How long a bank switch takes

A full switch between banks using the Current Account Switch Service takes seven working days. You agree a completion date with your new bank, and the process starts six working days before it¹. The seven days are working days, so weekends and bank holidays do not count, and your chosen date cannot fall on a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday³.

The service moves your money, Direct Debits and standing orders to the new account, redirects payments sent to the old one, and closes the old account when the switch completes⁴. If anything goes wrong, the Current Account Switch Guarantee means you are refunded any interest or charges you lose¹.

Not every switch runs through the service. A partial switch, where you move some payments but keep the old account open, can take longer. A switch arranged directly with a bank outside the service can take around 12 working days or more⁷.

A full switch takes seven working days

The seven working day figure is the industry standard, not a target. MoneyHelper, the government-backed guidance service, says you choose a date for the switch to complete and it takes seven working days¹. Which? gives the same figure, noting that most banks have agreed to use the service³. The Consumer Council for Northern Ireland states plainly that the switch will be completed in seven working days¹¹.

Banks repeat the same commitment in their own terms. TSB says a switch takes seven working days from whenever you start the process¹², and its Spend & Save account pages say the bank guarantees switching will only take seven working days¹³. Bank of Scotland says the same for its Platinum Account¹³, and AIB (NI) says switching is simple, reliable and stress-free and will only take seven working days¹⁴.

The guarantee behind the figure matters as much as the number. MoneyHelper says you will be refunded any interest or charges if things go wrong⁶, and the Consumer Council says the Current Account Switch Guarantee provides protection if something goes wrong¹⁵. That is what turns seven days from a hope into a commitment.

What happens on each day of the switch

The switch is not a single event. It runs to a timetable, and the timetable starts before your chosen date.

The process begins six working days before the switch date². In that window your old bank provides information on your regular payments and transfers any remaining funds, and it has up to five business days to do so¹⁶. Payment arrangements at the old bank are moved up until seven working days before the agreed switch date; anything you set up in that final week has to be set up on the new account instead¹⁷.

On the switch date itself, the balance moves across, outgoing and incoming payments are moved, and payments made to the old account are redirected¹². Your old account stays usable right up to the switch date, when your funds are transferred to the new account¹⁸.

Can I choose the date my bank switch happens?

Yes. You agree a date with your new bank, and first direct describes the process as asking for your account details, your existing account details and your preferred switching date¹⁹. AIB (GB) confirms you can choose and agree a date with your new bank or building society, and the process will start six working days before it².

Two rules limit the choice. The date cannot be a Saturday, Sunday or bank holiday, and it must be at least seven working days after your account has been opened³. So the earliest possible completion depends on when the new account is actually open, not just when you apply.

If you have no strong preference, the bank will usually work to the standard timetable. The point of choosing is to line the switch up with payday, a bill date or a period when you would rather not have payments in transit.

Switches outside the service: up to 12 working days or longer

Not every switch is a full switch through the service, and the ones that are not take longer.

Bank of Ireland UK says its switch process should last 12 working days only, which it says is to give it enough time to open the account⁷. AIB (NI) says its manual switching process takes approximately 12 working days, excluding time taken for a response from the old bank or the customer⁸. Zenith Bank says that if you are an existing customer switching to a different bank, it will take up to five business days to respond to information requests from the other bank¹⁶.

There is a separate timing point that catches people out. Bank transfers can take up to three working days to clear from initiation, depending on the payment service your bank uses⁹. That is not the switch itself, but it affects when money actually lands if you are moving funds by hand rather than through the service.

Partial switch: moving payments without closing the account

A partial switch moves chosen payments to the new account and leaves the old one open. It is useful if you want to keep an account for a specific purpose, but it is not covered by the same seven day promise.

Which? says a partial switch is still an automated process and should still be completed within seven working days²⁰. HSBC says it takes longer than seven working days²¹. Nationwide says a partial switch takes up to 20 working days to complete¹⁰. The figures given for a partial switch do not agree, so the timing is uncertain and it is worth asking the bank you are switching to what it expects in your case.

If you want to keep the old account open but move everything else, you cannot use the Current Account Switch Service at all. Zempler Bank states that you can switch and keep the old account open, but you will not be able to use the Current Account Switch Service⁵. That means no automatic redirection and no guarantee.

