Could you please elaborate what the exact problem is? I never heard about such problem, but I am not sure whether I understand what the issue is here.
this post was submitted on 18 Jan 2026
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Have you moved countries within Europe? Then the problems mentioned above are what you can encounter.
And even if you haven't moved, try using non-US tech with your bank. Many banking application require you to either have a crApple device or a Google device with their spyware on it. Buying a phone without Google spyware (here's a big list of banks and their degoogled phone support).
I am not sure what the problem is, but if you are a legal resident in an EU country you are entitled to open a "basic payment account". Banks cannot refuse your application for a basic payment account just because you don't live in the country where the bank is established.
Do you think all banks follow the rules? And if they don't, do you think I, as a lone citizen, have the resources to fight a bank?
You don't fight the bank, you just follow the correct procedure and they will comply.
I don't know where you are, but you may think to contact the consumer protection agency in the country. I fairly believe all banks follow this rule.
I already have and am now more than a year into a process against a bank here with no end in sight. If I were to fight against all banks, it would take me a life time. There are many banks I have complained to but the most you can get most of the time is a tired "it's for security", "it's for compliance", "we do our best to serve our customers but we cannot serve the needs of everybody", and so on. Believe me when I say, it's far from "all" banks that follow the rule.
Here's an example from France "La Banque Postale"
Pour commencer, pouvez-vous nous confirmer que :
• Vous êtes majeur capable • Vous êtes résident fiscal français sans obligation fiscale dans un autre pays
which translate to
To begin, could you please confirm that:
- You are a legal adult with full capacity
- You are a French tax resident with no tax obligations in another country"
The next one in the search results was "Credit Agricole". To open a bank account, you need to enter your postal code and it only accepts French post codes.
Did the same with German banks, Spanish, even Slovak banks. If you're outside of the country, chances are you cannot open a bank account. That's the problem I have with being in the European Union and not in the European Federation or European Republic.
it's also illegal to reject an IBAN from another EU state.
you can also try a virtual bank: n26, bunq, revolut, and even wise.
N26 requires Google spyware, Revolut too, and I think Wise too. Some banks will further cancel joint / shared bank accounts when one partner moves to another country (even temporarily). And some banks are mobile only, meaning that while they may work for some time without US tech, they may suddenly change their mind, not tell you, and you'll find yourself locked out of your bank account or their payment methods.
And whether things are illegal or not doesn't matter too much unless you have money and resources to fight it. As an example, I had a lawyer friend who suddenly got a bill to pay for the previous tenant who hadn't paid the internet bills for months. Of course it was unjust, but the telecom company still put a lean on his account. Despite being a lawyer, it took said friend about a year to fight it (and win). But remember, this was a lawyer. I would have to hire a lawyer, take the thing to court, and hope everything is compensated.
If this were a reality where I could put my life on hold to fight stuff like this with state aid, there's no doubt I'd do it, but in this reality? You've gotta pick your battles.
N26 does not. I use it on graphene os, along with wise.
Good luck.