)
Your national identity card issued in the EU, or by one of the following countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE or USA (we can't accept national identity cards issued in Greece or Romania)

You'll need to provide one of the following documents, either by posting a certified copy, or by uploading a photo of the original document online:

Utility bill dated within the last 4 months
Bank statement dated within the last 4 months (statements from HSBC Group outside of the UK are acceptable)
Valid and current drivers licence (must include your full name, signature and photograph)
Valid national ID card (must include your full name, photograph, date of birth, ID number and issue date

We may need non-UK documents to be certified by an independent authority. For example:

Any documents that you send to us by post must be certified
Any documents uploaded online that are in a language other than English must be translated and certified
Copies of original English language documents uploaded online do not have to be certified

To get your documents certified, you'll need to do one of the following:

If you're resident in a country or region of equivalent jurisdiction to the UK, contact your local bank and ask them to certify your documents - if you're not sure this applies to you get in touch with our team on 03457 404 404, or if you're a Premier customer call 03457 70 70 70
Contact the UK Embassy or Consulate where a certification service is provided
Contact a lawyer, solicitor or barrister in your country/region of residence listed on the Legal 500 or on this UK Government list of lawyers abroad

Ask your chosen certifier to write a note on the document they are certifying, as follows:

For copies of documents which include a photo of you

I [full name of certifier] confirm that this is an accurate copy of the original [type of document] and the photo is a true likeness of the named person.

For copies of documents without a photo of you (proof of address)

I [full name of certifier] confirm this is an original [type of document], in the name of [applicant's name] issued by [issuing institution] on [date of issue].

Your certifier should also write:

Their signature and full name
Their occupation, company (or professional) address and phone number
Their professional registration number (if they have one)
The date

If you're sending us the documents by post, you'll need to send us the certified documents using the pre-paid envelope we provided.

Please print and complete the return form for certified documents (PDF) and enclose it with your certified documents and then send them to:

HSBC UK

Customer Service Centre

BX8 1HB

I'm providing documents for a child under 18

Whether you're sending us documents online or bringing them into a branch, we need to see particular documents if they're for a child under 18 years old.

If you are coming into one of our branches, then the child must be present to complete the verification. If the child is under 16, a parent or guardian must also be there.

You need to provide us, either online or in-branch, with one of the following documents that belong to the child:

Passport (this can be uploaded online using the link in the text message we sent to you)
UK photocard driving licence (for children over 16)
Full birth/adoption certificate issued in the UK or Channel Islands, Isle of Man (this can be uploaded online using the link in the email we sent to you)

The birth certificate must include:

Child’s full first name and surname
Parent’s name and surname
Date of issue
Place of issue
Child’s date of birth

If you're applying online, we will send you a separate request for this.

In addition, if you're bringing documents into a branch, we can also accept:

National Health Service (NHS) letter
Child Benefit or Child Tax Credit documentation
National identity card issued in the EU, or by one of the following countries: Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Norway, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Switzerland, UAE or USA (we can't accept national identity cards issued in Greece or Romania)

If a child doesn't have their own proof of address, we'll need to see proof of the parent or guardian's address.

To find out more information on what proof of address documents are accepted online and in branch, see Proof of address documents you can upload online and Proof of address documents you can bring into a branch.

I'm relocating from abroad (corporate clients)

If you work for one of our corporate clients and have relocated to the UK in the last 6 months you can upload a copy of a letter from your employer to verify your ID.

The letter must:

Be on official headed paper
Contain your full name
Contain your new UK address
Include a telephone number and email address for your HR department who can confirm the details

Please only use this option if you work for a qualifying employer. Contact your HR department if you're unsure whether this applies to you. Letters from other employers will be rejected which will delay your application.

Once you have the letter you can upload it using online ID verification.

Documents you need for an ID check

Important information

Take me straight to:

I want to upload my documents online

ID documents you can upload online

Proof of address documents you can upload online

I want to bring my documents into a branch

ID documents you can bring into a branch

Proof of address documents you can bring into a branch

I'm sending my documents from outside the UK

ID documents accepted if you're outside the UK

Proof of address documents accepted if you're outside the UK

How to certify non-UK documents

I'm providing documents for a child under 18

ID documents accepted for a child under 18

Proof of address documents accepted for a child under 18

I'm relocating from abroad (corporate clients)

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