Virgin Money to close 30 branches across the UK – here's the full list of affected sites

Bank branch closures have become increasingly common in recent years, with many of the big high-street names shutting stores. In March, Santander announced it would be closing 111 branches – about 20% of its UK network – by August, while Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has already shut a large number. 

Virgin Money says it's seen a "downward trajectory" in the number of customers using its branches, and that the decision was taken with "careful consideration on the impact to the local area, as well as the impact on vulnerable customers and accessibility".

If you're unhappy about the closures and are thinking of switching to a different bank as a result, see our Best bank accounts guide for the top alternatives.

You can still bank online or use post office services if your branch is closing

Virgin Money says that 28 of the 30 customer stores closing are located less than a third of a mile away from the nearest post office. Of the other two stores, one is 0.7 miles away from a post office, while the other is 2.7 miles away from an alternative Virgin Money store. We've asked Virgin Money how far the second branch is from a post office too and we'll update this story when we know more. 

Customers of Virgin Money can deposit and withdraw funds from any of the Post Office's 11,500 branches. These post office branches also allow customers to check their balance and pay cheques into their account. Use the Post Office's branch finder tool to locate your nearest.

You can also choose to bank online with Virgin Money. If you're unsure about online banking, or new to the process, you can seek support via Virgin Money's help page.

Virgin Money says it will write to customers about the closures, providing details of the alternative ways customers can continue to manage their accounts, including the nearest alternative branches, ATMs and post office counters. It will also put posters in each affected branch, at least 12 weeks before it closes. 

If you need branch access and yours is closing, consider switching

If you no longer want to stay with Virgin Money, you might want to consider switching to a bank that does have a branch nearby – although bear in mind there's no guarantee it won't also close in future. You could also benefit from the following switching offers: 

• Free £100 to switch to Nationwide, or boost it to £125 if you're an existing customer (or with a little effort) –plus a year's 0% overdraft, and get 2% interest on up to £1,500 in the first year.

• Free £130 for new and existing customers who switch to Santander – plus 1% to 3% cashback on household bills for a £2/month fee.

See Best bank accounts for more info and other top accounts. 

The full list of Virgin Money stores closing

Here are all 30 of the customer-facing Virgin Money stores across the UK that will be closing in early 2022: 

• Airdrie

• Ashton-under-Lyne

• Banchory

• Beverley

• Blackburn

• Broughty Ferry

• Chesterfield

• Cumbernauld

• East Kilbride – Prince's Square

• Galashiels

• Grantham

• Keighley

• Leeds – Horsforth

• Leeds – White Rose

• Lincoln

• Macclesfield

• Mexborough

• Milngavie

• Musselburgh

• Nelson

• Newcastle – Northumberland Street

• Northallerton

• Nuneaton

• Oban

• Portree

• Selby

• Sheffield – Meadowhall

• Stenhousemuir

• Whitby

• Wick

A Virgin Money staff-only store in Gosforth will also not reopen following its closure at the start of the pandemic last year.