Open a bank account
You should open a bank account as soon as possible. You can do this while you are still considered an asylum seeker or as soon as you have your refugee status. This will be how you receive Universal Credit and/or your salary when you start working. There are many different banks.
An account with a digital bank is the easiest to set up such as Revolut, Starling or Monzo. You will need to provide your telephone number and email address, as well as proof of identity. This could be a:
- passport
- Biometric Residence Permit
- immigration status document.
If the application requires you to provide an address and you don’t have a permanent one, you can use a website such as Proxy Address.
Please note: It is not illegal to use someone else’s bank account for Universal Credit or salary payments, but it is not good practice. Always open your own bank account and keep the details of it to yourself.