- Company documents and the register of shareholders and beneficial owners
- The same documents for every director and shareholder as for a personal account
- Business plan or description of the activity
- For island banks: the company's link to the island
ISLAND BANKING INTRODUCTION · SINCE 2006
Your bank account on the islands
Your money, at a bank that will actually say yes. We find the bank that fits you, prepare your application so it lands right the first time and stay with it until the bank decides.
AT A GLANCE
| For | Private clients living outside the UK; companies with a genuine link to the islands |
| Where | Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man; Gibraltar; the UK; Bermuda, Cayman and the BVI on request |
| Entry points | from £5,000 (Lloyds International Classic fee-free) to £100,000 (Barclays International) |
| How it runs | conversation, bank shortlist, application pack, introduction, support until the bank decides |
| Decision | always the bank's |
| Updated | November 2026 |
Why island applications fail
Most refusals have nothing to do with you. They come from country lists nobody reads. HSBC Expat's online application turns away residents of some European countries, the Netherlands, Norway, Ireland and Italy among them. NatWest International offers current accounts to residents of Austria and Switzerland but not to residents of Germany. Skipton International on Guernsey takes no savings applications at all from residents of any EU country. The lists differ from bank to bank and follow no pattern you could guess. Apply blind and you collect refusals.
The second reason is a minimum balance that does not fit your money. NatWest International asks for £25,000, HSBC Expat £75,000, Barclays International £100,000. Drop below and HSBC Expat charges £50 a month, Barclays International and Santander International £40. An account eaten up by fees is no success, even if it was opened.
The third reason is the application pack. Island banks want to understand where your money comes from and why you need an account with them. A gap in the source of funds, proof of address from the wrong country, a missing tax number: each one costs weeks. Island Banking Introduction works on exactly these three points.
What you get
It starts with a conversation about your situation: where you live, how much, which currencies, what for. A sterling account for a property in England, a multi-currency account for savings outside the euro, an account ahead of a move to the islands, or one for a company? Each answer leads to different banks. If your question is mainly about tax, start with the UK Tax Consult.
From that comes your written bank shortlist: two or three banks that can take you under their own rules, with minimum balance, fees, currencies and deposit protection, checked on the banks' pages the day we draw it up. You choose, we prepare. For the chosen bank you get the document checklist for your country of residence, and we review your pack before it goes to the bank.
Then we introduce you to the bank through the right channel and handle the follow-up questions with you until it decides. If the bank says no, we work out why and move to the next bank on the list. At the end you get a fact sheet on how the account is reported under the CRS and how you declare the income where you are tax resident.
The banks we work with
A selection of banks whose rules we have checked on their own pages. We are not tied to any of them and earn nothing on your deposit.
| Bank | Where the account sits | Entry point | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSBC Expat | Jersey | £75,000, or £10,000 with Premier elsewhere | sterling, euro, dollar; welcome email 7 to 10 days after a complete application |
| Lloyds Bank International | island branches | Classic: £5 a month, free from £5,000; private banking from £250,000 | apply in the app |
| NatWest International | Jersey | £25,000; Premier £100,000 | country list per residence; no current accounts for residents of Germany |
| Santander International | Jersey, Isle of Man | £40 a month below £75,000 | enquiries from listed countries only |
| Barclays International | Isle of Man | £100,000 | relationship manager from £250,000 |
| Investec Channel Islands | Guernsey, Jersey | £25,000 | 14 currencies including Swiss francs |
| Trusted Novus Bank | Gibraltar | international private banking £500,000 | Gibraltar deposit protection up to £120,000 |
Banks' own pages, retrieved 2 November 2026. Banks change minimum balances and country lists often; we check again before every shortlist.
How it works
Five steps from the first conversation to the bank's decision.
- 1
Enquiry
You tell us where you live, how much, which currencies and what for. If the service does not fit your situation, we say so straight away.
- 2
Shortlist
You get two or three banks in writing, with minimum balances, fees and deposit protection.
- 3
Application pack
A document checklist for your country; you gather, we check every document before it goes in.
- 4
Introduction
The bank receives a complete application with a coherent source of funds. We answer follow-up questions with you.
- 5
Decision
The bank decides. If it says no, we move to the next bank on the list.
What you bring
The banks all ask much the same. Deliver it complete and you save weeks.
Personal account
- Valid passport
- Proof of address from your country of residence
- Tax identification number of your country of residence
- Evidence of source of funds (salary, sale, inheritance, business profits)
- Certified copies at some banks
Company account
Company accounts: frankly, the hard part
For personal accounts the island banks keep international doors open. For companies not run from the island they are mostly shut. NatWest International opens business accounts only if all owners and directors live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar. Skipton International offers business products to existing customers only. In practice an island company account is realistic mainly for companies administered there by a licensed provider. More in company accounts on the islands.
For your UK limited company the road is different: a business account in the UK. Which banks take companies with directors abroad is covered in business account for your UK company.
STRAIGHT TALK
Not a hiding place, a second foothold
Jersey, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar and the Overseas Territories report under the CRS to your country of residence. We do not open accounts to hide anything, and we only work with a source of funds you can document. You declare the income from the account where you are tax resident.
What if it doesn't have to be British?
Within the Perspektive Ausland network, St Matthew covers British banking: the UK, the three Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories. If you are after an account outside that world, in Switzerland, Singapore or Georgia for instance, Freedom Banking is the right place.
FAQ
Questions about Island Banking Introduction
Do you guarantee the account will be opened?
No. Whether an account is opened, and on what terms, is the bank's decision alone. We make sure you apply to a bank that can take you under its own rules, with a complete application.
Do I have to travel to the island?
Usually not with the international banks of the British groups: HSBC Expat takes applications online and Lloyds International through its app. Private banks and some Caribbean banks want to meet you; CIBC Caribbean in Cayman requires non-residents to be present.
Do you earn anything on my deposit?
No. You pay a fixed price for the work. We do not advise on investments and we never take money from you for the bank.
How safe is my money on the island?
Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man protect individuals up to £50,000 per bank, Gibraltar up to £120,000. The UK's FSCS does not apply there. Details in deposit protection on the islands.
Can you tell me whether my country is on a bank's list?
Yes, that is the first thing we check. The lists change, so we look at each bank's eligibility checker for your country of residence on the day we draw up your shortlist.
What does the service cost?
The price will be shown here shortly. Until then, send an enquiry and we will give you the price for your situation.