Banking & Money — French

Moving from euros to a rupee life is smooth for French movers, but keep a French banking foothold and avoid losing money on transfers.

Keep a French account

Retain at least one French account for euro income, pensions and any French property. Unlike some UK banks, French banks are generally less quick to close non-resident accounts, but inform them of your change of residence and expect some products (livrets, certain assurance-vie) to be affected. Banques en ligne (Boursorama, Fortuneo) can be convenient for non-residents.

Moving euros to Mauritius

SEPA does not cover Mauritius, so euro transfers are international. Avoid your bank's retail FX for large sums:

• Use Wise, Currencies Direct or a specialist for competitive EUR→MUR rates.
• Time transfers around any property completion.
• Keep clear justificatifs de provenance des fonds — the Mauritian bank and tax residency both require proof of source.

Opening a Mauritian account

Bring your passport, proof of address, proof of income and your permit. Full resident accounts are simplest once your permit is issued. Major banks (MCB, SBM) serve the large French community and operate fully in French — a genuine day-to-day advantage.

The euro can swing against the rupee; budget with a margin and don't hold large balances at a poor rate.