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Teen bank account

Bank account for 16-17s

Apply for an Adapt account yourself in minutes and get access to features like split bills and Apple Pay.

Adapt Teen Bank Account | Bank Account For 16-17s | NatWest

If you are aged 16-17 you can apply for a bank account yourself. You will need ID to apply and you must be a UK resident.

Key features to consider with our teen bank account

Fee-free. No monthly fee on this teen bank account.

Interest payments. Earn 1.85% AER, 1.83% Gross p.a. (variable) interest on balances. Interest is calculated daily and paid monthly.

Easy tracking in our app. Pay your mates and use features like split bills, freeze your debit card, and check balances on the go.

Peace of mind. Our teen bank account has no overdraft. And it’s protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.

Pay with your phone. Easily pay via Apple Pay and Google Pay™.

App eligibility criteria apply. Limits apply for split bills.

What do I need to open a teen bank account?

If you're a 16 or 17 year old, you can apply online for your own teen bank account called Adapt. You'll need;

  • Proof of ID and proof of address
  • Two separate forms of ID
  • Acceptable ID includes a passport, provisional or full UK driving licence

Not sure what identification is acceptable for our Adapt teen bank account? You can find out more information about ID here.

If you don’t have an ID, you can still get an account, but you’ll need to apply with a parent or guardian who has a bank account with us.

 

Get ready to apply

Please take your time to read the product information and make sure this Adapt account is right for you.

Before you apply for our under 18 bank account, we need to check you’re happy with a few things, and ask a few questions up front. Then we can make your application as quick and simple as it can be.

First things first. You can apply if you:

  • are aged 16 or 17 and a UK resident

Now please take a look at the important legal info:

If you carry on applying, it means you're happy with what's in these documents, including the FSCS information sheet. And happy to view your statements in Online Banking - not posted. Please take some time to review, print and/or save the important information.

How your information might be used

It's important for you to understand how we use and share your information. Please read this short summary before you continue with your application.

As part of the checks that we will complete to verify your identity, we’ll take an image of your face so that it can be compared with your photo ID and this biometric data is captured.

All okay? Apply for your Adapt account today

You're almost there. We'll ask you a couple of questions to get you started. It'll only take a minute.

Note: 

This account is for UK residents aged 16-17. We’ll ask for a photo ID and proof of address. If you don’t have these, your parent or guardian can help complete the application.

If your parent or guardian is opening another Adapt account, you’ll need to wait until that account is open before applying.

Continue
Do you have any Photo ID?
Your ID needs to be in date and have your name on it

or

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Do you have a proof of address?
It must show your name and address. We can’t accept mobile phone bills or downloaded copies of letters.

or

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Great, let’s get you started

Your application will be completely online, as part of our checks we’ll ask our partner Mitek to confirm your identity using:

  • Photo ID
    This can be your Passport, a UK Driving Licence (full or provisional), or an ID card or driving licence from an EU or EEA country.
  • A Liveness check
    A selfie to compare to your Photo ID. You'll need a device with a camera to upload these.
  • Proof of your address
    We may need to check your address is right, you can find out which proofs of address we accept (opens in new tab). 
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Does your parent or guardian have an account with us?
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Does your parent or guardian have our mobile app?
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Great, let’s get you started

We'll ask your parent/guardian to log in to their mobile banking app. They just need to confirm their details and then it's over to you to complete the application. 

Once you’re done, we’ll ask our partners Mitek to do a quick ID check on you.

You’ll need:

  • A Photo ID
    This can be a Passport,  Driving Licence (full or provisional), PASS card, or an ID card from an EU or EEA country.
  • A liveness check
    We’ll ask you to take a selfie to compare you to your Photo ID. You'll need a device with a camera to upload these.

We may also ask for:

 

Parents or Guardian

We'll ask you to log in to your app and confirm your identity before we launch the application. Check that you've logged out of the app before handing the device back to your child.

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Apply using a mobile or tablet

Scan the QR code on the device that your parent or guardian has their app on. You’ll then be able to apply in a flash.

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You need our app to continue

Your parent/guardian will need to download and set up the app. It won’t take long to do.

They’ll just need their:

  • Online Banking PIN and password
  • Mobile phone so we can send a one-time passcode
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Get app

You must prove your identity and address

Sorry, you can't apply for an account because we need you to prove your identity and address. 

No worries if you can't do this. You can apply with a parent/guardian if they have a NatWest current account. 

If they don't have one yet, follow the link below to show them our current account range. 

Once they've applied, got their welcome email and their Online Banking details, come back here to continue your account application. Simple!

Eligibility criteria & conditions apply. 

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View current accounts
Does your parent or guardian have an account with us?
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Do you have a UK birth or adoption certificate?
We can use this to identify you.
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Does your parent or guardian have our mobile app?
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Great, let’s get you started

We'll ask your parent or guardian to log in to their mobile banking app. They just need to confirm their details and then it's over to you to complete the application. 

Once you're done, we’ll ask your parent or guardian to either pop into a branch or post us the following info:


Parents or Guardian

We'll ask you to log in to your app and confirm your identity before we launch the application. Check that you've logged out of the app before handing the device back to your child.

Previous

Apply using a mobile or tablet

Scan the QR code on the device that your parent or guardian has their app on. You’ll then be able to apply in a flash.

Previous

You need our app to continue

Your parent/guardian will need to download and set up the app. It won’t take long to do.

They’ll just need their:

  • Online Banking PIN and password
  • Mobile phone so we can send a one-time passcode
Previous
Get app

You need ID to open your account online

If you don’t have a Photo ID, we’ll need to see your birth or adoption certificate. You can get a copy of your certificate from:

  • England and Wales:
    The General Register Office
  • Scotland: 
    The National Records of Scotland
  • Northern Ireland:
    The General Register Office for Northern Ireland
Previous

You must prove your identity and address

Sorry, you can't apply for an account because we need you to prove your identity and address. 

No worries if you can't do this. You can apply with a parent/guardian if they have a NatWest current account. 

If they don't have one yet, follow the link below to show them our current account range. 

Once they've applied, got their welcome email and their Online Banking details, come back here to continue your account application. Simple!

Eligibility criteria & conditions apply. 

Previous
View current accounts

What happens when I turn 18?

The week of your 18th birthday we'll change the account to an adult Select account. All account details will remain the same, including balances. Depending on the next step you take in life, you could also migrate to a Student bank account. If you are already 18 you can apply directly for those. You can also open some savings accounts with us aged 16+.

Our Student bank account

Our Student bank account comes with:

  • Up to £2,000 interest-free arranged overdraft from year one (limited to £500 in your first term).  
  • You can apply for up to £3,250 interest free from year three onwards.  

Eligibility criteria, fees and charges may apply.

Overdraft subject to eligibility. Must be 18+ and a UK resident to apply.

Continue to our Student account

Our Select current account

  • Save the change: watch the pennies add up (and up and up) with Round Ups and a linked instant access savings account. Criteria applies.
  • Get closer to your dreams: monitor your progress with spend tracking and budgeting in the mobile app.

Must be 18+ and a UK resident to apply.

Take a look at our Select account

Start saving for your #lifegoals

  • From your next set of wheels to a holiday with your mates or your first home, we could have a savings account for you.
  • Join over 1.3 million NatWest customers* who save every month with our regular savings account.

*As at July 2025

Eligibility criteria, fees and charges may apply.

Continue to view our Savings Accounts

FAQs for opening a teen bank account