Yesterday received a notification asking for proof of one of each; 1) ID, 2) Address. If I failed to respond my internet access would be suspended. Unfortunately, I closed down the mobile app. Went to their 'Document Upload Hub' which requires a reference number as shown on my letter or email. I don't have either. No response to my chat message so I'm about to call and ask for my reference number. Anyone else received same recently?

If you've deleted the email try your deleted folder or maybe try the app again. Presumably your address in Thailand rather than UK?

17 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If you've deleted the email try your deleted folder or maybe try the app again. Presumably your address in Thailand rather than UK?

Thanks for your reply. It definitely wasn't an email. It was a push notification that appears on the home screen (Notification Centre) on iPhones. There was a panel referring to it above where accounts are listed on the Santander home screen. The panel disappeared after I closed down the Santander app. I keep checking but it hasn't reappeared. Previously, Santander suspended my internet access. I rang to be told they had written to my home address in UK but had not received any reply. That same UK address continues to be my accounts address with them.

1 hour ago, The Fugitive said:

Thanks for your reply. It definitely wasn't an email. It was a push notification that appears on the home screen (Notification Centre) on iPhones. There was a panel referring to it above where accounts are listed on the Santander home screen. The panel disappeared after I closed down the Santander app. I keep checking but it hasn't reappeared. Previously, Santander suspended my internet access. I rang to be told they had written to my home address in UK but had not received any reply. That same UK address continues to be my accounts address with them.

My Santander app (android), which should have the same options as you has a message icon, select that, that shows statements and documents incl letters, you might find something there.

If you aren't able to prove your UK address you may need to do the unthinkable and change your address to Thailand, using your driving license or preferably your thai bank account with English address

11 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

My Santander app (android), which should have the same options as you has a message icon, select that, that shows statements and documents incl letters, you might find something there.

If you aren't able to prove your UK address you may need to do the unthinkable and change your address to Thailand, using your driving license or preferably your thai bank account with English address

Thanks again. Already looked in the envelope but only see bank, credit card statements and statement of fees. Just spent 30 mins on phone to be told the 'Document Upload Hub' is a different thing and I should be able to upload my docs using the banner panel that has now disappeared. Apparently, I am now on my 7th day of 90 after which my internet access will be suspended. I was assured that the banner panel will reappear in 2 days and to watch out for it. Makes life more interesting I suppose! Should be OK proving my UK address as I downloaded the letter from HMRC that states National Insurance Number, name and address.

5 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Yesterday received a notification asking for proof of one of each; 1) ID, 2) Address. If I failed to respond my internet access would be suspended. Unfortunately, I closed down the mobile app. Went to their 'Document Upload Hub' which requires a reference number as shown on my letter or email. I don't have either. No response to my chat message so I'm about to call and ask for my reference number. Anyone else received same recently?

I received a "confirm your details" message late yesterday also as an SMS from Santander....when I logged into mobile banking the request was there....I tried taking a photo of my UK driving licence but I couldn`t do as the lighting was poor.....just after lunch I logged in again and no request was showing up but I found it under settings and personal info....request was to verify my details only...I opted to take a photo of my DL as it shows the address registered with them....my sons....rather than a passport photo....the app itself took the photo when I had it positioned correctly...following that it asked for a "selfie" which again was taken automatically....several seconds later my contact details showed up without any indication that all was well or I could confirm the details as being correct and accepted by them.....strange.....as it was only a few hours ago I,ll have to wait and see if I get any future messages regarding the updating or perhaps all is now OK....it would have been clearer if after taking the selfie a message saying thanks your details have been updated had have come up?

2 hours ago, petermik said:

I received a "confirm your details" message late yesterday also as an SMS from Santander....when I logged into mobile banking the request was there....I tried taking a photo of my UK driving licence but I couldn`t do as the lighting was poor.....just after lunch I logged in again and no request was showing up but I found it under settings and personal info....request was to verify my details only...I opted to take a photo of my DL as it shows the address registered with them....my sons....rather than a passport photo....the app itself took the photo when I had it positioned correctly...following that it asked for a "selfie" which again was taken automatically....several seconds later my contact details showed up without any indication that all was well or I could confirm the details as being correct and accepted by them.....strange.....as it was only a few hours ago I,ll have to wait and see if I get any future messages regarding the updating or perhaps all is now OK....it would have been clearer if after taking the selfie a message saying thanks your details have been updated had have come up?

