Best UK bank account for travelling abroad (2026)

Using the wrong debit card abroad is one of the easiest ways to lose money without noticing. A traditional high-street bank or building society typically charges 2.5–3% on every foreign card payment; Nationwide's FlexDirect debit card is one that still does. On a two-week holiday with £1,500 of card spending, that's £37–£45 in hidden fees.

The good news: several UK bank accounts now offer genuinely fee-free spending abroad. But "fee-free" doesn't always mean the same thing. Monzo, Chase, Revolut and Wise all cap the free ATM withdrawals. Revolut's free plan also charges a fair-use fee (you get a monthly free allowance, and past it the provider starts charging) once you go over its monthly exchange limit.

The comparison at a glance

1. Starling: best overall travel debit card

Why it wins: Starling offers the simplest, cleanest deal for travel spending in the UK market. No foreign transaction fees on card payments. No fees on ATM withdrawals. No monthly caps. No fair-use limits. No paid plan required.

You get the Mastercard exchange rate with nothing added on top, whether you're buying coffee in Barcelona or withdrawing cash from an ATM in Bangkok. The same applies everywhere in the world, with no distinction between the EEA (the EU plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) and everywhere else.

Where it falls short: Starling operates in GBP only. You can't hold foreign currencies or time your conversions. The app's budgeting tools are decent but not as deep as Monzo's, so tracking holiday spending in real time is less intuitive.

Best for: most UK travellers.

2. Chase UK: best for US travel and generous ATM use

Why it's strong: Chase offers fee-free card spending abroad (Mastercard rate, no FX fee) plus free ATM withdrawals up to £500/day and £1,500/calendar month, more than seven times Monzo's non-EEA allowance. Note that £1,500 is a withdrawal limit rather than the point at which fees start: past it, Chase stops rather than charges.

Chase also provides free access to Chase ATMs in the US, avoiding the $3–$5 per-transaction surcharges that American ATMs typically charge. If you visit the US regularly, this alone makes Chase worth carrying.

No monthly fee. No paid plan required. The same account that earns 2% cashback on groceries at home works fee-free abroad.

Where it falls short: no multi-currency accounts, no budgeting tools worth mentioning, and no overdraft if you need a safety net while travelling. Chase also doesn't offer joint accounts, so couples can't share a travel spending card.

Best for: frequent travellers who withdraw cash regularly, and anyone who visits the US.

3. Monzo: best for budgeting while travelling

Why it matters: Monzo's travel spending is fee-free on card payments (Mastercard rate, no FX fees). The real advantage isn't the fees; it's the app experience while you're abroad.

Instant spending notifications in local currency show exactly what each purchase cost in both the foreign currency and GBP. Pots let you set aside a holiday budget before you leave. Spending categories track where the money goes (restaurants, transport, accommodation) in real time. If you've ever come home from a trip wondering where £800 went, Monzo's visibility is the answer.

ATM limits: Monzo's free ATM allowance is less generous than Starling or Chase. Within the EEA (most of Europe), withdrawals are unlimited and free. Outside the EEA, you get £200/month free, then a 3% fee applies. For a two-week trip to Thailand or the US with moderate cash needs, the 3% fee on anything over £200 adds up.

Where it falls short: the ATM limits are the weakest of the five options here. No multi-currency accounts. GBP only.

Best for: budgeters and planners who want full visibility over holiday spending.

4. Revolut: best for multi-currency and frequent travellers

Why it's different: Revolut is the only option here that lets you hold and spend foreign currencies directly. You can exchange GBP to euros, dollars or 30+ other currencies at the interbank rate (the wholesale rate currency trades at, before anyone adds a markup), within your plan's monthly limit, then hold the balance and spend it later with no conversion at the point of sale.

This is powerful for frequent travellers. If you know you're going to France next month, you can convert £500 to euros today when the rate looks good, and spend those euros directly from your Revolut account with zero conversion at checkout.

The catches on the free plan: you can exchange £1,000 a month before Revolut charges a 1% fair-use fee on everything beyond it, and only Premium (£7.99/month) removes that limit. ATM withdrawals are free to £200/month and then cost 2%, better than Monzo's 3% but worse than Starling's unlimited. Weekend markups may apply on less liquid currencies when FX markets are closed. Best second UK bank account to pair with Monzo covers what Revolut adds to a Monzo setup once you're home again.

Where it falls short: the free plan has enough caveats that "fee-free" requires an asterisk. The app is powerful but complex; for a once-a-year holidaymaker, it's more tool than you need.

Best for: frequent travellers, digital nomads, and anyone who regularly spends in multiple currencies.

5. Wise: best for large or repeated foreign transfers

Why it's included: Wise isn't a bank account in the traditional sense; it's a multi-currency account with a debit card. But for certain travel scenarios, it's the best option.

Wise uses the real mid-market exchange rate (that same wholesale midpoint, with no spread added on top) with a small, transparent conversion fee (typically 0.3–0.6% depending on the currency pair). There's no markup, no hidden spread, and the fee is shown before you confirm. For large conversions (transferring £5,000 to a holiday rental, paying a foreign university, or moving money to an overseas account) Wise is consistently the cheapest option.

