Bank Account for Working in France

[Spydaman]

My son is doing a season in France this winter and is wondering what is the best way to get paid. Whether to keep his UK bank account and use a local ATM or get a French bank account. Can anyone with experience of this offer some advice please.

[ewenm]

Is he getting paid in euros by a French company or sterling by a British company? If paid in euros I'd look at getting a euro bank account as sterling is weak at the moment so he won't be ripped off by exchanging money all the time.

[Marcellus]

If he's being paid in Euros I would say get paid in Euros otherwise his employers will give a rate which suits them (A well known trick with Ski employers).

Whether that's a € a/c in UK or France is the decision imo..

Usually getting an account in France is not as easy as in the UK.. he will need to make an appointment with a bank manager in person and then attend an interview during which the bank manager will form an oppinion as to whether they want your son to be a client.... if yes then he will then have to ask your son if he is happy to have that bank manager as his manager.. if your son doesn't like him he can say no and the bank manager will bring in another bank manager........ assuming your son likes the bank manager then they will start the paperwork.... all in all your son will lose the best part of an afternoon to open an account.

French Banks don't particularly like "seasonaires" especially Brit Seasonaires (not to be confused with my company) and this isn't without just cause really.... there are loads of tales of Brit Seasonaires writing cheques and then disappearing back to the UK never to be seen again and without the funds to cover the cheques.

In France, unlike the UK a cheque is a bond... IT CANNOT BE STOPPED/CANCELLED and THE BANK WILL PAY OUT.... even if the account holder is overdrawn WHICH IS ILLEGAL WITHOUR PRIOR CONSENT... so if a seasonaire writes a cheque to settle their bar tab and then leaves resort the bank is left carrying the can.....

I hear that "La Poste" are a little more friendly but only a little.

WHich resort is he going to and who with btw?

[Spydaman]

Thanks for the quick responses. He will be being paid in sterling so it sounds as though he's best keeping his UK account and getting money out over there. As I understand it there is a 3% charge on using a UK debit card overseas at what ever exchange rate the bank applies. I suppose we could buy euros in the UK and post them to him each week at least it'll help him keep tabs on his expenses.
BTW he's going to La Tania with Hucksters.

[ewenm]

IIRC Nationwide do a free foreign withdrawal debit card. Check out something like MoneySupermarket.

[Spydaman]

That's handy as his account is with Nationwide and checking their website it looks as though he won't get charged for using an ATM or Visa transactions.

[Marcellus]

I think Nationwide have had some changes to their charges!!

Spydaman - suggest he checks out natives.co.uk it't PH equivelent for Seasonaires!!

(BTW oh dear oh dear oh dear.... he's going to have an amazing season....... don't expect him back before the season ends!!)