Thanks for your input! Definitely no SMS received and I've looked everywhere for the request without success. The customer service guy said I would receive another push notification. No mention of how to look for the original notification. Neither did he mention SMS. Sounds as if you have done everything required. The lack of confirmation is certainly poor.

9 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Previously, Santander suspended my internet access.

So this isn't the first time that Santander have inflicted this "Know Your Customer" bureaucratic nonsense on you, then?

8 hours ago, petermik said:

I received a "confirm your details" message late yesterday also as an SMS from Santander....when I logged into mobile banking the request was there....I tried taking a photo of my UK driving licence but I couldn`t do as the lighting was poor.....just after lunch I logged in again and no request was showing up but I found it under settings and personal info....request was to verify my details only...I opted to take a photo of my DL as it shows the address registered with them....my sons....rather than a passport photo....the app itself took the photo when I had it positioned correctly...following that it asked for a "selfie" which again was taken automatically....several seconds later my contact details showed up without any indication that all was well or I could confirm the details as being correct and accepted by them.....strange.....as it was only a few hours ago I,ll have to wait and see if I get any future messages regarding the updating or perhaps all is now OK....it would have been clearer if after taking the selfie a message saying thanks your details have been updated had have come up?

They've said a UK driving licence is acceptable proof of address?

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

They've said a UK driving licence is acceptable proof of address?

The OP said the missing message requested "proof of one of each; 1) ID, 2) Address." I read that as TWO items are needed. The passport bio page is the obvious choice for ID. A UKDL should be acceptable proof of an address that matches that on the account. I don't think the UKDL alone would be acceptable, despite having a photo and address. But it's Santander, and like many UK banks going through the KYC malarkey, it has probably been outsourced to a third-party company. As long as Santander have given them specific rules for what's needed for compliance, it should be a fairly swift process.

My experience with NatWest International's first KYC effort about 10 years ago, via email and snail mail was a risible failure as the British Embassy doesn't sign third-party documents and Thailand is in a different time zone. Their second attempt a few years later was better but still relied on courier package from me which THEY lost after DHL had delivered it. The last one, done via their app was almost painless but only after they understood that the bio page on a UK passport has devices embedded in it to prevent passport fraud. This makes taking a high-quality picture without glare and clear of any reflections and artifacts impossible. Oh yes, they didn't accept scans or uploads of requested documents, only pictures.

smh

The KYC request is possibly because your account's address has been flagged as suspicious.

Santander are known to aggressively close down bank accounts within 60 days for customers who are no longer resident in the UK. There are very few exceptions in their terms and conditions. The 2026 updated terms & conditions are as rigid as ever.

You should be now looking at alternatives. If you still have accounts with banks which are known to be soft towards expats such as HSBC UK then clearly you can shift your money to them.

If not since you are now living abroad you will not be able to open a normal UK bank account, so you should think about possible expat accounts such as Standard Bank. Good luck, you've got this.

6 hours ago, OJAS said:

So this isn't the first time that Santander have inflicted this "Know Your Customer" bureaucratic nonsense on you, then?

Unfortunately not. However, when I rang up last time (because they had suspended my internet access) they were as helpful as possible. The guy told me the purpose was to find out my intended future use for their accounts. I had, by then, opened a Chase UK current account because of the cash back on certain purchases. I was no longer using Santander as my main bank. I told them I would recommence using them as my main bank if Chase discontinued their cash back scheme. This explanation must have been acceptable to them because they then reinstated my internet access.

27 minutes ago, Gaccha said:

The KYC request is possibly because your account's address has been flagged as suspicious.

Santander are known to aggressively close down bank accounts within 60 days for customers who are no longer resident in the UK. There are very few exceptions in their terms and conditions. The 2026 updated terms & conditions are as rigid as ever.

You should be now looking at alternatives. If you still have accounts with banks which are known to be soft towards expats such as HSBC UK then clearly you can shift your money to them.

If not since you are now living abroad you will not be able to open a normal UK bank account, so you should think about possible expat accounts such as Standard Bank. Good luck, you've got this.

My UK account address hasn't changed since their last request. I had previously changed both my Santander and Halifax accounts to my Thailand address but reverted them to UK in anticipation of possible closure. I have since opened new accounts with; Chase, Zable, Zopa, Starling, Kroo, Monzo and Nationwide Building Society. Interestingly, TSB initially approved my new current account, sending me debit card etc. However, they then told me after performing further checks they couldn't allow me to hold an account with themselves and closed my new account.

