Bank Christmas opening hours: What days are Lloyds Bank, Santander, NatWest, Barclays, HSBC and others open?

It finally feels like Christmas is here. The shops are full of decorations and so are our town and city centres. Many people are already preparing for their Christmas dinners, and if you haven't got your presents yet, it's time to get your ducks in a row.

And what about the festive highlights? The King's speech, the Boxing Day sales, and of course a good Christmas film to enjoy. There's also inevitably lots of disruption too.

There's the traffic in the days before Christmas as people travel to be with family and friends, and then there's the closure of shops. But 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 coming weeks. Given Christmas falls on a Monday this year, Tuesday will be our Boxing Day bank holiday and New Year's Day will fall on a Monday too.

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 though.

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 December 25, Tuesday December 26 or Monday January 1.

However, they will be open between December 28 and 30, and again as normal from January 3. 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 December 27 and Saturday December 30, 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 (December 27) until next Friday (December 29), branches should be open between 9am and 4pm (although localised variations may occur). Saturday hours on December 30 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 December 25 or 26, as well as January 1. Scottish customers cannot head into a branch on January 3.

Regular business hours of 9.30am until 4.30pm will be observed from Wednesday (December 27) to Friday (December 29), and Saturday opening hours will run from 9.30am to 2.30pm on December 30. 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 December 27 until December 30, 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 (December 27) and Friday (December 29) - 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 (December 27 to 29), 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 (December 27) and Friday (December 29), 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.