Premium Bonds
1.00% annual prize fund rate
Invest from £25 to £50,000
Investment Account
0.01%
Invest from £20 to £1 million
Direct ISA
0.10%
Invest from £1 to £20,000 tax year 2021/22
Junior ISA
A tax-free savings account for children up to the age of 18.
Essentials at a glance
- What's the interest rate?
- 1.50% 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 totally tax-free
- How much can I start with?
- £1
- What’s the max. I can save?
- £9,000 in the 2021/22 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
Maybe not for you if…
- You need to access the money before the child turns 18
- You prefer to manage the account or by post
- You already have a Child Trust Fund and want to keep it
Junior ISA FAQs
-
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.
-
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
- 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.
-
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:
-
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:
-
Yes! 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.
Apply for Junior ISA
How are you opening your Junior ISA?
-
Applying for a new Junior ISA Transfer in from another provider
-
- Before you apply
-
You can open a Junior ISA as a parent/guardian on behalf of your child under 18. You can also open a Junior ISA for yourself if you are 16 or 17.
Please read the summary box and customer agreement (below).
- What you'll need
-
- Your NS&I number (if you have one)
- Your address and date of birth
- Your UK bank account details registered to your current address
- Your National Insurance number (if you are 16 or 17)
- Your debit card from a UK bank or building society
If you are opening a Junior ISA for your child you’ll also need:
- Your child’s address and date of birth
- Their National Insurance number (if they are 16 or 17)
- What happens next
-
We’ll process your application and aim to open your account in 7-10 working days.
We'll need to check the identity and address of everyone named on the application. To do this, we may ask you to upload or send us some documents.
Documents that prove your identity and address
Summary Box
- Account name
-
Junior ISA
- What's the interest rate?
-
1.50% tax-free/AER
We calculate the interest daily and add it to your account once a year on 6 April.
- 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.
-
What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a £1,000 deposit?
-
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,015 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 1.50% tax-free/AER (the rate from 24 November 2020) during the 12 months.
This is an illustration only, so it doesn’t take into account your individual circumstances. It assumes that you don’t make any withdrawals or additional deposits during the year.
- How do I open and manage my account?
-
Our Junior ISA is for children aged under 18 who live in the UK. (Children under 18 who live outside the UK can only hold a Junior ISA if they are a UK Crown servant, or married to or in a civil partnership with a UK Crown servant, or a dependant of a UK Crown servant.)
For children aged under 16, only their parent or legal guardian can open an account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them.
You can:
- Apply for, and manage, a Junior ISA online only
- Open an account with at least £1, paid by a debit card in your own name, issued by a UK bank
- Pay in up to the maximum Junior ISA allowance each tax year (£9,000 for 2021/22)
If you want to switch to Junior ISA from another NS&I account, simply:
- Can you take money out?
-
No, you can’t withdraw money from any Junior ISA – they are designed as long-term savings accounts to build up a nest egg for the child when they reach 18. (The only exceptions are if the child dies or has a terminal illness.)
On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
- Additional information
-
The interest earned is tax-free, so it won’t count towards the child’s Personal Savings Allowance.
Find out more about tax and savings
We’ll send you an electronic statement in April each year, showing all your deposits and interest earned.
- Some definitions explained
-
Tax-free means the interest is exempt from UK Income Tax.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the annual rate of interest would be if the interest was compounded each time it was paid. Where interest is paid annually, the quoted rate and the AER are the same.
Please make sure you’ve read our summary box above and the customer agreement before applying.
Customer agreement (last updated on 6 April 2021)
Apply now -
- Before you apply
-
You can transfer your child's existing cash Junior ISA, stocks and shares Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund into an NS&I Junior ISA. You can also open or transfer a Junior ISA for yourself if you are 16 or 17.
Please make sure the account you're switching from is in your name.
Please read the summary box and customer agreement (below).
- What you'll need
-
- Your NS&I number (if you have one)
- Your address and date of birth
- Your UK bank account details registered to your current address
- Your National Insurance number (if you are 16 or 17)
- Reference or account number of your existing Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund provider to hand.
If you are opening a Junior ISA for your child you’ll also need:
- Your child’s address and date of birth
- Their National Insurance number (if they are 16 or 17)
- Reference or account number of their existing Junior ISA or Child Trust Fund provider to hand.
- What happens next
-
We'll need to check the identity and address of everyone named on the application. To do this, we may ask you to upload or send us some documents.
