New UK bank account but living in France

[Le 47]

Has anyone out there had any recent experience of opening an ordinairy UK bank account using a French address?

I have made contact with 2 banks who both referred me to the offshore banking sections with associated high charges.

Thanks

Bill

[Ron Avery]

Most if not all UK banks and Building Societies will allow existing customers who move to France to keep their accounts, but they will not allow you open any new accounts once you are resident here.

[Will]

There was a discussion about this on another forum with people getting upset because there apparently is no legal reason why British banks should not accept overseas customers, should they wish. They felt they were being denied a 'right' to hold a bank account. The point that most of those people seemed to miss is that it is the banks themselves, not the law, that set the conditions for opening accounts, and in just about every case the banks choose to accept applications from UK residents only. We have recently been through this with Mrs Will (who has a UK address but is French resident) being unable to open accounts, though she has kept existing ones, but there has been no problem with me (officially UK resident but who spends time in France) opening accounts for her.

[Apero]

[quote user="Will"]There was a discussion about this on another forum with people getting upset because there apparently is no legal reason why British banks should not accept overseas customers, should they wish. They felt they were being denied a 'right' to hold a bank account. The point that most of those people seemed to miss is that it is the banks themselves, not the law, that set the conditions for opening accounts, and in just about every case the banks choose to accept applications from UK residents only. We have recently been through this with Mrs Will (who has a UK address but is French resident) being unable to open accounts, though she has kept existing ones, but there has been no problem with me (officially UK resident but who spends time in France) opening accounts for her.[/quote]

Therein lies the answer; mostly.[B]

You must surely owe me one Will.[Www] Bought you two tonight!

[Will]

[B] [B] - enjoy