Is it still possible to open and operate a UK bank account while residing in France?

Reader Question: Are there any UK banks that will allow me to use their bank while I live in France?

Since Brexit, options have become fewer for having a UK bank but living in France, but some still exist.

Having said this, while some banks have been willing to keep on long-standing customers who move to France, they are not interested in opening new accounts for French residents.

Barclays, notably, closed many accounts of residents in France and generally does not accept new French-resident customers, whereas, for example, Lloyds group (Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank) allows existing customers to remain.

Read more: UK bank card woes with French address

A ‘Lloyds International’ account is an option for new customers.

Among the high street banks, HSBC UK stands out as being flexible to foreign residents. It is possible to open basic or premier accounts from abroad, including France. 

The process involves downloading an app by scanning a QR code on a website, then submitting various personal information, including your reason for wanting a UK-based account, such as receiving rent from the UK, doing work in the UK or simply regular travel to the country (there is also a ‘something else’ category, with a field to ‘tell us more’).

Online services with various ‘neobanks’ are another option for many Britons in France, with online-only providers such as Wise offering multi-currency accounts. 

However, among the commonly used ones, we are not aware of any that currently offer French residents an account with a UK Iban (international bank account number), if that is important to you.

For example, Wise, while UK-based, uses Belgian-Iban accounts for customers in the EU.