English bank account, French address

[maggie]

I have an English and a French bank account.  As we will shortly be selling our property in the UK does anyone know if I can keep my English account open with a French address? 

[Benjamin]

It all depends on your English Banks' rules and regs. Some will, some won't.

You're going to have to ask them.

[maggie]

OK, thanks

[Deimos]

In my experience, of the banks that allow you to be resident abroad, some are better at managing this than others.  One of my UK banks is quite happy with me being resident in France but they are continually getting in a muddle, really not coping well.  Another is excellent and copes fine.  Same with Credit Card companies.  One I call immediately detects I'm calling from overseas and before they do all the lengthy "what is you inside leg measurement ..." checks offer to call me back.

Another aspect to consider is that some UK banks/building societies/card companies will allow you to keep an already open account running if you become resident overseas but many will not allow you to open a new account if you are not resident in the UK.  Thus might be worth opening a few extra ones if you think you might want then in the future.

Ian

[Gastines]

We recently trawled UK Banks/Building Societies to invest a few bob. French Tax payers, no UK address. Building Societies a definate " No" for new accounts Best bet was HSBC, Premier. usuable anywhere in the world and a decent lump withdrawal on your card + fairly good interest.

Regards

[vervialle]

I work for Lloydstsb and it is not a problem for you having an overseas address,the problems start when your account does not have a good turnover as that starts to govern your credit score and if you become a non resident then lending can become a problem , but if the account is used and active you should not have a problem, if you keep credits comming into the account at least once a month  this will keep your account active.The alternative is to have an offshore account and whilst there is a charge for this, which is not massive, you receive all the benefits of a U.K. run account. You can open an offshore account easily by downloading the application form off the website.I have an account with Credit Lyonais in France and when I transfer from Lloydstsb to Credit Lyonais I pay £10.00. for an economy transfer and credit Lyonais do not charge me anything for receiving the money. It takes two days to get there.

[Chrissie]

We opened Barclays accounts and these have functioned well since we moved to France.  They also have a good online banking service.  My only whinge is that they refuse to pay interest gross, deducting tax at basic rate.  But as we have one pension which must be taxed in the UK, I claim this tax on the interest back on the same bit of the French tax form.

Chrissie (81)

[RicandJo]

I have a lloyds offshore account.  Perfect.  You get a stg account and a Euro account which run alongside each other.  Cheque book and card with the stg account and a debit card with the Euro account.  You can move funds freely between the two without paying any charges, and no fees to pay for using your (euro) debit card anywhere in Euro land.

Best solution for me by far.

 

[andyh4]

[quote user="vervialle"]I work for Lloydstsb

that's obvious from what follows

and it is not a problem for you having an overseas address,the problems start when your account does not have a good turnover as that starts to govern your credit score

I would have thought being in credit was more important but hey LloydsTSB don't make money from that

and if you become a non resident then lending can become a problem , but if the account is used and active you should not have a problem, if you keep credits comming into the account at least once a month  this will keep your account active.The alternative is to have an offshore account and whilst there is a charge for this, which is not massive, you receive all the benefits of a U.K. run account.

No you don't - you just said you have to pay.  Not paying for your account is a beneift, is it not?

You can open an offshore account easily by downloading the application form off the website.I have an account with Credit Lyonais in France and when I transfer from Lloydstsb to Credit Lyonais I pay £10.00. for an economy transfer

When I transfer money from my German account to my UK one it costs me 65c!

and credit Lyonais do not charge me anything for receiving the money.

Neither does my UK account.

It takes two days to get there.

Snap[/quote]

 

So now tell me how good LTSB is.  In some respects UK banks are very good, but in othrs they are the pits.

Sorry in a grumpy mood today.

[Ron Avery]

[quote user="maggie"]

I have an English and a French bank account.  As we will shortly be selling our property in the UK does anyone know if I can keep my English account open with a French address? 

[/quote] To actually answer your question, with all the major banks.  Nat West, HSBC, Lloyd's TSB Barclays, Yes you can.  If you close your account, few if any banks or bulding societies will open a new current or savings account from a foreign address.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

We are with Lloyds and I've kept it open when I lived in Australia, and it's still open now I'm in France. No problems at all.

[nomoss]

We've had the same Lloyds account for 46 years. Still happy with them. Only complaints - My Lloyds personal cheques were accepted by shops in Australia and Singapore on sight of my Passport in 1966 - don't think that works these days!  The Branch Managers change much more frequently, so I rarely know who they are.

While on a longish holiday in about 1970 we didn't receive our Eurocheque card when these were introduced, and were unable to cash Eurocheques without it. Lloyds in Cannes advanced us enough to get by until we sorted things out - by calling our Branch Manager the next day, who recognised my voice. Don't suppose this would be possible these days, thank God for Plastic.