If you are an intending traveler to England, you might be asking what the acceptable bank statement for UK visa in Nigeria is all about. The truth is, it’s only better to find this information ahead before engaging your visa application but you can still find this helpful if you are already in the process of the application.
In this post, you will learn everything about the acceptable UK visa for study abroad or travel. We would also answer related questions on situations bordering either UK visa rejected due to bank statement and how to go about it or answer questions on how much bank statement for UK visit visa and much more related questions.
While processing your application to get a Visa and travel to the UK, you’ll be required to provide some documents, and you can only travel to the UK if the documents meet the embassy requirements.
One of the documents required to get a Visa to travel to the UK is your bank statement. You will be required to provide your bank statement and it has to show that you have made a transaction worth a certain amount within three months to qualify during your application.
So if you are an applicant, looking to visit the UK either for educational purposes, fun, tourism, or whatsoever, it is important you read this article carefully till the end.
What is a Bank Statement
I will assume that you already know what a bank statement is before coming to this page to check out more information about the acceptable bank statement for UK.
However, just in case you don’t, let me, first of all, explain what it is before moving on to other parts of this article.
According to Wikipedia, A bank statement is an official summary of all financial transactions made for each bank account that a person or business has with a financial institution within a specific time period.
These statements, which are created by the financial institution, are numbered and reflect the time period they cover.
They may also include other information pertinent to the type of account, such as the amount due by a specific date.
Uk Visitor Visa Bank Statement Requirement
As a visitor, applying to get a visa to travel abroad to the UK, below are some of the requirements you’ll need.
1. The first requirement that the UK Visitor visa bank statement requires is a 3-6 months bank statement. However, for a study visa, you are required to present a 28 days bank statement to the embassy.
2. Your bank statement must come from a commercial bank on the bank’s letterhead properly signed and stamped by the bank.
3. You must build your account within that period with other transactions and not just the money you need to proof your funds.
UK Visa Rejected Due to bank Statement, Here is Why
If your UK visa application was rejected due to your bank statement, don’t give up hope yet, you can still work on your statement, apply again, and get accepted. The reason is that the money in your account is not sufficient for your stay in the UK and as such the Embassy won’t allow you entry.
As such, you’ll need to prove your funds and if you don’t have enough, the best way to prove your funds for UK study is to go to a bank agent to assist you.
If you need proof of funds for your UK study visa, click here to read how to get proof of funds in Nigeria faster, or contact the POF team here on WhatsApp.
Is Online Bank Statement Acceptable For UK visa?
The simple answer is No. Online bank statements are not acceptable for UK visas. The reason is, they have to be properly stamped by the bank and signed with a blue pen for the embassy to accept them. If you are not close to the bank or want everything online, you can inform your account officer to do you justice, and it’s faster that way.
However, in some cases, the Embassy can still accept if you want to avoid the stress of going to the bank and standing in the long queue just to get your bank statement, you would probably be asking to know if you can use an online printed copy of your bank statement to process the application.
However, the answer is YES, You can make electronic bank statements available for download as long as they include the required data and information.
You don’t have to bank-stamp these. Your bank might be able to verify it during the application process. But in most cases, you’ll be required to have the printed statement stamped. In the event that we are unable to confirm the money, your application may be refused.
Can I Use An Online Bank Statement For a UK Visa Application?
Yes, you can use online bank statements for your UK visa application as long as it isn’t forged and contains all the information and data of a bank statement.
Depending on the type of Visa you want to apply for, you may be required to get the documents stamp, but in most cases, the stamp isn’t important as a call will be made to verify the bank statements.
How Much Bank Statement For A UK Visit Visa?
There isn’t a particular amount for the bank statement you need to process a UK visa, however, you need to have made a transaction worth more than 1000 pounds in your local currency to qualify in the past 3 months.
In summary, Your funds must be at least twice as large as your estimated total UK travel costs for your bank statement to be sufficient for your UK Visit visa.
List of Approved Banks For UK Visas in Nigeria
All commercial and some microfinance banks are accepted for UK bank statements. However, below is the list of some approved banks for UK visas in Nigeria.
- Access Bank Plc
Citibank Nigeria Limited - Ecobank Nigeria Plc
- Fidelity Bank Plc
- FIRST BANK NIGERIA LIMITED
- First City Monument Bank Plc
- Globus Bank Limited
- Guaranty Trust Bank Plc
- Heritage Banking Company Ltd.
- Keystone Bank Limited
- Parallex Bank Ltd
- Polaris Bank Plc
- Premium Trust Bank
- Providus Bank
- STANBIC IBTC BANK PLC
- Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Ltd.
- Sterling Bank Plc
- SunTrust Bank Nigeria Limited
- Titan Trust Bank Ltd
- Union Bank of Nigeria Plc
- United Bank For Africa Plc
- Unity Bank Plc
- Wema Bank Plc
- Zenith Bank Plc
Does UK Embassy Verify Bank Statements?
The truth is, UK Embassy verifies all bank statements used in visa applications. If UKVI notices fraud in the bank statements, they may contact the bank to inquire about the accuracy of the data. Through their relationships with banks over time, they are able to corroborate such information with their help or that of outside organizations.
A visa will be denied and you’ll be banned from entering the UK for the rest of your life for providing forged or altered bank statements.
Illegal immigration and human trafficking are on the rise. As a result, ECOs give their visa requests great thought. They have to spend time and money verifying paperwork. The application process for a tourist visa to the UK is the most expensive and time-consuming for a reason.
Can You Show A Joint Account For UK Visa?
You can actually use a joint account for UK visa applications however in such cases the two people managing the accounts should be applying for UK visas together.
However, the income and amount required will be double compared to when one person is applying using the same bank statement.
Acceptable Bank Statement For UK Visa In Nigeria
In a nutshell, the acceptable bank statement for UK Visa in Nigeria is the one that comes from a commercial bank, duely signed and stamped and not forged. Any attempt to forge a bank statement to influence the embassy decision would get you banned forever and once you are banned by the UK, you automatically can’t enter USA, Canada a lot of other countries.
In Conclusion
The acceptable bank statement for the UK is a statement with a transaction worth over 1000 pounds or more in the last 28 days to three months.
However, it is also important to note that the type of visa you are applying for will be required a different amount of bank statement which is why we cannot specifically tell you how much you’ll need.
But in summary, Your funds must be at least twice as large as your estimated total UK travel costs.
