# UK & EU (/docs/guides/connections/uk-eu)



# UK & EU [#uk--eu]

Lunch Flow connects to **2,500+ institutions and investment platforms** across Europe and the UK via GoCardless and Snaptrade.

## Connecting a UK or EU bank [#connecting-a-uk-or-eu-bank]

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Navigate to the Connections page
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Click **+ New Connection** and select **UK & EU banks**

    <img src="/docs/images/uk-eu-gocardless-banks.png" alt="Selecting UK & EU banks from the new connection picker" style="{maxWidth: '420px', marginTop: '0.75rem'}" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Choose your country and search for your bank, then optionally enable **Extended Transaction History** for more historical data

    <img src="/docs/images/uk-eu-gocardless-setup.png" alt="Selecting country and bank in the GoCardless connection form" style="{maxWidth: '420px', marginTop: '0.75rem'}" />
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Authenticate through your bank's secure login portal
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Grant read-only access authorisation
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Select the accounts to synchronise
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Key limitations [#key-limitations]

**90-day connection validity:** Due to PSD2 regulations, connections expire after 90 days and must be renewed. Lunch Flow sends expiration reminder emails in advance. See [Renewing Connections](/docs/guides/troubleshooting/renewing-connections).

**Account coverage:** PSD2 primarily covers payment accounts. Credit cards and savings accounts may be unavailable depending on your bank's policies. OP Gold and Platinum specifically restrict credit card access.

**Manual sync limit:** GoCardless accounts have a cap of 4 manual refresh requests per day.

## Data refresh [#data-refresh]

Bank data typically refreshes once every 24 hours, depending on the institution's posting schedule and the provider's update frequency.

## Notable restrictions [#notable-restrictions]

* Swiss banks require a separate connection - see [Switzerland](/docs/guides/connections/switzerland)
* American Express in Norway is unavailable due to API restrictions

## Security [#security]

All connections are read-only and encrypted. Lunch Flow never sees your login credentials and cannot move money.