Well just dont do anything that might lead them to know you are none resident…they are taking very firm line on overseas based customers, even if a UK address is used. Including staff using records…as they will not have a banking licence in relevant country leading to possible fines on them for persistent breach if they are not seen to have made efforts to close such accounts.
@strudball John, did you see this post by @JohnBoy ?
Our son is employed by HSBC and his advise today was to open an on line UK account.
I have now completed the online proceedure for a joint account which allows anyone living in the EU and beyond to apply for. Approval in principal has been given subject to providing identity documents by post. These documents are now winging their way to HSBC in the UK and if accepted we will get an email confirming the account is open.
This is a basic current account without overdraft facilities but if our current bank closes our accounts we will certainly manage with a single joint current account with HSBC, we shall see.
@JohnBoy Any update John? Did it all go smoothly?
Not smoothly but still ongoing hence my silence until able to report something positive.
To say it is an online application account am currently at the stage of having 4 telephone conversations, answering 2 emails and receiving 2 letters from them to my one sent to them!
Latest conversation they assured me that I would be receiving notification of our new online joint account any day now.
Watch this space
Hopefully when received I will be able to advise of pitfalls to avoid so others can follow a smooth path
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Hi, I do have an HSBC account which I have just started to use again !
However my worry is that they like Barclays will start closing accounts?
What is there longer term plan?
Barclays are still mailing out replacement dr cards and will do so until closure is rolled out country by country. Don’t know when they will contact French customers.
First Direct at the moment continue to offer expat accounts and whilst owned by HSBC will only open an account providing you are actually in UK when you do it.
@strudball The message via the media is that HSBC will continue to operate in France at least for the foreseeable future. I don’t think anyone anywhere in the world can make any promises for the longer term. If you have your HSBC account, use it.
@graham and others have been advocates of Revolut. Have you looked at that at all?
I have a Transferwise borderless account as well as my HSBC account. I think one of the key implications is to have more than one option and maybe some of the newer models like Revolut and Transferwise will step up to the mark in a way that the traditional banks are not. My only concern about the new businesses is that they are not within the Financial Compensation scheme, so as well not to leave large sums with them.
My understanding from “the inside” is that HSBC have bases in many countries including France therefore thier banking licenses will not be affected by Brexit.
They are a WORLD bank as thier adverts are keen to acknowledge.
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I had an email from Revolut with encouraging news:
Your account details are changing
Hi Graham,
A few weeks ago, we let you know that we would move some of our European Revolut customers to our European entity in Lithuania (called “Revolut Payments UAB”). As a reminder, we’re doing this to ensure that our customers will not be affected by Brexit.
We’re reaching out today to update you on some changes to your Revolut account as a result of this move.
New account details
After we have transferred you to our European entity, the International Bank Account Number (IBAN) that you currently use to receive SWIFT & Euro SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area) payments will change. Your current IBAN starts with a ‘GB’, but after the move your IBAN will start with an ‘LT’. We’ll email you again as soon as we have completed the move and updated your details in the app. All our customers will receive their new account details by the end of December.
To make this transition easier, you’ll be able to use both your old and new IBAN to receive transfers for the next 6 months. By using your new LT IBAN you will avoid any potential fees imposed by banks on GB customer payments within the EEA after 31st December 2020. Please read our blog post here for more information and advice in relation to this change.
When you have received your new IBAN, you will need to provide it to your employer, friends or family to receive transfers to your Revolut account. You’ll also need to update any active direct debits.
The great news for our French customers is that we are currently in the process of applying for a French Branch of our European entity. Once this branch is active, you’ll be able to have a local French IBAN which starts with ‘FR’.
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After a telephone discussion on Tuesday with my Barclays manager I received a email confirming that whilst they have the address of the flat we own in the uk as our account address then accounts remain open. Not yet sure what the position will be when we sell it …whether we can move our reg’ address to our daughters …cross that bridge when we get to it or when post landscape is clearer.
I can thoroughly recommend Transferwise. I opened it a while back as a belt-and-braces backup to my existing Coop and Nationwide accounts, neither of which have so far threatened to cancel me even with a French address. However, I agree with @SuePJ - not a good idea at the moment to leave vast sums in there.
I started using it as a (very cost-effective) means of transferring money to and from the UK and use it twice a month to bring a couple of pensions across as they are currently paid into a UK account. Now I use their borderless account facilities and the debit card that goes with it and very useful it is too, both in the UK and France.
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After several e-mails and a couple of letters informing us that Barclaycard are closing our account on 16th November 2020, today I received an e-mail informing me about changes to their T & C as of 26th January 2021.
Seems they are not very well organised and co-ordinated.
I got an email from my Barclays manager last week confirming that as long as i have a uk address on my account it will remain open. This is currently our flat in Yorkshire. It did not say what the situation would be if we sold it, so not sure if we could move it to our daughter’s,.
What changes are they making to your Barclaycard account?
I understand HSBC have no problem with expat customers keeping accounts open.
I think this will be an automated mailing to all currently active accounts, their systems not clever enough to know a closure notice has been served.
Computer systems = rubbish in…rubbish out !! So no change there then
Revolut have now transferred our accounts to Lithuania so have an LT IBAN to replace/supplement the GB one. The two IBANs will work alongside each other for 6 months so all good here now. I’m in the belief that the base UK GBP account remains as it is so pensions going in there in GBP present no problem at all. Forex will be to the LT entity under our control.
It’s changes to the terms and conditions as follows.
•We’re reducing your cash interest rate (with certain conditons) |
|•|We’re changing the way we charge interest on all cash transactions|
|•|You won’t be able to use your card at gambling establishments or website
|
None of which have ever applied to me.
My Lloyds Bank account is still open so I will use my debit card for my purchases in the UK. Never use it in France so not a problem.
I hope Lloyds don’t decide to close accounts for UK citizens in the EU as I have been with them since 1960 when I started work there and don’t want to have to start again.
Ditto for me except I worked for some years for Barclays and am lucky to have a good Premier manager, however wouldn’t be able to change the rules.
Unfortunately my pension managers say I have to move my pension somewhere else as they can’t now manage cross border from 1st Jan’.
So the 16th of November has arrived!
As requested by Barclaycard I ammended my address to one in the UK to avoid my account being closed today.
I have just made an online payment today using my Barclaycard and all has gone through.
I also received a Round Robin email from Barclaycard today updating my T & C’s.
When updating my address I also switched to email contact only as previously had snail mail hard copies.
So what now?
Have I fooled the system or will I be found out?
Did you do the address change online and did they ask for evidence of you "Moving " to this address or how it is connected to you?
As I have relayed Barclays were happy that whilst we are French residents using the Adress of our uk flat was fine…but wouldnt comment on implications on accounts if we sold it.
Amended on line.
Yes I have connections to the new address.
Beyond which you will understand that I won’t be hanging out my dirty washing for all to see 
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Understand about washing …but did you do it on line without any explanations