Switching with an overdraft or payments still going out

An overdraft does not automatically block a switch, but it changes what happens.

MoneyHelper says you can switch using the Current Account Switch Service even if you are overdrawn²². If the new bank's overdraft covers what you owe, the funds are sent to your old bank and you owe the overdraft balance on the new account instead. If it is a lower amount, or you cannot get one, you need to arrange to pay off the remainder separately before you can switch or close your old account¹.

In practice, whether an overdraft moves depends on the new bank agreeing to it. NatWest says it may be possible to switch with an existing overdraft, but it is often done on a case-by-case basis²³. AIB (NI) says bank accounts that include an overdraft can switch if the bank agrees, and that overdraft eligibility depends on lending criteria and credit status⁸. Bank of Ireland UK says accounts with an overdraft can switch to it using the service²⁴.

Independent Age puts the risk more bluntly: if you are currently overdrawn, you might not be able to switch bank accounts until you have paid off the overdraft²⁵. If you are struggling with an overdraft, there is help and options beyond switching.

What happens to payments sent to my old account after the switch

Payments sent to your old details do not go missing. For 36 months, the new bank arranges for payments accidentally made to the old account to be redirected automatically³.

That covers the common cases: a salary paid to old details, a refund, a transfer from someone who has not updated their records. The guarantee also covers the timing of regular payments, so payments in and out of the new account are switched over in time and regular bills are not missed²⁶.

Two limits are worth knowing. The redirection runs for 36 months and then stops, so it is worth updating employers, pension providers and anyone else who pays you. And if you set up a new payment arrangement in the final seven working days before the switch date, it has to be set up on the new account, because the old bank's arrangements are only moved up to that point¹⁷.

Will my old account close automatically after the switch?

Under a full switch, yes. Zempler Bank states that your old bank account will be closed once the switch completes⁵. First direct says that when you are all switched over, your old bank account will be closed and your new one will be ready to use¹⁹.

If you would rather keep the old account open, you can, but not through the service. Zempler Bank states that you can switch and keep the old account open, but you will not be able to use the Current Account Switch Service⁵. You would move payments across yourself, with no redirection and no guarantee.

One practical point if you are closing an account: if you are using your overdraft, you have to pay it back before you can close the account, and you lose access to statements, so it is worth keeping copies if you need them¹.

Will switching affect my credit score?

It can have a small, temporary effect, and the size depends on how often you switch.

Some banks run a credit check when you open a current account. HSBC says switching current accounts should not affect your credit score unless you switch several times in the same year, as some banks carry out a hard credit check when you open a current account²¹. Zempler Bank says the credit scoring impact of opening a new account can last for up to six months, and that opening multiple accounts within a six-month period means it takes longer for the credit score to return to normal¹⁷.

Which? reported in August 2026 that switching student bank accounts could cause a temporary dip in your credit score, though your score may recover over time if you manage your finances responsibly²⁷. The same logic applies to any current account switch: the effect is usually short-lived and tied to how you run the account afterwards.

What the Current Account Switch Guarantee covers if something goes wrong

The guarantee is the reason the seven day figure is worth relying on. It covers the switch itself, the timing of your regular payments, and the cost of anything that goes wrong.

MoneyHelper says it takes seven working days and you will be refunded any interest or charges if things go wrong⁶. The Consumer Council says the Current Account Switch Service simplifies changing accounts, with the Current Account Switch Guarantee providing protection if something goes wrong¹⁵. National Debtline and Business Debtline both describe the guarantee as letting you switch accounts within seven days²⁶.

What it does not cover is a switch you arrange yourself outside the service, or a partial switch where you keep the old account open. In those cases there is no automatic redirection and no refund of interest or charges if the timing slips.

Who to complain to if a switch goes wrong

Start with your new bank, because it runs the switch. If you are not satisfied with its final response, you can take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free to use.

Current account complaints are common. The Financial Ombudsman Service recorded 8,945 current account complaints in the first quarter of 2026/27²⁸. That figure covers the whole current account market, not switches alone, but it shows the volume of cases the ombudsman handles.

If your switch involves a joint account, the same process applies. Virgin Money, for example, says a joint account switch from another bank in the Current Account Switch Service takes seven working days and is covered by the Current Account Switch Guarantee²⁹.