The Wise debit card works abroad and gives you £250 of fee-free ATM withdrawals a month, then charges 2.69% on the amount above that. There's no flat fee per withdrawal and no limit on how many times you take money out.

Where it falls short: the pay-per-use model means everyday card spending is marginally more expensive than Starling or Chase (a small conversion fee on each transaction). Its £250 monthly ATM allowance edges Monzo's and Revolut's but is nowhere near Starling's or Chase's. And Wise is not FSCS-protected: it's an e-money institution, not a bank, so it holds your money separately but carries no FSCS cover.

Best for: people making large one-off or recurring foreign payments. Less ideal as your primary travel spending card; better used alongside a fee-free debit card from Starling, Chase or Monzo.

Which card for which trip?

The two-card strategy

Most experienced travellers carry two cards from different providers. This covers you if one card is lost, blocked, or declined, and lets you pick the best card for each situation.

Starling plus Monzo is the default pairing: Starling for the cash withdrawals, Monzo for the card payments and the real-time budgeting that goes with them. Swap Chase in for Starling if the trip is to the US, where Chase's own ATMs cost nothing. And if you'd rather convert your holiday money in advance, Revolut plus Starling gives you the pre-converted spending with a fee-free fallback sitting behind it.

What about traditional banks?

Some traditional UK banks have improved their travel offerings:

• First Direct: scrapped foreign transaction fees on debit cards in June 2023. Now fee-free for card spending abroad. ATM fees may still apply depending on the provider.
• Virgin Money (M Account): no foreign transaction fees on debit card spending or ATM withdrawals abroad.
• Nationwide FlexDirect: still charges standard Visa fees for foreign spending (2.5–3%).

First Direct and Virgin Money are worth considering if you already bank with them and don't want to open a new account.

Travel spending FAQs

Which UK bank is completely fee-free abroad?

Starling is the closest to completely fee-free: no foreign transaction fees on card payments, no ATM fees, no monthly limits, no fair-use caps. Chase is also fee-free with a generous £1,500/month ATM limit.

Is Monzo good for travel?

Yes, Monzo offers fee-free card spending abroad at the Mastercard rate. Its ATM limits are less generous than Starling or Chase (£200/month free outside the EEA, then 3%), but the app's real-time spending tracking makes it the best option for budget-conscious travellers.

Does Revolut charge fees abroad?

On the free Standard plan, Revolut charges no FX fees within a £1,000/month exchange limit. Beyond that, a 1% fair-use fee applies. ATM withdrawals over £200/month incur a 2% fee. Upgrading to Premium (£7.99/month) removes the exchange limit.

Should I use a debit card or credit card abroad?

For everyday spending, a fee-free debit card (Starling, Chase, Monzo) is the simplest option. For large purchases (flights, hotels, car hire), a credit card with no FX fees gives you Section 75 protection: the Consumer Credit Act right to claim from your card provider as well as the retailer. Monzo Flex carries the same protection on purchases over £100.

Do I need to tell my bank before travelling?

Most digital banks (Monzo, Starling, Chase, Revolut) don't require travel notifications. Traditional banks may still block foreign transactions if you don't notify them in advance. Check with your bank before travelling if you're unsure.

What about dynamic currency conversion?

If a foreign merchant offers to charge you in GBP instead of the local currency, always decline and pay in local currency. Dynamic currency conversion uses the merchant's exchange rate, which is almost always worse than your bank's rate. This applies regardless of which card you use.

You might also like

• Best second UK bank account to pair with Monzo
• Monzo vs Chase: 2% cashback vs better budgeting
• Monzo mystery reward explained: how to get £20, £50 or £100

Sources

The weekly referral verification covers referral schemes, not account fees, so every fee, limit and rate on this page is sourced against the provider's own published pages instead.

• Starling: spending abroad (opens in new tab): no transaction fees, the Mastercard exchange rate, and the daily fee-free cash withdrawal limit abroad
• Travel with Chase (opens in new tab): no FX fees at the Mastercard rate, and the daily and monthly ATM limits abroad
• Chase joint accounts (opens in new tab): that Chase does not offer them
• Travel without fees (opens in new tab): Monzo's fee-free card spending, unlimited EEA withdrawals, and the non-EEA allowance and the fee past it
• Revolut plans compared (opens in new tab): the monthly plan prices, the free-plan currency exchange allowance and the fair-usage fee past it, and the ATM allowances and fees per plan
• Wise pricing (opens in new tab): the mid-market rate, the conversion fee, and the monthly fee-free ATM allowance and the fee past it
• first direct travel debit card (opens in new tab): fee-free card spending and cash withdrawals abroad, with the cash-machine operator caveat
• Virgin Money M Account (opens in new tab): no fees on card use abroad, with the same operator caveat
• Nationwide FlexDirect (opens in new tab): that foreign spending carries standard card fees
• FSCS: check your money is protected (opens in new tab): the deposit protection limit, and that it covers banks rather than e-money institutions
• Consumer Credit Act, creditor and supplier joint liability (opens in new tab): the statutory basis for the claim described above, and the cash-price band it applies within

If you're opening a Monzo account before your next trip, using a Monzo referral code gets you a mystery reward of £20, £50 or £100 on your first card payment, enough to cover a few meals on holiday.