Living or working in the UK

Who can benefit from an international account?

A Barclays Wealth International bank account is for:

  • Non-UK residents living in the UK who intend to return to their home country at some point
  • Non-UK residents who are moving to the UK and intend to return to their home country at some point
  • Non-UK residents working in the UK
  • Non-UK residents studying in the UK
  • UK residents living in the UK who travel frequently overseas
  • UK residents returning to live in the UK after living abroad.

The benefits of an international bank account

  • Banking, mortgages and a range of other UK financial services in one place
  • Simplified set-up procedure
  • Relocation advice and information
  • 24-hour1 control of your finances from almost anywhere in the world
  • Multi-currency accounts within one banking service
  • Credit cards2, debit cards and cheque books
  • Offshore banking facilities
  • International3 and UK mortgages

The minimum criterion is to have either £5,000 of deposits, or a gross annual income of £24,000.

Banking, mortgages and financial services in one place
Our international accounts are designed to provide a complementary range of banking and financial services in one place.

We provide a range of UK financial services as well as introductions to specialists such as tax advisers.

Simplified set-up
With most UK bank accounts, you are required to provide electricity or telephone bills from your UK address. You would normally only receive these after living in the UK for several weeks or months.

When you set up a Barclays Wealth International bank account you only need to provide your passport and confirmation of your non-UK address. So in many cases you can do this before you leave for the UK. Here are full details of supporting documents required.

We will also take care of details such as enabling you to redirect standing orders and direct debits to your new international bank account on a timescale to suit you.

24-hour1 control of your finances from almost anywhere in the world
Wherever you have an internet connection, you can access and manage your international online bank account1.

So you can transfer up to £50,000 (or currency equivalent) per transaction, order cheque books and place instructions from the UK, your home country and most locations worldwide.

Multiple currency accounts within one banking service
Depending on your circumstances and preferences, you could have a facility that enables you to open multiple bank accounts in a range of currencies, including sterling, euro and US dollar.

Investments
We can offer a broad range of investments to suit different appetites for risk and reward. They can include managed portfolios run by some of the world's finest fund managers.

You should remember that the value of your investment and the income from it can go down as well as up. You may not get back the amount you invested. Your returns may also be affected by exchange rate fluctuations.

Options for credit cards, debit cards and cheque books
The cards that are available with our international bank accounts include the Barclays Connect debit card and the Barclays Platinum credit card2.

The card you get will be determined by your circumstances and requirements.

Offshore banking facilities4
We aim to provide offshore facilities in transparent and highly regulated jurisdictions.

We can help make your money work extra hard for you by placing accounts, loans, mortgages or investments offshore.

To make sure that you are making the most of your personal tax situation, we can introduce you to our preferred tax advisers, Ernst and Young.

Loans and mortgages
If you are buying a house then we can help you find the right international or UK mortgage in a range of currencies5.

We offer mortgages for residential, investment, buy-to-let and international students. You can choose from interest-only, repayment, variable, fixed, tracker, discount and our Mix-&-Match mortgages.

We also offer asset financing which, like our mortgages, could be placed offshore3 depending on your circumstances.

YOUR HOME MAY BE REPOSSESSED IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON YOUR MORTGAGE.

Remember that where the mortgage is denominated in a currency other than sterling, CHANGES IN THE EXCHANGE RATE MAY INCREASE THE STERLING EQUIVALENT OF THE DEBT.

Open a Barclays Wealth International bank account

To qualify for an offshore bank account you will need to deposit a minimum of £5,000 (or currency equivalent) or have an annual income of £24,000 or more. However we offer a range of services so use the 'apply now' button to select the right service for you and then apply online.

Call us on +44 (0)1624 684316†

You have sole responsibility for the management of your tax and legal affairs, including making any applicable filings and payments and complying with any applicable laws and regulations. We have not provided and will not provide you with tax or legal advice and recommend that you obtain your own independent tax and legal advice tailored to your individual circumstances.

1 For a short period of time every night (UK time), the site may be unavailable whilst we refresh data. Access may also be limited in some countries due to the prohibited transmission of encrypted data over telephone lines. Please contact your local embassy to check your country's legal position.

2 Subject to status and application.

3 We provide mortgages for property purchases in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and Gibraltar only.

4 In conjunction with your independent tax advisers.

5 Currency mortgages are available in sterling, US dollars, euros, Japanese yen, Hong Kong dollars and Swiss francs.

The products and services described on this page are provided by the following companies, which are part of Barclays Wealth: Barclays Bank PLC in England and Wales and Barclays Private Clients International Limited in the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey. For further Information on these companies and Barclays Wealth, please read the Important Information.