Optimum bank account whilst working abroad

Julie_Rennard

My 22 year old daughter is a waitress/ski instructor in France and moves around Europe depending on where the work is. She is being payed in cash in her current job (so that her employer avoids paying international charges, I presume), has bills to pay at home and says she can't get the money to me without posting it. She says she can't get a French bank account.

I'm looking for an account that she can access in France/Europe, where she can pay in/draw out and do online banking without a permanent French address. She has a Halifax account here. Our address in the UK is permanent.

Any suggestions?

colsten

It's very odd that she can't get a French bank account as EU-wide all banks must be offering basic banking facilities to residents. May be she isn't registered as a resident? Is she registered as a tax payer in France?

eDicky

Your daughter should be able to open an account with Britline using her UK address. It's part of Credit Agricole, at whose branches she can (presumably) deposit cash. It costs 57c per month I believe, with a reasonably small charge to have a card.

She could then transfer funds without charges and at the interbank exchange rate if she opens a Revolut account using their app on her smartphone. Top up from her Britline card and withdraw to her UK account or send elsewhere etc.

knightstyle

Tell her to be careful if anyone offers to swap her € for £, there are a lot of scams around.
As previous post why can't she open an account. Credit Agricole or I think Halifax do suitable ones.
Edit. It is Lloyds who do international banking and if you have a Halifax UK account you can open one easily.

eDicky

knightstyle wrote: »

As previous post why can't she open an account. Credit Agricole or I think Halifax do suitable ones.

Are Halifax in France? (I don't go there much.)

Anthorn

All your daughter needs to do is walk into a bank branch in France and open an account. It's as simple as that. I have a temporary holiday address in Cap D'Agde with my permanent address in U.K. and I had no problems at all opening a bank account in France.