The challenges of opening a bank account in another country are explored in this edition of Utalk.
The question comes from Alexandra in Prague: “I have recently moved to the Czech Republic for a job. Will I be able to open a bank account there and make transfers back to my country of origin, Austria”
Alexandra, Prague
The response is from Jimena Gomez de la Flor, Europe Direct Communications Officer: “Actually, when you open a bank account in another EU country, the bank is free to choose if they accept or not your application because they need to know their potential clients.
It can happen that they refuse your application if you don’t live in that country or even if you are a short term resident, because they would like to have a proof that you are a long term resident.
Our advice would be to shop around to see which banks offer special products for non- residents or for expats. But, of course, if they refuse your application it has to be based on a commercial justification
