So are banks open on bank holidays? No law makes them close. When Scotland’s World Cup bank holiday was confirmed for 15 June 2026, the Scottish Government pointed out that there is no law requiring banks or any other businesses to close. Each bank decides for itself, and the answer can differ from one branch to the next.
Not financial advice. This page summarises what banks and payment bodies publish. For your own payments and branch, check with your bank.
What each bank says about bank holiday opening
We looked for a bank holiday statement on each bank’s own website. Where a bank gives no general statement, the table says “Check the branch finder” and links to it, because opening hours are listed per branch.
| Bank | Branches on bank holidays | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays | Check the branch finder | Barclays branch finder | 4 Nov 2026 |
| HSBC UK | Check the branch finder | HSBC UK branch list | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Lloyds Bank | Check the branch finder | Lloyds branch finder | 4 Nov 2026 |
| NatWest | “Our branches may close on bank holidays”; local hours in the branch locator | NatWest branch banking | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Santander UK | Check the branch finder | Santander branch locator | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Nationwide | Check the branch finder | Nationwide branches | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Halifax | Check the branch finder | Halifax branch finder | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Bank of Scotland | Check the branch finder | Bank of Scotland branch finder | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Royal Bank of Scotland | Check the branch finder; mobile branches do not run on bank holidays | RBS branch locator | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Ulster Bank (NI) | Check the branch finder; bank holiday hours are posted in branches | Ulster Bank opening times | 4 Nov 2026 |
| Danske Bank (NI) | “Our branches will be closed on Bank Holidays” | Danske Bank bank holidays | 4 Nov 2026 |
Two details stand out. NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank say in their branch locators that their mobile branches visit “except Christmas Day and Bank Holidays”. Danske Bank also lists Tuesday 29 December 2026 as a “Christmas Holiday (non processing day)”, although it is not a bank holiday in the GOV.UK data.
Do payments go through on a bank holiday?
It depends on the payment system, not on whether your branch is open.
Bacs handles Direct Debits and Direct Credits. The Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals notes that Bacs only works on standard banking days and runs on a three-day cycle of input, processing and payment day. A bank holiday therefore removes a processing day, so employers who pay salaries by Bacs have to submit earlier. Our payday calculator shows how pay dates shift.
Faster Payments carries bank transfers between UK accounts. Pay.UK, which runs it, says the Faster Payment System is available day and night, 365 days per year. Your bank can tell you which system a particular transfer uses.
CHAPS settles through the Bank of England. The Bank of England describes its settlement hours on business days, and its daily timetable runs from 6am to 5.40pm for customer CHAPS payments. If you need to send a CHAPS payment around a bank holiday, ask your bank for its own cut-off time.
Why bank holidays are linked to banks
The first bank holidays were created by the Bank Holidays Act 1871, which is where the name comes from. Today’s law, the Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, says that no one can be required to make a payment on a bank holiday that they would not have to make on Christmas Day or Good Friday. A payment due that day counts as made on time if it is made on the next day it can be required.
Frequently asked questions
Will my salary arrive if payday is a bank holiday?
That depends on your employer and contract. Many employers pay on the working day before, but some pay after. Use the payday calculator with your employer’s rule to see the date.
Are banks open on Christmas Day and Boxing Day 2026?
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December and the Boxing Day bank holiday is Monday 28 December 2026 in all UK regions. Danske Bank says its branches are closed on both. For other banks, check your branch in the finder linked above closer to the date; see Christmas bank holidays for the full pattern.
Are banks open in Scotland on St Andrew’s Day?
St Andrew’s Day is a bank holiday in Scotland on Monday 30 November 2026. None of the Scottish banks we checked publishes a general rule for it, so check the branch finder of your bank. The St Andrew’s Day page explains the holiday.
Sources: GOV.UK bank holidays data and Privy Council proclamations. Checked 4 November 2026.