Overseas Bank Account

UK Financial Chat
121

Curve??

122

Curve would count as a UK issued card and UK BIN number, so ATMs can charge an extra fee as you’re using a foreign card. It’s up to the bank or whoever runs the ATM to set or waive the foreign card fee.

Cards issued in the EU with a BIN number of an EU country have to be treated the same as all local cards would that country - so no additional foreign card fees. If the local card’s ATM fee is zero, then it should be zero for all EU cards. If it’s €5 for local cards, then €5 for all EU cards.

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123

Santander ATMs do contactless so a virtual card would work.

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124

There’s also Bankera (emoney), and the French borsobank which is free if you do a transaction each month.

125

I think Ma French Bank is also available outside France.

Edit: looks like it is on the way out!

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126

Also not convinced you can open Boursobank without an existing French RIB (untranslatable but basically proof that you already have a French bank account):

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127

It’s been done by somebody sending them a Starling statement as far as I can recall.

128

BBVA Spain also allows non resident accounts but has to be in branch

And the debit card looks nice and simple

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129

I might try, a French IBAN would be pretty useful to me.

130

If nothing else those two would help our French and Spanish :rofl:

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131

…with the added bonus of notifications, unlike UK Santander accounts

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132

You opened the account already or had one from before?

133

No, it’s an old account, but I’ll be closing it next time I visit a branch and opening the account you linked further upthread. I don’t see why I should pay €30 a month when I can get an identical account for free.

134

It’s a definite no to BoursoBank unless you have French tax residency:

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135

Shame. I looked at it some months back and that condition wasn’t there.

136

I have no need for a French account, but is this any cop? Despite the awful name it’s part of Credit Agricole:

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137

If WISE was used at an ATM in the EU it wouldn’t attract any fees as it has a Belgium IBAN?

138

They will even send you a cheque book!

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139

I have been charged fees at ATMs. Despite the IBAN on the Euro sub-account, the primary account this UK and the card is UK issued, which I believe triggers the fees. I’ve gone with Bankera for free ATM withdrawals in the EU.

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140

It’s one I looked at when I was thinking about buying a ‘real’ property (rather than the mobile home I ended up with). It’s pretty old school French (monthly charges, debit card charges etc) and IIRC requires a minimum deposit of something like €3500.

For what I need (a few SEPA direct debits that require an EU IBAN and regular payments in Euros) Wise will do.

Might open Bankera as @projectfortytwo suggests though.