Bringing money to the UK

Bringing money to the UK

We recommend against bringing lots of cash to the UK. We do not have any facilities to guard money for you. Travellers’ cheques are safer than cash because they are insured against loss and theft. Bring enough travellers’ cheques to meet your needs for the first week including travel. £500 should be adequate. Any bank or post office will cash travellers’ cheques.

Before you leave home talk to your local bank about taking money with you (some countries restrict how much currency you can carry) and about how money can be transferred to your English bank account. Find out how long transfers will take and how much they will cost. If your bank at home asks for proof of you coming to study in the UK, contact the Student Centre.

Money transfers

Banker’s draft: It’s best to bring a banker’s draft (in pound sterling) to pay for your tuition fees and living expenses. A banker’s draft is a document from your bank at home to a bank in the UK. When you open an account here you pass the draft to your new bank, and they credit your account with the amount of money specified. If your draft is for tuition fees it must be made payable to ‘St George’s University of London.’

International money order

Buy this at home and pay it into your new UK bank account or take it to a post office for cash (the money order must be in pound sterling to cash it).

Electronic transfer

Your bank at home transfers money to your new account in the UK.

Exchanging money in the UK

Banks and post offices are the best places to exchange foreign currency for pound sterling.

Using your debit and credit cards in the UK

Ask your bank at home if you can use their debit and credit cards in the UK. European banks provide cards that work in UK.