35 minutes ago, The Fugitive said:

I have since opened new accounts with; Chase, Zable, Zopa, Starling, Kroo, Monzo and Nationwide Building Society.

This is a very sound strategy, but I think you should think about opening accounts which are allowed for non-UK residents. The fintechs (like Zopa) are all strict with non-UK residents and it will only take one suspicious tag and you'll lose the account. Monzo and Starling are notoriously strict. The algorithm will keep detecting your IP and purchase history and it's just a matter of time... This isn't the 2010s anymore.

Your best options if you can still open regular High Street accounts are HSBC, Lloyd's, Halifax and Bank of Scotland.

If you can no longer open accounts then you'll need to look at specialist accounts. Take a look at Skipton international, NatWest international (both of these are designed for standard "Brit abroad" circumstances) and Standard Bank.

Ifyou've got a bit of money, then you can consider HSBC Premier or Standard Chartered Elite etc. If you do these you'll never be hassled about your residency again.

I'm all for making it difficult for bank and other sites to be hacked but on some sites it appears to have reached the stage where it's not only difficult for scammers to access your account, but almost impossible for you also. I've just spent over two weeks trying to move crypto from a certain exchange to a more user friendly one. Goodness knows how many phone calls and emails we exchanged. I ended up emailing the CEO. During the saga, I even had to spend 8000 thb on a new phone, because the old one didn't contain the NFC App required for the KFC process, which in turn needed to be updated before I could move my crypto! So here I am, someone who hardly uses a phone with two of the festering things, both in perfect working order. My lounge looks like Carphone Warehouse! In the end I did manage to move my crypto and in future will avoid that particular exchange like the plague.

13 hours ago, petermik said:

I received a "confirm your details" message late yesterday also as an SMS from Santander....when I logged into mobile banking the request was there....I tried taking a photo of my UK driving licence but I couldn`t do as the lighting was poor.....just after lunch I logged in again and no request was showing up but I found it under settings and personal info....request was to verify my details only...I opted to take a photo of my DL as it shows the address registered with them....my sons....rather than a passport photo....the app itself took the photo when I had it positioned correctly...following that it asked for a "selfie" which again was taken automatically....several seconds later my contact details showed up without any indication that all was well or I could confirm the details as being correct and accepted by them.....strange.....as it was only a few hours ago I,ll have to wait and see if I get any future messages regarding the updating or perhaps all is now OK....it would have been clearer if after taking the selfie a message saying thanks your details have been updated had have come up?

5 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

They've said a UK driving licence is acceptable proof of address?

The request from Santander in my case was to confirm/update my details which involved either taking a photo of my passport OR UK driving licence...I chose the driving licence as it also had my registered Santander address...this was followed by another request to take a selfie photo....after this the app came up with showing my details....acc number address etc without any option to confirm or that my update was completed/successful etc.....

A valid UK driving licence shows the UK address on it.

I haven't been contacted by Santander, yet, but i stopped using it for Wise transfers, in case that became a trigger

Push notification only received, no banner/panel in the Santander app this time. Subject; 'Confirm your details'.

1) Confirm Nationality and Country of residence,

2) Tax Obligations; Do you pay tax in UK?, Do you have any tax obligations outside of the UK?

3) Employment status?, Source of income?

4) Gross annual income?

5) Net monthly income?

Told me I didn't need to upload any documents. A couple of minutes later email received; 'We've reviewed your information and updated our records'.

Can only guess that speaking to Customer Services yesterday avoided the ID and proof of address? The automatic phone system said it recognised I was calling from my registered telephone number (UK mobile) and I also went through 'My voice is my password'.

Hopefully all is now well until further notice!

2 hours ago, The Fugitive said:

Push notification only received, no banner/panel in the Santander app this time. Subject; 'Confirm your details'.

1) Confirm Nationality and Country of residence,

2) Tax Obligations; Do you pay tax in UK?, Do you have any tax obligations outside of the UK?

3) Employment status?, Source of income?

4) Gross annual income?

5) Net monthly income?

Told me I didn't need to upload any documents. A couple of minutes later email received; 'We've reviewed your information and updated our records'.

