The European Union, an intergovernmental body composed of 27 European states, comprises the largest single economic area in the world. The conditions are not fixed by the Community law. Each member states has its own rules. However, countries can not open an anonymous account! It is necessary to privide an ID, a domicile certificate, and eventually, your branch and account number provided by your current bank, just to proove that your are not forbidden to open a bank account. Some of the banks accept to open an account by phone, with a written confirmation sended after.

France case : A foreign resident living in France since more than 3 months can open a bank account in this country. Nevertheless, many of them seem rather doubtful in the case of a shorter stay. Be careful, the absence of domicile certificate and/or the residence permit , frequent situation when you just arrived, make the opening more difficult and longer. We advice you to get your VISA international card for the begining. Furthermore, you could find out about you current bank to know if they have a branch or partnership with a french bank. It's easier to open your account. The 2 most famous accounts are:

Ten days after the opening, you will receive a chequebook and a debit card. Chequebooks are mostly free. Nevertheless, the debit card, valid 2 years, costs between 15 and 40 euros a year, depending on the banks and the type of card chosen : International or national, deffered payment or immediate.

The overdraft costs a lot! When the account balance is negative,a bank charges taxes called "agio". At the account opening , the bank determines the maximum overdraft amount. If, unfortunately, you exceed this amount, you risk a ( interdit bancaire), with the loss of you credit card and your chequebook.

FBS Banking PLC © 2008.