There are two types of banks in France, the co-op's and the commercial banks. The co-operative banks have independent local branches. They have all the facilities of a national operating bank, but each branch has their own shares. It is optional to buy some shares of your local bank, but if you have a mortgage with the co-of bank, buying a number of their shares is mandatory. The quantity of shares that you need to buy is determined by the bank's board of directors.
As a non-resident you can open an account known as "compte de non-résident" There are almost no restrictions compared to the residents account and it makes paying your day to day bills a lot easier. Paying your utility bill with a travelers check is at best unconventional.
Checking accounts are by law non-interest baring and have no monthly fees or transaction fees. The "carte bleue" , a debit card, is very popular in France and is accepted almost anywhere.
Usually you need to go to the bank in person to collect your check book or carte bleue and you may want to bring ID.
The post office is the largest bank facility in most European countries. They work like any other bank and there is a variety of services. The reason for most people to choose for a commercial bank is the more personal
contact and less waiting lines. It is perfectly normal for European banks to sell all kinds of non-related services and goods such as vacation packages, insurance's, sunglasses, camping equipment, tools and more.
Another popular banking system for foreign investors are the offshore banks, located at Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Channel Islands. If you want to protect your assets from inheritance tax and don't want to be involved with complicated tax regulations, this could be something to look into. You can deposit money in different currencies, the earned interest is not taxed, no double taxation agreements and total anonymity. There is a minimum deposit, some banks maintain a minimum deposit of 1 million ffr. but mostly the minimum is a lot less. In general, they have on line or telephone banking and issue credit cards. It is best to work with a AAA rated bank and you should compare the services of the different banks. Offshore banking is a choice for the long term, there could be restrictions for withdrawals.
Most people with an offshore account also maintain an account with a local bank to pay the bills for day to day expenses,
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