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I just want to say that these are unrelated: opening a bank account doesn't actually require a proof of residence in France by law, it's the banks themselves th

I just want to say that these are unrelated: opening a bank account doesn't actually require a proof of residence in France by law, it's the banks themselves that often require it (but when you move abroad they are generally happy to update your address without proof), needing a check for renting is absolutely infuriating but also not a legal requirement, only something private landlords usually ask (publicly subsided housing and student accommodation organisations that regularly see foreign students generally allow other means of guarantee). So these are entirely problems with private actors, not the French administration - you will find that the French administration is often very helpful when you need to pay things to them, most means of payment are possible, foreign credit cards are no problem for example, and they even take American Express for paying fines. And wealthfare fraud is not conducted with checks, although it might require false proofs of residence.

makeitdouble 5y ago
Proof of residence is not required by law for bank accounts, but banks are on the hook when dealing with non residents, in particular regarding anti-laundering laws. Technically it’s a private sector decision, in practice it’s a result of the different gov entities requirements that lead to the current situation. Of course it’s not just french banks, having foreign accounts is just becoming more complicated in general IMO.
- he0001 5y ago
  While proof of residence isn’t necessary, you do need some sort of identification right? This due to anti money laundry laws. A bank in Europe must be able to prove that an individual is who he is. The identification will indirectly prove that someone else has verified the individual’s residence. If you then move, it doesn’t matter since you are already identified.
  - makeitdouble 5y ago
    Yes, you need ID either way. I think Bank of France will open you an account without any other condition than proving your existence, but without any convenience on it outside of the bare minimum (it’s part of their role as a societal service)
    - he0001 5y ago
      Well, the thing is that the ID asserts that there is a government party that is a guarantor to that you exist and you are who you say you are. So by showing them the ID they know that all the work is done to assert this and they only need to match the persons face/bio to the card to assert the identity. All banks in the EU are bound by law to assert that the person doing a transaction is who he is and is identifiable. So it’s not just because their “role as a societal service”.
tasogare 5y ago
> So these are entirely problems with private actors The CROUS, which manage the dorm in my example, are a public actor.

makeitdouble 5y ago

Proof of residence is not required by law for bank accounts, but banks are on the hook when dealing with non residents, in particular regarding anti-laundering laws. Technically it’s a private sector decision, in practice it’s a result of the different gov entities requirements that lead to the current situation. Of course it’s not just french banks, having foreign accounts is just becoming more complicated in general IMO.

he0001 5y ago
While proof of residence isn’t necessary, you do need some sort of identification right? This due to anti money laundry laws. A bank in Europe must be able to prove that an individual is who he is. The identification will indirectly prove that someone else has verified the individual’s residence. If you then move, it doesn’t matter since you are already identified.
- makeitdouble 5y ago
  Yes, you need ID either way. I think Bank of France will open you an account without any other condition than proving your existence, but without any convenience on it outside of the bare minimum (it’s part of their role as a societal service)
  - he0001 5y ago
    Well, the thing is that the ID asserts that there is a government party that is a guarantor to that you exist and you are who you say you are. So by showing them the ID they know that all the work is done to assert this and they only need to match the persons face/bio to the card to assert the identity. All banks in the EU are bound by law to assert that the person doing a transaction is who he is and is identifiable. So it’s not just because their “role as a societal service”.

tasogare 5y ago

> So these are entirely problems with private actors The CROUS, which manage the dorm in my example, are a public actor.