HOW TO OPEN A FRENCH BANK ACCOUNT

To open a French bank account is generally fairly straightforward.
Internet banking has made it much easier to open a French bank account , and to pay bills in France.
You can arrange all the transactions through your French bank account from your computer in the UK -  some French banks even have a site in English!

Before you open a French bank account visit a few French bank sites to see how they feel.
You will need a lot of paperwork if you open an account online - bank references, 6 months statements, birth and marriage certificates etc etc.
It took me so long to get it all together, I ended up visiting France before I got to open a French bank account !
I went to open a French bank account in branch and it was really easy! But if you are not going to France soon, being able to open an account online is a benefit.

When you open a French bank account you can set up direct payments [virement- standing order and Prélèvement Automatique - Direct Debit ] for all the regular expenses incurred in running your new home - water , electricity , telephone , community charges and property taxes.
This is so much easier than sending a French bank account cheque to France when the bill arrives, and will avoid risking late payment charges and disconnections.

French banks do not seem to offer free banking and the charges made for transactions vary substantially from French bank account to French bank account.
Check out several banks before deciding. Although in the end, the availability of a site in English may be your top priority if you speak little or no French.

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Particularly important to consider when you open a French bank account are the costs for the transfer of money overseas. You will need to do this every time you make a payment from your income in the UK to your French bank account abroad.
If you have a foreign mortgage, that will probably be every month!

When you open a French bank account you will receive a cheque book. You do not need a cheque gurantee card in France. The penalties for going overdrawn are so tough [almost akin to going bankrupt in the UK!] that a cheque alone is accepted. Do not go overdrawn! You must keep your French bank account in credit.

Some shops need to see ID so taking your driving license or passport is a good idea.

You can get a debit card when you open a French bank account, and there is a charge of around £20 per year for this.

You can use it in shops instead of a cheque, get money out at a cash point and use the 24 hour automatic petrol stations which won't accept UK cards.