Insurance
You should arrange insurance to cover the loss of, or damage to, your personal belongings. If you would like more information on student contents cover then please visit the Endsleigh website. Endsleigh Insurance are the market leaders in student insurance but other companies offer the same service.
Most holiday insurance policies have a limit to the amount of days they cover per trip so make sure that you check with the insurance company that the policy you are paying for covers you for your whole stay.
Carefully check the information on healthcare on this portal. If the services which are available to you in the UK are not sufficient to meet your needs then consider taking out private health insurance.
Banking – UK students
The high-street banks all offer accounts specifically tailored to the needs of UK students. Typically, student accounts would include interest free overdraft facilities, so make sure that your chosen bank knows that you are a student when you open an account. RCS cannot recommend a bank to you, it is up to you to choose one based on your own financial needs. You can contact the International and Student Experience team (welfare@rcs.ac.uk) for more information or search the internet for specific details.
As a guide, banks close to RCS include:
- Bank of Scotland, 54- 62 Sauchiehall Street, 0141 532 9204
- Royal Bank of Scotland, 23 Sauchiehall Street, 0141 331 2131
- Clydesdale Bank/Virgin Money, 30 St Vincent Place, 08447 36 26 16
- Nationwide, 92/96 Argyle St, 0845 2661517
- NatWest, 14 Blythswood Square, 0845 366 1966
- The Co-operative Bank, 29 Gordon Street, 0141 221 4937
- TSB, 52-60 St Vincent Street
Instead of, or in addition to, a standard bank account you might want to consider opening a digital bank account such as Monzo, Starling or Revolut These types of accounts are useful if you need help budgeting. For further information on how to manage your money please visit this website.
Banking – Non-UK Students
There are a number of banks in Glasgow that can provide bank accounts to non-UK students. You should research several banks to find the one that offers the best service for you. Please note that many banks do not offer ‘Student Accounts’ to international students. Instead you would be offered a standard bank account with a debit card but not a credit card or overdraft facility.
You may find it useful to speak to your bank in your home country before you leave to find out what methods of transferring money are available, including the security of each method and the costs involved.
Find out whether or not your home country bank has a ‘preferred’ bank in the UK and whether this connection would be beneficial to you. Also, find out if you can use a cash card from your home country bank in UK bank machines to take money out of your home country account.
There are a some overseas banks that have branches in Glasgow:
- Bank of India, 161 North Street, 0141 332 8129
- Habib Allied International Bank,141 Norfolk Street, 0141 420 1355
- HSBC, 2 Buchanan Street, 0800 011 3201
- The Bank of China, 450 Sauchiehall Street, 0141 332 3354
If you wish to open an account at a UK-based bank please refer to the list of banks close to RCS. Digital banks can also be useful for non-UK students. Please see above. However, if you’re a Student route visa holder you should not register for online/paper-free banking only as official postal bank statements may be required for visa application purposes and ordering replacement statements can take around two weeks.
UKCISA has put together a useful blog on banking for international students at UKCISA Banking Blog.
Another useful resource is save the student.
When you go for your appointment to open an account, take the following documents:
- your passport
- proof of UK address
- a Student Status Banking letter from Academic Administration and Support. Please note, this is only available after you have matriculated and submitted a Student Status Banking Letter Request Form via the Forms section of Academic Support. You should not make an appointment with the bank until you have received your Student Status Banking Letter from the AAS office.
When requesting your Student Status letter for opening a bank account, please ensure that you include the name of the bank as well as the address of the branch where you plan to open the account. These letters must be addressed to a particular branch therefore it is important you provide these details. These letters also require full information in respect of your address so again, please remember to keep this up-to-date.
It may take two–three weeks to open a bank account in the UK, so you should prepare for this by making financial arrangements similar to those you might make if you were a tourist. It is not advisable to carry large amounts of cash or to keep a large sum of money in your accommodation.