# bank account question



## Chrissippus

This year, Covid permitting, we are planning a trip to France to scout out locations. If I have obtained my Irish passport by that time, a big "if," would I be able to open a bank account? We would be staying either in a hotel or a Vrbo rental, so we would not have a permanent address.


----------



## Bevdeforges

You could probably open a "non-resident" account - using your current address (i.e. outside of France). It doesn't have all the same features as a resident account but could be converted to a regular resident account after you move.


----------



## Garywest12

We set up an account here outside France. It worked brilliantly when we arrived:




__





Credit Agricole Britline : French Banking // British Thinking


Britline, a branch of Credit Agricole Normandie, which provides an English speaking French Banking service to clients resident in France, the UK and Ireland. Open your new french bank account without the need to come to France. 24 hour on-line banking. Complete banking services in English




www.britline.com




It is part of major French bank Credit Agricole, and our cards worked everyone although account nominally based in Normandy. All questions easily resolved in English which helps at early stage. Good luck!


----------



## Greenfoot

Garywest12 said:


> We set up an account here outside France. It worked brilliantly when we arrived:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> __
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Credit Agricole Britline : French Banking // British Thinking
> 
> 
> Britline, a branch of Credit Agricole Normandie, which provides an English speaking French Banking service to clients resident in France, the UK and Ireland. Open your new french bank account without the need to come to France. 24 hour on-line banking. Complete banking services in English
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.britline.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It is part of major French bank Credit Agricole, and our cards worked everyone although account nominally based in Normandy. All questions easily resolved in English which helps at early stage. Good luck!


Same, we've just opened an account with Britline / CA whilst we're still in the UK. So far, very good experience with them.


----------



## Bevdeforges

Greenfoot said:


> Same, we've just opened an account with Britline / CA whilst we're still in the UK. So far, very good experience with them.


One small caveat - we've had a few folks here try to open an account with various French banks using their "Britline" but they sometimes run into problems if they aren't resident in the UK when opening the account. According to the OP's flag tag, he's not in the UK.


----------



## Nunthewiser

Bevdeforges said:


> One small caveat - we've had a few folks here try to open an account with various French banks using their "Britline" but they sometimes run into problems if they aren't resident in the UK when opening the account. According to the OP's flag tag, he's not in the UK.


I think Ireland works for Britline as well( not sure the OP is an Irish resident, though). But it's not good enough to be English speaking. They shuttled me over to regular CA (Morbihan) where I did succeed in getting a non-resident account in spite of being FATCA-positive. It would have been easier on all of us in English, but, it's done.


----------



## bhamham

Fatca positive I like it


----------



## BackinFrance

Nunthewiser said:


> I think Ireland works for Britline as well( not sure the OP is an Irish resident, though). But it's not good enough to be English speaking. They shuttled me over to regular CA (Morbihan) where I did succeed in getting a non-resident account in spite of being FATCA-positive. It would have been easier on all of us in English, but, it's done.


One of the issues when you choose to move to France is the language and the fact that there are many important settings where you will find that English is either not spoken or not much spoken. It is something anglophone expats need to cope with, one way or another. Of course the best way would be to work on your French, both before and after arrival, or perhaps consider moving elsewhere, given that France is something of an anomaly in this regard.


----------



## Chrissippus

Thanks for the Britline suggestion, but I can't take advantage of it, since I am resident in Thailand.


----------



## Chrissippus

BackinFrance said:


> One of the issues when you choose to move to France is the language and the fact that there are many important settings where you will find that English is either not spoken or not much spoken. It is something anglophone expats need to cope with, one way or another. Of course the best way would be to work on your French, both before and after arrival, or perhaps consider moving elsewhere, given that France is something of an anomaly in this regard.


In my own case a large part of my interest in moving to France is to perfect my French, which I am told is currently at a B2 level. I am currently taking French lessons with a goal of C2.

But now I am in no hurry. The Irish department that registers foreign births has just received my application dossier which they kindly acknowledged in an email. Disappointingly however, they advised me that I could expect a decision in two years.


----------



## BackinFrance

Chrissippus said:


> In my own case a large part of my interest in moving to France is to perfect my French, which I am told is currently at a B2 level. I am currently taking French lessons with a goal of C2.
> 
> But now I am in no hurry. The Irish department that registers foreign births has just received my application dossier which they kindly acknowledged in an email. Disappointingly however, they advised me that I could expect a decision in two years.


You do not need your Irish passport to open a non-resident account in France. Any TCN can do so on the basis of documentation from the county where they are resident. Note that such documentation may need to be translated.


----------



## Chrissippus

BackinFrance said:


> You do not need your Irish passport to open a non-resident account in France. Any TCN can do so on the basis of documentation from the county where they are resident. Note that such documentation may need to be translated.


Yes, I realize that I could probably open a non-resident account without being an EU citizen, but since our planned move to France now looks to be more than two years away, getting an account no longer seems urgent.


----------

