UK Bank Accounts While Living Abroad

CotoPaxi

Hello, Looking for some suggestions please.
I've been living in South Africa for the past few years, having moved here from being resident in the UK.
Gradually, all my UK bank accounts/credit cards have been getting closed due to me not living in the UK - the latest being my Tesco Credit Card.
I have one account remaining - an international Barclays Current Account in £'s, so that I can pay for a few debit orders etc back in the UK. Just been informed by Barclays, that as from the 1st of June 2022, I must maintain a minimum average monthly balance of £100,000 (which I don't), otherwise they will charge £40 a month. Not sure if it is per account / per person (my spouse) / etc.
Would anyone know if there is a bank in the UK that allows a British national, currently not permanently resident in the UK, to have a basic current UK account
Many thanks and look forward to any advise.

blenz101

Take a look at HSBC Expat perhaps?

JohnWinder

Wise.com or similar on-line only business.

Daliah

You don't say what you need a GBP account for. If it is to receive payments in GBP, and then transfer money to, or spend money in, South Africa, something like Wise might fit the bill. 

CotoPaxi

Thanks everyone, appreciate the help. Will give your suggestions a look.
To clarify, I still have my house there, which is rented out (so money coming in), and have a few debt orders (monthly home & gas insurance, annual gas safety checks, etc). So need a UK based bank account, but I can't seem to get one as I'm not UK resident now.

Daliah

You can do all this with Wise, and it seems their offer is vastly better than the HSBC Expat one.

You don't get any deposit protection with either of them, so don't leave too much money in there at any time.

buffman

Lloyds international don't mind a non-UK address and possibly Investec

Daliah

buffman said:

Lloyds international don't mind a non-UK address and possibly Investec

Lloyds International is the same sort of thing as HSBC Expat. They're all Jersey-based accounts, off-limits of the FCA. At least wise has FCA approval.

James2024

CotoPaxi said:

Thanks everyone, appreciate the help. Will give your suggestions a look.
To clarify, I still have my house there, which is rented out (so money coming in), and have a few debt orders (monthly home & gas insurance, annual gas safety checks, etc). So need a UK based bank account, but I can't seem to get one as I'm not UK resident now.

I am in exactly the same situation as CotoPaxi.  Natwest have closed my UK account.  I need a UK bank account for my mortgage/rental payments etc.  Has anyone found a UK bank that will take them after they have had their account closed?  I am assuming if I went with Wise I would lose out on transfer costs every time I pay my mortgage.  Is that right?  

friolento

HSBC Basic may suit https://www.hsbc.co.uk/current-accounts/compare/bank-account/

gt94sss2

James2024 said:

CotoPaxi said:

Thanks everyone, appreciate the help. Will give your suggestions a look.
To clarify, I still have my house there, which is rented out (so money coming in), and have a few debt orders (monthly home & gas insurance, annual gas safety checks, etc). So need a UK based bank account, but I can't seem to get one as I'm not UK resident now.

I am in exactly the same situation as CotoPaxi.  Natwest have closed my UK account.  I need a UK bank account for my mortgage/rental payments etc.  Has anyone found a UK bank that will take them after they have had their account closed? 

It depends which country you currently live in but HSBC UK offer accounts to those overseas

https://www.hsbc.co.uk/international/apply-for-a-uk-account/

Otherwise, you may need to try one of the offshore operations.