Easy everyday banking for students from overseas
If you've moved to the UK to study, this could be the account for you. It's a simple current account designed to help you do your banking with ease, with no monthly account fee.
To apply, you must be 18+ and currently live in the UK.
Not in the UK yet? If you're an HSBC customer, you may be able to get an overseas account before you arrive.
Features and benefits
Bank the way you want
You can manage your account with our app, on a computer, by phone or in-branch.1
Mobile payments
Make payments easily using Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or your contactless Visa debit card (limits may apply).2
No credit or overdraft
You won't have access to credit, such as an arranged overdraft, credit cards or loans.
Make banking a breeze with our app
Get just about everything you want from a bank... on your phone. Check your balance, make payments, freeze your card and chat to us if you need support. All it takes is a few taps.
Understand your finances at a glance
Get an instant notification every time money goes in or out of your account.3 And with Balance After Bills, you'll be able to see how much you could have left for the month after paying for your accommodation and other bills.
Enjoy discounts and offers
With our home&Away offers programme, you can save money at the likes of ASOS, Costa Coffee and Boohoo. Available offers may vary, as we have new ones coming in regularly.
Charges for using your card outside the UK
Planning on using your card back home? If you pay for something with your HSBC Visa debit card while you're outside the UK, you’ll be charged a 2.75% fee for making a debit card payment in a foreign currency. As an example, if you spent £100, you'd be charged a fee of £2.75.
If you withdraw money from an ATM, there’s also a fee for a cash withdrawal in foreign currency or from cash machine outside the UK of 2% (minimum £1.75, maximum £5). This is on top of the 2.75% fee above. This means if you withdrew £100, you'd be charged a total of £4.75.
Unless you choose to pay in local currency, any transactions you make will be converted into pound sterling (using the exchange rate set by Visa).
Things to know before you apply
You can apply for an HSBC Bank Account for international students if you:
- are 18 or over
- live in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
- have valid ID and proof of address
- have read the important account documents below
Apply for your HSBC Bank Account for international students
Once you've submitted your application we may ask you to visit one of our branches so we can verify your proof of identity and address.
Live in the UK and been living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years or more? Apply for an HSBC Student Account instead.
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Additional information
1. Our mobile banking app is currently available on iPhones and iPads running on iOS 12 or higher and Android devices with an operating system of 5.0 or higher.
2. Apple Pay is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Google Pay is a trademark of Google LLC. Samsung Pay is a registered trademark of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
3. You'll need to opt in to receive instant notifications. You can do this in our app. This feature is currently being rolled out and may not yet be available on all devices.