Junior ISA

Essentials at a glance

What's the interest rate?

3.70% tax-free/AER, variable 

Can I take money out?

No, not until the child turns 18

Will I have to pay tax?

No, our Junior ISA is tax-free

How much can I start with?

£1

What’s the max. I can save?

£9,000 in the 2026/27 tax year

Great for you if…

• You want a long-term savings account for your child
• You're 16 or 17 and want to start saving for yourself
• You're happy to open and manage the account online
• You want to transfer money from an existing Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund

Not for you if…

• You need to access the money before the child turns 18
• You prefer to manage the account by phone or by post
• You already have a Child Trust Fund and want to keep it

Junior ISA FAQs

• What is an NS&I Junior ISA?

  It’s an easy way to build up long term savings for a child, giving them a head-start in life when they reach the age of 18. Our Junior ISA is a cash Junior ISA (NS&I does not offer a stocks and shares Junior ISA).

  There is a Junior ISA investment limit for each tax year, set by the Government. See our summary box to find out the limit for the current tax year.

  You can split your overall Junior ISA limit however you want between a cash Junior ISA and a stocks and shares Junior ISA.

  Once you reach the overall limit, you won’t be able to invest any more until the next tax year.

  A child cannot have a Child Trust Fund and a Junior ISA (of any type) at the same time.

• How do I manage this Junior ISA?

  A parent or guardian can manage this ISA for a child while they’re under 16. Once the child reaches 16, they can manage their account online.

  You cannot make withdrawals from a Junior ISA until the child’s 18th birthday. On this date, the Junior ISA ends and we’ll automatically transfer the money into an adult cash ISA provided by NS&I. We’ll contact the person who manages the account about a month before this happens.

• How can I pay money in?

  Pay by bank transfer or standing order

  Anyone can top up a child’s Junior ISA by bank transfer. All deposits must be from a UK bank account.

  Any deposits that would exceed the annual subscription limit will be automatically refunded in full to your bank account, so you may want to check before making the deposit.

   

  Reference:

  Enter your Junior ISA account number - without any hyphens, spaces or full stops (You can find your account number on your statement or by logging into your online account).

  Type of account:

  Your bank may ask you what type of account you’re paying in to. Please select ‘business’.

  Payee name:

  NS&I Junior ISA

  Account number:

  11994808

  Sort code:

  60 89 73

  Your money will take up to five working days to reach your account. This is because NS&I is not a bank, so we can’t receive payments directly into individual NS&I accounts – they have to go through our clearing bank first.

  To cancel, please contact your bank: not NS&I.

  Prefer to top up by debit card?

  Only the person who manages the Junior ISA can top it up by debit card. Make sure to use your own UK debit card.

  Log in 

  Call us

• Can I transfer my Junior ISA balance to another provider?

  Yes, you can. You’ll need to contact your new provider and they’ll arrange the transfer for you – there’s no need to contact us. We’ll always transfer the whole amount of your Junior ISA balance.

  If you’re the person responsible for managing the account you’ll need to complete and sign any transfer request form.

  Make sure all the details on your new provider’s transfer form are up-to-date and match those used for your Junior ISA account, including your name, address, date of birth and National Insurance Number.

• Why is my balance showing as zero after transferring to your Junior ISA?

  It can take up to 26 days for your previous provider to send the money. As soon as we receive it, we’ll update your balance.

• How does a child take over the account at 16?

  When the child reaches 16, they can manage their savings until their 18th birthday, when the Junior ISA ends. They’ll need to download and print a registration form - this is because we need their signature.

  Find out more and download a registration form here:

  Taking ownership of your account

• What happens when the child reaches 18?

  On the child’s 18th birthday, the Junior ISA ends and we’ll automatically transfer the money into an adult cash ISA provided by NS&I. We’ll contact the person who manages the account about a month before this happens.

  If you’re the parent or guardian and you’re still looking after the Junior ISA, please make sure you let your child know what’s going to happen to their account on their 18th birthday. They’ll need to register online to access and manage their new ISA.

  They’ll need to download and print a registration form - this is because we need their signature.

  Find out more and download a registration form here:

  Taking ownership of your account

• Can I move money from another NS&I account to a Junior ISA?

  Yes, if you have an NS&I Direct Saver, you can apply online for a Junior ISA and pay for it from your Direct Saver.

  If you want to use another NS&I account, just fill out a quick online form and we’ll get it sorted for you. Be sure to have the details of the account you want to switch from to hand.

  Switch to a Junior ISA – for a child under 16 
  
   

  If you’re 16 or 17 and want to manage your Junior ISA yourself, you’ll need to complete a slightly different form:

  Switch to Junior ISA – for 16 or 17 year olds 
  
   

  Prefer the post?

  It will take a bit longer, but you can still download and send us a paper form in the post.

  Form to switch by post

• How do I change the registered contact?

  We need both the current registered contact and the new registered contact to complete the relevant forms.

  If you’re the current registered contact and you want to authorise someone else to be the new registered contact please fill in the form below:

  Authorisation form for the new registered contact 
  
   

  If you’re applying to be the registered contact please fill in the form below:

  Application form for the registered contact 
  
  

  If the current registered contact cannot complete the authorisation form, please write to us.

  Write to us

• How do I confirm my identity and address?

  Before we can open the Junior ISA, we’ll need confirmation of the child’s identity, and we may also need you as the parent or guardian to confirm your identity and address.

  We’ve tried to make this as easy as possible – instead of having to send us documents by post, you can just take a photo of each document we ask for and upload it to our secure website.

  Shortly after we receive your application to open an account, we’ll email you to ask you to upload your document photo(s).

  Documents that prove your identity and address

• Can NS&I change the interest rate?

   

  Yes – the rate is variable so we can change it up or down from time to time, for example when the Bank of England base rate changes or when rates in the general savings market change. See the customer agreement (terms and conditions) for more details. When the rate changes, we’ll update our website and literature as soon as we can. If the rate goes down we’ll also contact you personally in advance to let you know.