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Santander closing UK accounts

I received a letter from Santander UK last week informing me that they were giving me two months notice of closing my account.


Bearing in mind that the letter took three weeks to reach me and its arrival coincided with the start of Songkran, this gave me very little time to organise alternative ways to bank my pension payments.


Please be aware of this and prepare for the disruption this can cause as well as the short timescale to mitigate its effects.

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UK banks are increasingly closing accounts for customers living abroad due to post-Brexit regulations and compliance requirements. You will typically receive a letter giving at least 30 to 60 days' notice. Do not ignore this letter. Take action by opening a specialized international account, an account that allows non-resident addresses, or notifying the bank of a valid UK address if you still maintain one.

@ThePinkCanary

Why did they say they were closing your account??

Simon

The bank in question appears to be intended for retail and general commercial banking.

The situation might be very different for 'high street' banks that aim at the general public.

Those worries about possible account closure might do well to read up on their particular bank's policies.

However, I would recommend not contacting your bank to ask them directly - If they have such a plan, you would paint a target on yourself.

As a note, my UK bank (HSBC) are aware of my move abroad but have not expressed any concerns so far.

Saying that, we are talking about small amounts of money - all regular payments from the same well known UK businesses.

Perhaps banks are more concerned with accounts that show potential for money laudering.

Tried Wise?

@ThePinkCanary
Why did they say they were closing your account??
Simon - @Simonbolton

UK banks have been closing accounts for residents outside the >UKI fort a while now, there are only a couple that still allow. One way around it is, if you use a family members address.

@daviddomoney

Yes, I have had a Wise account for some time. Wise are currently updating their systems regarding Thailand and say this should be finalised sometime in May. Hopefully their changes will not be unhelpful.

@Simonbolton

Because I no longer live in the UK. This contradicts the information on their website under "customer suport/moving abroad" which seems to condone emigration:


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1 member reacted to this post

Have you tried Revolut?