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Is French bank a/c necessary?


Mikey7
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Hi all

I'm currently in the UK but going to France shortly for a couple of weeks to look for a property to buy. I may or may not find something suitable. If not I may still return later this year and rent for a few months.  Question is, will I really need a French bank a/c? - I would prefer to open a FirstDirect Euro a/c here in the UK.

Thanx, Mikey

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With all due respect Dick, I don't find a French bank account necessary for paying utilities.  They can all be paid for in cash at the post office and for taxe fonciere, etc. they can be paid at the local Tresorie.  It sometimes costs a couple of euros more to pay at post office but not enough to worry about.
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How can you buy your daily shopping without a french cheque book or carte bancaire unless you have a suitcase of euros that you changed in the UK first? Don't say use a UK credit card because you can get frequent problems here with those and probably end up paying for your shopping twice in interest charges. You may also find in some areas that the utilities and local authorities like the Trésor Public will insist on their bills being paid by prélévement to make it easier for them,never underestimate the importance of having a french bank account for the most unexpected of emergencies.
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and not to forget getting your money back from the social security, I doubt they would pay it into a British account if you are supposed to live here full time.

However if the original poster is just planning to look for a holiday place, I doubt it is necessary in the immediate future to have a French bank account.
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Can I repeat that if it is a holiday home then bills will arrive to the UK. That requires a French bank account to either set up a TIP or post a cheque. No other method exists, and any other advice is misleading.

I never have problems paying with a UK card in France, although a Carte Bleu is quicker and easier. Essential if you want petrol on a Sunday.

New chip and pin cards are making the difference much less - but still no good for paying bills remotely.

We need more info from Mikey.
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Even if people intend to establish their own little Britain, they still need to deal with the French at some stage when they live here. Having a French bank account seems a pretty good place to start. As Dick says, it does make life a lot easier, in many ways.

If anybody really can't bring themselves to walk into a French bank, armed with an English/French dictionary, a mountain of paperwork and a fistful of euros, then the Britline account (www.britline.com) seems like a sensible compromise.

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I quite agree. For buying a house, for which all the money involved should be paid to the notaire's account (which can be done very easily through a British bank or currency exchange company) a French account is not needed. However, as soon as you have the house, and payments immediately become due for things like insurances and utility standing charges, it makes life so much easier to be able to pay by cheque and set up prélèvements which as far as I know you can't do simply and economically with non-French accounts, even euro accounts. As the original questioner was talking about renting a place, then he will need to pay deposits and rent as well as utility bills.
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In answer to the original question,

French banks often make a charge to the payee when a cheque is paid in from a non-French bank - even if it is in Euros (yes I know that makes a mockery out of the whole point of a single curency, but it is fact). Under these circumstances you may well find that some bodies will not accept a cheque drawn upon a non-French bank.

In France a cheque drawn on a French bank is usually as good as cash - no guarntee card is needed, but, a Notarire will usually require a bankers cheque (bankers draft equivalent) for larger amounts when buying property.

Of course there are ways around everything, but, having a French bank aco*****will make your life much easier. If nothing else, a Carte Bleu will ensure you can always get fuel for your car after 7pm in the evening or on Sundays !!

As has already been sugested, contact CA Britline who will make opening a bank account whilst still living in the UK very easy.
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[quote]How can you buy your daily shopping without a french cheque book or carte bancaire unless you have a suitcase of euros that you changed in the UK first? Don't say use a UK credit card because you can ...[/quote]

I didn't say don't have a French account, I said that in my experience one isn't necessary to pay for utilities or rates and that is a statement of fact.  Obviously it makes a difference if you are not in France when the bills come in. 

As for shopping and reference to social security payments, some people on this forum make far too many, rather unpleasant assumptions, about other peoples circumstances.

Yet another example of prejudice and half-soaked opinions getting in the way.  That's it for me for two weeks, off to the UK, where I can assure you I am gainfully employed.

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I don't think the bit about social security payments was necessarily an unpleasant assumption (though I can see where Linnorton is coming from on this one ).

You need to give bank account details to your organisme conventionné (e.g. your local CPAM) in order to get refunds of payments made for medicines, health care etc which are not covered by a carte vitale for any reason. I had many such payments made before getting a card, and still find that quite a few things such as consultation with our medicin traitant are not covered by the card.

So yes, yet another very good reason for having a French bank account.

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Thanks for the input everyone. If I actually buy something the intention is to live in France roughly every other 3 months. Here in the UK I fixed it long ago so that all my banking is over the internet, because of the long slow moving queues in my local bank. The reason for my question is that I'm just looking for the least hassle.

Anyway I think I've got the idea - I don't need one to buy the property (which is what I actually meant), but I do really need one once I bought it. Sounds like that britnet account would suit me fine.

Cheers, Mikey

 

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