Can only guess that speaking to Customer Services yesterday avoided the ID and proof of address? The automatic phone system said it recognised I was calling from my registered telephone number (UK mobile) and I also went through 'My voice is my password'.

Hopefully all is now well until further notice!

why did they target you? must have been a reason to think you were living abroad

2 hours ago, scubascuba3 said:

why did they target you? must have been a reason to think you were living abroad

Good question thanks! What I think was the trigger was last month I used a different money transfer/currency conversion service. I set them up as a new payee from my Santander current account. I normally make all my transfers from my Halifax current account. Hence, it was possibly flagged as an exceptional transaction? You mentioned about stopping using Santander for your Wise transfers. My experience would indicate that was a 'wise' move on your part!

On 4/8/2026 at 2:37 PM, The Fugitive said:

Thanks for your reply. It definitely wasn't an email. It was a push notification that appears on the home screen (Notification Centre) on iPhones. There was a panel referring to it above where accounts are listed on the Santander home screen. The panel disappeared after I closed down the Santander app. I keep checking but it hasn't reappeared. Previously, Santander suspended my internet access. I rang to be told they had written to my home address in UK but had not received any reply. That same UK address continues to be my accounts address with them.

Is there anyone at the house, or you trust enough to get any letter from AntnDec?

Both they and Kroo have similarly frozen my UK accounts. I wasn’t sure who or what has dobbed me in.

I think your post is a clue!

2 hours ago, Free the 115 said:

Is there anyone at the house, or you trust enough to get any letter from AntnDec?

Both they and Kroo have similarly frozen my UK accounts. I wasn’t sure who or what has dobbed me in.

I think your post is a clue!

Sorry to hear this. Is it only internet access that's been suspended? However, trying your debit cards in a foreign ATM may not be a good idea (assuming they're presently in date). My house in UK is unoccupied. I haven't bothered with a virtual postbox/mail forwarding service because I've gone paperless for everything that's possible. Fortunately, it's only Santander that have given me any grief in ten years of living abroad.

On 4/9/2026 at 9:17 AM, petermik said:

The request from Santander in my case was to confirm/update my details which involved either taking a photo of my passport OR UK driving licence...I chose the driving licence as it also had my registered Santander address...this was followed by another request to take a selfie photo....after this the app came up with showing my details....acc number address etc without any option to confirm or that my update was completed/successful etc.....

A valid UK driving licence shows the UK address on it.

On 4/9/2026 at 2:06 PM, The Fugitive said:

Push notification only received, no banner/panel in the Santander app this time. Subject; 'Confirm your details'.

1) Confirm Nationality and Country of residence,

2) Tax Obligations; Do you pay tax in UK?, Do you have any tax obligations outside of the UK?

3) Employment status?, Source of income?

4) Gross annual income?

5) Net monthly income?

Told me I didn't need to upload any documents. A couple of minutes later email received; 'We've reviewed your information and updated our records'.

Can only guess that speaking to Customer Services yesterday avoided the ID and proof of address? The automatic phone system said it recognised I was calling from my registered telephone number (UK mobile) and I also went through 'My voice is my password'.

Hopefully all is now well until further notice!

Following my initial reply about photo of Passport/Driving licence to confirm my details I opened the app yesterday with the same request as you received....completed and an email thanking me for updating my details...as you stated also only Santander have ever given me grief in my time here.....about 6/7 years ago they contacted me about being out of the UK and requested my Thai address with the comment that they had no issues with me living here.....been banking with them since they took over from the Bradford and Bingley Building Society more years than I care to remember LOL.

What comes next...if anything....is any ones guess.

4 hours ago, petermik said:

Following my initial reply about photo of Passport/Driving licence to confirm my details I opened the app yesterday with the same request as you received....completed and an email thanking me for updating my details...as you stated also only Santander have ever given me grief in my time here.....about 6/7 years ago they contacted me about being out of the UK and requested my Thai address with the comment that they had no issues with me living here.....been banking with them since they took over from the Bradford and Bingley Building Society more years than I care to remember LOL.

What comes next...if anything....is any ones guess.

Thanks for your reply. We're both OK again until we're not! I'm going to stop using UK cards in Thailand. It's a dead giveaway. However, if they see all money each month going to a currency exchange service that sort of gives it away too! Anyway, that's not happened yet. Wise say they are working on making their card available everywhere. At least that's something positive to hope for.