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.
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.
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)
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”.
Of course it’s not just french banks, having foreign accounts is just becoming more complicated in general IMO.