Thank you Hayley, hopefully I'll have everything with me. The comments regarding CA Britline (who I applied with on Friday after a comment on here) have been quite positive so far so maybe I won't need them.
Thank you Michael, I will make enquiries, that sounds like a good idea.
Thank you Paul, fingers crossed.
Thanks Alan, fingers crossed the CA Britline application will run smoothly.
Thank you Dave, I have scanned all the documents required by CA and will take those with me on on a usb stick so if we decide to try to open an account during our visit I will have everything with me.
You can open a stirling account with CA britline and get 3% interest on your money and then when you want to transfer it into euros you will get a very competitive exchange rate they work with their partner HIFX who are always near the top when it comes to exchange rates.
We have been using their services for 12 years now and would not consider going to another french bank.
My experience as a fairly recent arrival (alas still part-time) is that as long as you have an active UK account it's pretty straightforward (especially if you have an EU employer). My case was complicated by my having arrived in France following a spell of employment in the Middle East. After months of trying with CA (face-to-face, emails, phone calls) I eventually gave up. I was then directed to Banque Populaire and was signed up (with an internet account) within an hour. Fantastic.
Hello Sue,
Whilst not (yet) living in France, I have used CA Britline for probably five years now and have found their service very good. The niggles, such as they are, relate to the fact that banking in France is, in a number of ways, still like in the UK in the 1970s and you get these issues from all the banks I am pretty sure (eg BNPP where my other half has banked probably all her adult life).
Good luck with everything. (Presumably you are aware that you should consider the specialist currency exchange businesses for GBP-EUR conversions?)
Alan
Take everything AND copies esp proof of UK address ie utility bills as your current proof of residence. You'll be glad you did. Our bank BNP wanted a copy of his CDI (job contract) too, as we didn't then have a French permanent address when we opened our account and he's French. He closed his account when he came to live in the UK 20yrs ago. He now wishes he hadn't.
Personally found CA pretty useless. Always referring us to the english version ie
Britline. Spent ages in a branch in Nice with a pre booked appointment getting there so slowly it was as if going backwards. Have found Societe Generale excellent. Book the appointment first and take every bit of documentation you can think of. You will get a dedicated contact at your branch who to date I have found beyond reproach.
Thank you Michael, I have submitted my application to Britline...fingers crossed.
Hello Sue.
Apply to credit agricole [ Britline] on line from the uk,you can do it all on line from the uk without having to go into a french bank providing you have a uk bank account otherwise it becomes very difficult.
You must do it all before you move from your uk address.
Thanks for your reply Anna. I will pack everything :-).
Hello Sue
From experience, you need to take everything!!! Passport, birth certificate, driving licence, basically everything that proves you are who you say you are (and marriage certificate if you want a joint account)!!!
I think because we do not have an official 'identity card', it will always be best to cover all bases. This will also depend on the bank you are planning to use!!! From our experience, we are with Credit Agricole, and the procedure of opening the account was a nightmare, we were in the office for nearly 3 hours, doing nothing much and then signing a document in French!!! Ah, the memories!!! Although with Credit Agricole there is a dedicated team of English Speaking advisors, so this cancels out the initial problem, because I can now contact by email or telephone a specific person if I have a problem!!!
Anyway, I will stop rambling on, in short, take everything!!!