How to import a bank statement CSV into Xero UK
By Arron Child, reviewed by Arron Child. Updated 15 July 2026.
Xero UK imports bank statement CSVs through each bank account's Import a Statement flow. The importer is forgiving about column order but strict about content. This is the layout that works first time, and the errors that stop it.
The CSV Xero expects
One header row, then one row per transaction. The columns Xero maps:
| Column | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Yes | DD/MM/YYYY works for UK organisations; ISO dates also map cleanly |
| Amount | Yes | One signed column: money received positive, money spent negative |
| Payee | Optional | Can be blank; Xero matching works on description too |
| Description | Optional but valuable | The statement narrative |
| Reference | Optional | Cheque or reference numbers |
The signed single Amount column is the part most conversions get wrong. If your source has separate money in and money out columns, they must be folded into one signed value. The converter has a Xero preset that emits exactly this layout, generated locally in your browser.
Import steps
- In Xero: Accounting, then Bank accounts, choose the account, then Import a Statement.
- Upload the CSV. Xero shows a mapping screen; confirm Date, Amount, and Description mapped correctly, and set the date format if asked.
- Review the preview rows, especially the first and last, then complete the import.
- Xero flags potential duplicates against existing statement lines; review rather than bulk-accept them.
Errors that reject or corrupt an import
- Dates in the wrong format: 03/04 read as 4 March instead of 3 April poisons a whole file quietly. Always spot-check a day above 12.
- Amounts as text: currency symbols or thousands separators in the Amount column. Values must be plain decimals.
- Positive-only amounts: everything imports as money received. This is the classic sign a converter did not sign the amounts.
- Blank rows or a second header midway through the file, common when statements were stitched together in Excel first.
Verify after importing
Xero shows the imported statement balance line by line. Compare the end balance with the closing balance printed on the PDF; if they differ, delete the imported statement and find the break before reconciling, not after.
Checked against Xero UK's importer on 15 July 2026. Xero is a trademark of Xero Limited; ukbankconv is not affiliated with Xero.