French bank account query

[Staffsman]

I've been asked to have authority over my father's account at his local bank. Is this easy to organise? He is a French resident having lived there for over 20 years but now in his mid 80's he has health issues. In future it may be necessary for me to pay any medical bills on his behalf. Any guidance on the process woul be most appreciated as I will be over in France in the next few days.

[suein56]

Hello and welcome

I have 'procuration' over a friend's bank account - at her behest - and can write cheques in my name from her account plus deal with her finances on her behalf.

It was very easy to organise and was free of charge. Her bank advisor took the papers to be signed into the hospital she was in explained the process to her and obtained her agreement one afternoon.

BUT we are both French residents and we have both had accounts with the same bank for quite a few years, so I was already well known to the bank.

How relevant that is I do not know.

[nomoss]

Your father's bank should be able to set up the procuration for you to operate his bank account simply by both of you signing the necessary paperwork.

I don't think the fact that you are not a French resident is relevant.

For a general or limited procuration, enabling you to act on his behalf in any particular, or all other, matters it would be necessary to set this up via a Notary (Notaire).

[Loiseau]

I decided to make my daughter JOINT holder of my French account, in case I should have snuffed it before having sold my French holiday home.

You might consider this if you might want to continue using the account in the event (hopefully not on the horizon) of your father's death. Just having "procuration" is fine in the lifetime of the holder, but would stop with the account-holder's demise. I suppose only half the credit in the account would then belong to you, but at least you could move money over and continue to pay bills until the house were sold.

It was quite hard to convince the French bank that I did NOT want my daughter just to have procuration, but to be a full "co-titulaire". We took her passport with us, plus anything else in the way of documentation that we could think of - birth and marriage certificates etc. (And if you happen to be divorced, you should probably take your divorce certificate, too.) The main thing they then insisted upon, which we had not thought to take, was her UK tax reference number (presumably an anti-money-laundering precaution; they regularly ask for mine.) So if you do go down this path, take plenty of evidence of that too.

We did need to make an appointment in advance to see a conseiller; it was quite a palaver, but I was relieved once it was in place.

Neither of us was French-resident.

[Staffsman]

Many thanks for all the advice. We managed to obtain the 'procuration' from his bank thanks to a very helpful lady at the local Credit Agricole. A couple of signatures was all it took and in less than half an hour the authority was in place.

Thanks again