Bank Christmas opening hours: opening times for Lloyds Bank, Santander, Natwest, Barclays, HSBC and more

The Christmas season has well and truly arrived, with trees and decorations up in windows, deliveries of Christmas dinners taking place, and the UK’s schools having broken up.

While we can say with near-complete certainty that most of the nation will not be getting a white Christmas, we know for sure that other festive highlights will be slightly different this year.

As well as getting our first King’s Speech, the usual pre-Covid pandemic Boxing Day sales rush appears to have been confined to history as many major retailers will not be opening their doors over the Christmas bank holidays. NationalWorld has also listed the businesses that will be open to customers in the immediate post-Christmas period.

It comes against a backdrop of falling retail footfall in the run up to Christmas (13.3% down across the UK in the four weeks between 30 October and 26 November, compared to the same period of the last non-Covid year 2019), with trade body the British Retail Consortium (BRC) saying consumers have been holding onto their cash amidst the cost of living crisis.

So, while we know many retailers will be closed over the Christmas bank holidays, will any high street banks be opening their doors? Here’s what you need to know.

When are the Christmas bank holidays?

We are set to get multiple bank holiday dates over the next 10 days.

Given Christmas falls on a Sunday in 2022, not only do we get Boxing Day (Monday 26 December) off but we also get an extra bank holiday on Tuesday 27 December. This happens whenever the Christmas bank holiday falls over a weekend.

New Year’s Day is also on a Sunday, which means Monday 2 January becomes a bank holiday. In Scotland, the following day (Tuesday 3 January) is also classed as a bank holiday.

When do banks open over Christmas?

As the name we give public holidays suggests, bank holidays are when high street banks are closed. However, online banking can take place 24/7 (unless maintenance is being done).

Should you transfer money or pay a bill on a bank holiday, there is no guarantee that the payment will be sent through until the next working day. All banks should still be manning their emergency lines throughout the holiday period.

But if you need to head into a branch, when are high street banks opening over the festive period? NationalWorld has put together a list of key information for each major bank.

• Lloyds Bank

No Lloyds branches will be open on Monday 26 December, Tuesday 27 December or Monday 2 January 2023.

However, they will be open between 28 and 31 December, as well as from 3 January. Hours will tend to be from 9am to 3pm, although variations may occur on a branch-by-branch basis. Sites that open on Saturdays should be open between 9am and 1pm (local variations may apply).

To avoid a wasted trip, be sure to visit Lloyds’ branch locator on its website. Some other lines of communication may also be open, with the banking brand’s ‘contact us’ page carrying up-to-the-minute information for customers.

• Santander

All Santander branches will be closed over the festive and new year bank holidays.

Between Wednesday 28 December and Saturday 31 December, they should be open as usual with most branches open from 9.30am to 3pm. On Saturday, some branches will be open between 9.30am and 12.30pm.

You can check your local branch’s hours through the Santander site locator tool on its website. Its emergency call centres can be reached 24/7 regardless of whether it’s a bank holiday, and you can see if other ways to contact Santander are online by checking its service status page.

• NatWest

Every Natwest site will be closed for the Christmas holidays.

From next Wednesday (28 December) until next Friday (30 December), branches should be open between 9am and 4pm (although localised variations may occur). Saturday hours on 31 December will be a variation of 9.30am until 1pm.

To see when your nearest branch is open, check the Natwest branch locator tool. Its online chat bot operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It’s as yet unclear whether or not its non-emergency phone lines will remain open.

• Barclays

None of Barclays’ branches will be open on UK bank holiday dates, meaning you cannot visit a branch on 26 or 27 December, as well as 3 January 2023. Scottish customers cannot head into a branch on 3 January 2023.

Regular business hours of 9.30am until 4.30pm will be observed from Wednesday (28 December) to Friday (30 December), and Saturday opening hours will run from 9.30am to 2.30pm on 31 December. They are likely to be shortened on both Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

To see which branches are open and when, visit Barclays branch finder tool on its website.

Online chat functions will remain available at all hours throughout the festive period, while telephone banking lines will be manned on regular business days between 8am and 8pm (9am to 5pm on Saturdays).

• HSBC

HSBC branches will be closed throughout the bank holidays surrounding Christmas and new year.

Normal opening hours (9.30am to 4.30pm) will resume from 28 December until 30 December, while Christmas Eve timings will run between 9.30am and 1pm (where branches open on Saturdays). To see which branches are open and when, visit HSBC’s branch finder.

Existing customers can reach HSBC by phone between 8am and 8pm every day, while the bank has an FAQs page for all other non-urgent queries.

• TSB

None of TSB’s branches will be open over the festive bank holidays.

Branches will be open from 9am until 5pm on the regular working days between Wednesday (28 December) and Friday (30 December) - although local variations may occur. Saturday hours of 9am to 1pm are set to be observed on Saturdays over the Christmas period.

To find out if your local branch will open, check the TSB branch locator tool on its website. Phone lines are open between 8am and 8pm from Monday to Sunday.

• Halifax

Halifax branches will be closed throughout the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.

Normal 9am to 5pm services will resume between Wednesday and Friday (28 to 30 December), with Saturday services (9am to 1pm) expected to run as usual on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

To avoid disappointment, be sure to check Halifax’s branch finder site in advance of a trip out. It is unclear when phone lines will be open, although it is likely Halifax will be offering some form of support service during the holiday period.

• Nationwide

No Nationwide branches will be open on the UK bank holiday dates over the next week.

They will be open between Wednesday (28 December) and Friday (30 December), although opening hours appear to be different depending on the day (for example, some areas will see their branches open at 10am rather than 9am on Wednesday 28 December). Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve opening hours will tend to fall between 9am and midday.

To see how your local branch will operate over the festive period, be sure to visit Nationwide’s branch locator tool. Telephone contact hours are currently unclear for non-urgent enquiries.