If you have just arrived in the UK, recently move to the UK, or are still new to the country, opening a UK bank account is one of the first things to complete on your to-do list.
Some financial institutions allow account opening without the residential proof. And while proof of address may not be required by the neo-banks and few traditional banks, you will still need to provide an address for the bank to mail your documents and cards.
The primary objective of the bank for requiring a proof of address is to ensure security and verify your identity. This can be done with various methods of identification:
What documents are accepted as proof of address?
According to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the following documents can be used as proof of residency:
Where to open a bank account in the UK without proof of residency:
You have three options to open your bank account in the UK without the proof of residency:
Monese

Monese is a UK financial company that allows you to open a current account from your phone. This mobile-only service provides an account in GBP, Euros, and Romanian leu. It also allows money transfer services as an alternative to traditional banks.
Monese service is available in 31 countries across the EEA. Further, the app is available in 14 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, European Portuguese, Bulgarian, Romanian, Polish, Czech, Turkish, Estonian, and Lithuanian.
Opening an account in Monese is safe and secure. There are authentication protocols such as 3D Secure in the app. Besides, the user?s account is protected with a biometric login.
Monese offer three types of accounts with different plan and pricing:
Foreign currency card spending above $2,000 within a month is not free, it will charge with a 2% fee. Foreign currency transfers to other Monese accounts are free but for non-Monese accounts, it will charge with a 2% fee.
Foreign currency card spending for a month is free till it reaches $9,000, after which it will charge a 2% fee. For foreign currency transfers to non-Monese accounts, it will charge with 0.5% but free between Monese accounts.
Revolut
Revolut is a UK's mobile bank that allows opening a current account without providing residential proof. You can also transfer money in 30 currencies with the interbank exchange rate, by a small 0.5% fee for anything above ?5,000 for each month. But a flat mark-up on weekends and on certain currencies may apply.

Revolut offers three types of accounts -
N26
N26 is an online bank that you can use through a mobile phone app or via website banking service. Their service is available across Europe and is expanding to other locations. Currently, it offers a currency exchange of 19 different currencies.
Opening a normal service account in N26 is free but for the N26 "Black" service, you will need to pay a monthly fee. There is ATM cash withdrawal availability worldwide and there is no foreign transaction fee to use its debit card for overseas purchases. The limit for free cash withdrawals from an ATM is set by N26 and it is not the same from country to country on where you?re located.

N26 offers international money transfers through a partnership with the popular money transfer provider, Wise.
In conclusion, in the age of technology, life without a bank account is close to impossible. Neobanks are the future. It offers great convenience, security, and ease. Fees are the main drawback in addition to the limitations on other financial services like loans, credit cards, and international money transfers.
Brands like N26 have partnered with other money transfer service providers to facilitate international money transfer services but it is not as straight forward. For example, N26 list their fees or exchange rates in their app and not on their website. And it does not provide a currency exchange service. Here are the best international money transfer apps.