- Barclays has been closing current and savings accounts for customers registered at a non-UK address, and has been doing this in waves since around 2020 — if you bank with them and live in France, a letter like this is a matter of when, not if
- You'll normally get at least six months' notice, which is enough time to act calmly — the mistake that causes real damage is doing nothing until the account is already closed
- Nationwide, Santander, Lloyds Banking Group (including Halifax and Bank of Scotland) and HSBC are currently still serving customers with a French address, so this isn't universal — check your own bank before assuming the worst
- Wise is often used as a replacement for receiving UK pension and rental income, but it's not a bank — your money sits in a safeguarded account, not one covered by the £85,000 FSCS deposit guarantee, and that's worth knowing before you move your life savings into one
Barclays says it's writing to every customer who doesn't have a UK address. For a lot of people in France, that letter arrives the same way it always does — quietly, easy to miss, and only noticed when something else stops working.
If you're not with Barclays, this may not affect you at all right now. But it's worth reading on anyway, because the pattern is spreading slowly across UK banking, and knowing what "good" looks like from another provider will tell you how worried to be if your own bank changes its stance.
Why Barclays is doing this
Barclays is a ring-fenced UK bank, which means its personal accounts are built and regulated specifically for customers based in the UK. Since Brexit ended the "passporting" arrangement that let UK banks operate freely across the EU, Barclays has decided it no longer wants to carry the compliance burden of serving customers who live in the EU and EEA — France included — without a UK address.
This isn't a new policy responding to some recent event. It's been running in waves since around 2020, and some accounts were being flagged even earlier than that. If you haven't had the letter yet, it may mean your wave hasn't come round yet.
Long-standing customers — accounts held for 40, even 50 years — have received the same letter as everyone else. Loyalty and history with the bank make no difference to the ring-fencing rules.
What the letter actually means for you
Once your account closure date arrives, everything tied to that account stops. That includes:
- UK pension payments — the most common thing people rely on a UK account for, and the one that causes the most stress if it bounces
- Rental income from a UK property, if that's where it lands
- Direct debits and standing orders — anything still running against a UK property, insurance policy, or subscription
- Access to your own transaction history — which matters at French tax return time, since you may need old statements to evidence income already declared
None of this is a reason to panic. It's a reason to act in the right order.
- Don't close anything yourself yet. Even if the letter unsettles you, an open UK account you can still access is more useful to you than a closed one.
- Open the replacement first. Wise is one option UK expats in France take, because it gives you a UK sort code and account number along with a euro account. UK income can be paid to your UK Wise, whilst using the Euro IBAN to pay french bills. The main advantage with Wise is the exchange rates - always the market rate with very low exchange fees.
- Redirect the income before you touch the old account. Update your pension provider, landlord agreement, or direct debit details to point at the new account, and confirm at least one payment has landed successfully.
- Then close the old account once you're confident nothing is still routed through it.
A major tip before closing your Barclays account - transfer your balance to your new account. This will avoid waiting months for Barclays to release funds from a "holding account" - something some people have experienced.
Is it just Barclays?
No — but Barclays is clearly leading the way. As of now, Nationwide, Santander, and Lloyds Banking Group (which includes Halifax and Bank of Scotland) are still maintaining existing accounts for customers with a French address. That can change, and probably will for some of them eventually, but there's no need to assume every UK bank is coming for your account on the same timetable.
HSBC sits in an odd middle ground — some expats have successfully opened or kept accounts with a non-UK address, while others have been refused depending on where they live, so treat anything you hear about HSBC as "worth checking directly," not a guarantee.
Wise, Revolut, and the FSCS question
Wise and Revolut come up constantly in expat forums as the practical fix, and for good reason — both let you receive and hold GBP with a UK account number, alongside euros, without needing a UK address.
However, account holders need to be aware that neither Wise nor Revolut is a bank in the traditional sense — they're electronic money institutions. That means your money is held in a safeguarded account rather than covered by the £85,000 Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) guarantee that applies to money held with an actual UK bank. Safeguarding is a real protection, and these are well-established, regulated companies — but it isn't the same legal protection as a bank deposit, and that distinction matters if you're planning to route large sums, like a property sale, through one rather than just receiving a monthly pension.
Whilst this is a consideration for holding significant balances in your Wise account, it is still worth considering opening a Wise account for your transfers to France.
If you already use Wise for income or currency transfers, be aware that the interest and cashback it pays still needs declaring on your French return — see our Wise tax declaration guide.
Common mistakes people make
- Waiting until the closure date to act. Six months sounds like a long time until it isn't. Open the replacement account in month one, not month five.
- Closing the old account before the new one is fully working. Confirm a real payment has landed in the new account before you let the old one go.
- Assuming every bank will treat you the same way. Some are still onside. Check before you panic-move everything.
- Forgetting the paperwork trail. If you need old statements for a French tax return, download or request them before access disappears.
- Forgetting to redirect your income payments. A pension provider or letting agent can't redirect a payment to an account they don't know exists yet.
If you're moving foreign income through a new account structure, it's also worth checking whether that account itself needs declaring — foreign bank accounts held outside France generally do, and a new Wise or Revolut account is no exception. If you use Wise for income or currency transfers, the interest and cashback it pays still needs to be declared on your French return — see our Wise tax declaration guide for how that works.
If you're restructuring where your UK income lands, it's a good time to make sure your French tax position is clear too. Taxpert's filing assistant helps you track foreign income across accounts and currencies and puts it in the right place on your return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will closing my Barclays account affect my UK State Pension?
Your State Pension will keep being paid on schedule, but it needs somewhere valid to land — ensure you set up your replacement account and inform your pension provider of the new details before the Barclays one closes, and there's no interruption.
Can I still open a UK bank account if I live in France?
It depends on the bank, there is no blanket rule. Nationwide, Santander, and Lloyds Banking Group currently accept or maintain accounts for customers with a French address, while Barclays does not. Always check directly with the bank rather than relying on what worked for someone else, since policies vary and change.
Does Wise count as a proper bank account for receiving my pension?
Wise gives you a genuine UK sort code and account number, and pension providers generally treat it the same as any other UK bank account for payment purposes.
Is my money protected if I use Wise or Revolut instead of a bank?
Not in the same way. Wise and Revolut safeguard customer funds rather than covering them under the £85,000 FSCS deposit protection scheme that applies to UK banks. This is a real form of protection, but it's a different legal structure, worth knowing if you're moving a large sum rather than routine income.
Do I need to declare a new Wise or Revolut account on my French tax return?
Yes, often the euro accounts are based in Belgium and therefore treated as a Foreign account. Wise or Revolut accounts are treated the same way as a traditional foreign bank account for this purpose.