Living or moving outside the UK

If we’ve contacted you about closing your accounts, this is because we have an address for you or for someone associated with your account, outside the UK.

We’re here to help – if you have any questions, please get in touch. Our app is the quickest way to speak to us – just log in, scroll down to ‘Contact us’, and tap ‘Chat’.

Please check this page regularly, as we’ll update it with information on products and individual countries.

If we’ve contacted you, it’s important you check the address we have for you and update it if it’s wrong. An incorrect address could affect the banking and investment products and services we can offer you.

To keep your Barclays accounts open, you, and anyone you share an account with, need to live in the UK. All of your addresses for each account, including Barclaycard, also need to be in the UK. 

Please check all the different addresses we have for you or anyone you have an account with. This includes residential, correspondence and statement addresses. If the details we have for you aren’t right, here's how to update your address.

You'll only be able to have an address outside the UK and keep your accounts open if:

• You’re a UK Crown employee, or you’re the spouse or civil partner of a UK Crown employee
• The address outside the UK on your account is for someone who manages your account for you (for example, someone who has power of attorney), or for someone who’s set up to receive information on your behalf (for example, an accountant or lawyer)
• You’re outside the UK on a temporary basis for six months or less and will be moving back to the UK.
  

Please contact us if any of these apply to you – even if we’ve given you notice about closing your account – so we can make sure your accounts are set up correctly. Other restrictions may apply.

Please get in touch to discuss any personal circumstances that mean you might need extra help (for example, if you’re suffering serious ill health or a bereavement).

The impact on your accounts

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You can claim your account balance plus any interest you might have earned since it closed. The quickest way to do this is online, but you can also post the request to us, or visit one of our UK branches.

You can claim all your savings, current accounts and cash ISAs together on the same form. Here’s how to claim your money if your address is outside the UK.

You don’t need to do anything if one of your addresses is outside the UK and we haven’t contacted you. If this changes, we’ll give you as much notice as we can if you need to take any action. We’ll also make closing your accounts as simple as possible. 

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General questions

Why have you contacted me?

Barclays UK products are designed for customers within the UK and we’re continually reviewing the services we offer to customers living outside the UK.

We’ll contact you directly if you’re affected by the changes. We’ll give you as much notice as we can if you need to take any action and we’ll make closing your accounts as simple as possible.

We’re sorry if you’re affected by these changes – we want to thank you for being a customer and we hope that, if you return to the UK, you’ll bank with us again.

What's an acceptable UK address?

Your address must be in one of these countries:

• England
• Scotland
• Wales
• Northern Ireland.

We can’t accept a PO Box, c/o or a Barclays branch address.

Updating your address

Do I need to change my address to a UK address to keep my accounts open?

If we’ve contacted you about closing your accounts, all addresses we have for you must be in the UK. This includes all addresses on each of the products you have with us. An address associated with your account for a third party outside the UK (for example, an accountant or someone with power of attorney) is fine.

Can I update my address details online?

We’re sorry, you can’t change a non-UK address yourself online or in the app. You can update your address using 'Chat' in your app, by calling us, or visiting one of our UK branches.

How can I update my address if I can't get to a branch, can’t travel, or I’m not registered for Telephone Banking or the app?

You can write to us at

Barclays, Leicester, United Kingdom LE87 2BB

You'll have to give us verified ID. The people who can certify documents as evidence of your identity are:

• A Barclays (or ABSA) branch member of staff, who should use the office or branch stamp
• A member of staff at any major international bank
• A consular or embassy official from your consulate or embassy
• A qualified lawyer who’s a member of the National Legal Association in a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) country or equivalent.

Read more about updating your address.

I don’t think I have an address outside the UK on the accounts that are closing.

The address could be associated with some of the other accounts you have with us. Please get in touch so we can check the addresses we have for you and update them if necessary.

I don’t have an address outside the UK, so this must be associated with one of the people on my joint accounts. Can I keep the accounts open?

All account holders need to be living in the UK and every address we have for everyone on the accounts must be in the UK too. This includes all the addresses on each of the products you have with us.

You could also remove a party with a non-UK address from an account to allow the account to stay open.

I’m studying or living in the UK but plan to return to an address outside the UK. Can I keep my accounts open?

If you’re living in the UK, you’ll need to update all your addresses to your UK address. Your accounts can stay open until you leave the UK.

If the non-UK correspondence address on my account is for a holiday home, or is a friend or family member’s address and not my main residence, what can I do to keep my accounts open?

You need to update your address details to your main address, as long as it’s in the UK. This includes all addresses on all the products you have with us. You can access your statements and correspondence through ‘Statements and documents’ online or in your app, rather than having them sent to an address outside the UK. 

Can I use a relative’s or friend’s address in the UK to stop my account being closed? 

No, it’s important that you use the address where you live.

I’m a UK Crown employee or a spouse or civil partner of a UK Crown employee. Can I keep my accounts open?

Yes – please contact us so we can update our records.

I’ve already given you updated address details – why are my accounts still being closed?

If you’ve had a letter from us, we might still have an address outside the UK for you on one of your other products or services. Please contact us so we can update any address that’s still outside the UK.

I’m moving abroad in the future – how will this affect my accounts?

You’ll need to let us know your new address when you move abroad. We’ll write to let you know if there will be any impact to your accounts.

Non-UK residents – making changes to your banking

Can I have my UK state pension paid into a non-UK bank account?

Yes. The government provides guidance about pensions for UK nationals in the EEA or you can contact the International Pension Centre.

