What are the opening hours for banks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day?

As the festive season draws to a close and attention turns to ringing in the New Year, some of you may be planning last-minute errands to the bank.

For those who do need to visit a branch in the coming days, it’s worth noting that opening hours will differ from the norm on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

In the UK, New Year’s Eve (Wednesday December 31) isn’t a public holiday, but most high-street banks will close early, while New Year’s Day (Thursday January 1) is a bank holiday, meaning branches will be shut altogether.

Whether you need to deposit cash, sort out a transfer or open an account, here’s everything you need to know about opening hours over the New Year period.

Are banks open on New Year’s Eve?

Yes, but many banks will close early on Wednesday, December 31. Most major branches should be open as follows:

• Santander – likely to close at 2pm
• Lloyds – likely to close at 2pm
• Barclays – likely to close at 3pm
• HSBC – likely to close at 1pm
• Nationwide – likely to close at 3pm
• NatWest – likely to close at 2pm

It’s best to double check with your local branch to see what time they close on New Year’s Eve as individual times could vary.

Will banks be closed on New Year’s Day?

All UK bank branches will be closed all day on Thursday, January 1.

You can, however, still use cash machines if you need to withdraw funds.

Similarly, you’ll be able to pay using online banking, but payments and deposits might take longer to process.

Most banks will open again on Friday, January 2 as normal.

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