Documents that prove your identity and addressWe’ll then contact your previous provider to arrange the transfer. This can take around 7-10 working days to process, although the money take up to 26 days to be transferred.
Summary Box
- Account name
-
Junior ISA
- What's the interest rate?
-
1.50% tax-free/AER
We calculate the interest daily and add it to your account once a year on 6 April.
- 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.
-
What would the estimated balance be after 12 months based on a £1,000 deposit?
-
A £1,000 deposit would be worth £1,015 after 12 months, if the interest rate stayed at 1.50% tax-free/AER (the rate from 24 November 2020) during the 12 months.
This is an illustration only, so it doesn’t take into account your individual circumstances. It assumes that you don’t make any withdrawals or additional deposits during the year.
- How do I open and manage my account?
-
Our Junior ISA is for children aged under 18 who live in the UK. (Children under 18 who live outside the UK can only hold a Junior ISA if they are a UK Crown servant, or married to or in a civil partnership with a UK Crown servant, or a dependant of a UK Crown servant.)
For children aged under 16, only their parent or legal guardian can open an account. Children aged 16 or 17 can open their own account, or their parent or legal guardian can open it for them.
You can:
- Apply for, and manage, a Junior ISA online only
- Open an account with at least £1, paid by a debit card in your own name, issued by a UK bank
- Pay in up to the maximum Junior ISA allowance each tax year (£9,000 for 2021/22)
If you want to switch to Junior ISA from another NS&I account, simply:
- Can you take money out?
-
No, you can’t withdraw money from any Junior ISA – they are designed as long-term savings accounts to build up a nest egg for the child when they reach 18. (The only exceptions are if the child dies or has a terminal illness.)
On the child’s 18th birthday, we’ll automatically transfer the money to an adult cash ISA from NS&I. The child will then be able to withdraw money. We’ll contact the person who looks after the account about a month before the transfer happens.
- Additional information
-
The interest earned is tax-free, so it won’t count towards the child’s Personal Savings Allowance.
Find out more about tax and savings
We’ll send you an electronic statement in April each year, showing all your deposits and interest earned.
- Some definitions explained
-
Tax-free means the interest is exempt from UK Income Tax.
AER (Annual Equivalent Rate) illustrates what the annual rate of interest would be if the interest was compounded each time it was paid. Where interest is paid annually, the quoted rate and the AER are the same.
Please make sure you’ve read our summary box above and the customer agreement before applying.
Customer agreement (last updated on 6 April 2021)
Transfer in from another provider
Top up your Junior ISA
If you already have an account with us, you can top it up or transfer in from another provider.
All deposits must be from a UK bank account. Simply give the following details to your bank...
- Top up by bank transfer
-
- Reference:
- You must enter your Junior ISA account number (not your NS&I number) as your reference. You can find your account number on your statement or by logging in online.
- Type of account:
- Your bank may ask you what type of account you’re paying in to. Please select ‘business’.
- Payee name:
- NS&I
- Account number:
- 11994808
- Sort code:
- 60 89 73
Please make sure you've set up your account before transferring money via your bank.
When you set up your payment, you may receive a message saying 'This account can't be checked' or something similar. This doesn't mean the details you are using are wrong but please check them carefully.
Topped up by bank transfer or standing order? You’ll be able to see the money in your account in 2-3 working days.
For more information on topping up by bank transfer see our FAQs
- Top up by debit card
-
Top up your Junior ISA using your UK debit card
Top up your account - Transfer in from another provider
-
How to transfer a Child Trust Fund or another cash Junior ISA
Before you apply, please have the details of your Child Trust Fund provider, including the reference number or details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number to hand.
When you apply, click Transfer in from another provider and follow the on-screen instructions. Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your Child Trust Fund provider or existing Junior ISA provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Transfer in from another provider
How to transfer a stocks and shares Junior ISA into an NS&I Junior ISA
Before you apply to transfer, please have the details of your existing Junior ISA provider to hand, including the account number.
Log in at nsandi.com using your NS&I number and password. Click the Transfer in from another provider link in your Junior ISA panel on your homepage and follow the on-screen instructions.
Once you’ve submitted your application, we’ll contact your existing provider on your behalf to arrange the transfer.
Ready to apply?
Be sure to check our FAQs first, then we'll show you the Junior ISA summary box and customer agreement before you apply.
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