How can I transfer money to another account?

The quickest way to transfer money from your account is via Online Banking or our app. There’s a maximum limit for making payments online and a total limit for all payments made within a single day. Visit Payment limits for further information.

You can also contact us or visit us in a UK branch.

Can I transfer my account to another UK bank using the Current Account Switch Service (CASS)?

The Current Account Switch Service is only available to people who live in the UK, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. Please contact the bank that you’d like to switch to for more details.

How do I transfer my cash ISA using the ISA Transfer Service?

If you want to transfer your cash ISA to another UK bank or building society and keep your UK tax-free savings benefits, you’ll need to use the ISA Transfer Service.

Once you’ve chosen a new provider, ask them to open an account and start the ISA transfer process with us. When we get the ISA transfer request, we’ll keep your account open for you so the transfer can be processed.

If you have a Flexible Cash ISA, we won’t charge you the usual fee to transfer your funds before the end of its term.

The transfer can take up to three weeks to complete, so the sooner you make these arrangements, the more time your new provider will have to contact us. 

Following this process will protect the UK tax-free savings benefits of your cash ISA.

What’s the impact on my loan?

Your loan won’t be affected as long as you can keep making your agreed repayments. If you make payments from an account that’s closing, you’ll have to change them to another account.

I have a mortgage reserve on my Mortgage Current Account. Can I still use this?

We sent you a letter with information about your mortgage reserve. If your reserve is:

• Not used – we’ll remove it on the date stated in the letter. You won’t be able to use your reserve after this date
  
• Partially used – we’ll reduce your reserve to cover the balance on your account from the date in the letter. You won’t be able to make payments from your account and we’ll reduce your reserve every time money is paid into your account
• Fully used – from the date in the letter, we’ll reduce your reserve every time money is paid into your account.

Closing your account

How do I close my account?

Get in touch with us. The quickest way is by using our app to chat to us online – just log in, scroll down to ‘Contact us’ and tap ‘Chat’. 

If you’re sending closure instructions by post, we’ll need a copy of your signature to verify your identity. You’ll also need to provide certified proof of ID and address if your account balance is more than £10,000. 

I have or had an overdraft on my account. Can I use this before the account is closed?

We’ll write to let you know the impact to your accounts, including any overdraft facility. If the overdraft is:

• Being removed – you can’t use your overdraft after the removal date
• Being reduced – you can still use your overdraft but you need to stay within your new limit and make sure any overdrawn balances are repaid before we close your account
• Staying the same – you can still use your overdraft but make sure any overdrawn balances are repaid before we close your account.

If you don’t have an address outside the UK or if you meet one of the exceptions, please let us know as soon as possible so you can keep using your accounts. If you have an overdraft on any of your accounts, any changes to it that haven’t taken effect when we update your details will no longer apply.

My account is overdrawn and I can’t pay it back before my account closes. What should I do?

Please get in touch so we can help. If your account is closed with an outstanding balance, we may pass your details to our financial assistance team. If we do, they’ll contact you to discuss your options to repay the money.

Will I be charged a fee for transferring money from my account?

We’ll waive or refund our fees for transferring money to another bank account in the UK. If we’ve charged you and we shouldn’t have done, please get in touch so we can refund the fee. You might be charged for receiving the money, depending on the provider for your receiving account – please check with them if you have any questions.

If you’re transferring money to another bank account outside the UK, different fees may apply depending on where the funds are being sent to and in which currency. Please refer to your account tariff guide or visit International payments for further information.

I have items in a safety deposit box but I can’t get to the UK to empty it before my account closes.

You’ll need to arrange for someone else to collect the items on your behalf. Please contact us to set up a third-party authority on your account.

Are there any alternative Barclays accounts I can have?

We’re sorry, we can’t offer you any new accounts if you’re living outside the UK.

Can you re-open my account after it’s been closed?

We’re sorry, we can’t re-open an account that's been closed. If you'd like to apply for a new account, you need to be a UK resident and meet our eligibility criteria.

I have an account with an overdrawn balance and one with a credit balance. Can you use my credit balance to repay my overdrawn balance?

Yes – please get in touch so we can help you move your money to repay the overdrawn balance. You’ll need to make other arrangements for any remaining credit balance, tell us to where to pay this money and any interest earned, and then close the account.

I’ve moved back to the UK but was unable to contact you and now my account has been closed. How do I get my money back?

You can claim the balance of your savings and/or current account and any interest earned since it was closed. The quickest way to do this is online – you can also post the request to us, or visit one of our UK branches. Here’s how to claim your money if your address is outside the UK and your account has been closed.

I have other accounts with you but I haven’t received any communication about these yet.

We’ll contact you separately if they're affected and explain what you need to do and when.

I need copies of my financial statements. How can I get statements and do I have to pay a fee?

You can download any statements you need now before your account closes. You can do this through ‘Statements and documents’ either in our app or Online Banking.

We can send you statements from the past five years for your current accounts free of charge after we close your account. You can contact us to arrange this.

I’m unhappy that you're closing my accounts. How do I complain?

We’re sorry that you’ve been affected and we’d like to thank you for banking with us.

If you’d like to make a complaint, you can visit any of our branches or call us on 03457 345 345. Lines are open Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm.

To maintain a quality service, we may monitor or record phone calls. Call charges

You can also write to us at Barclays, Leicester United Kingdom LE87 2BB.

If you’re still unhappy after making a complaint to us, you could refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.