Last updated: 28 May 2026

Right to a Bank Account in France 2026 (Droit au Compte)

By the CheckEverything.fr editorial team · Sources: Banque de France, ACPR, service-public.fr (F1737), Légifrance (article L312-1 CMF)

A French bank refused to open an account for you? You are not stuck. Under article L312-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code, the Banque de France can designate a bank that must open one — together with a free basic services package. This guide walks through the 2026 procedure step by step, with special notes for expats, foreign residents and non-residents.

The essentials in 2026

  • Legal basis: article L312-1 of the Code monétaire et financier. The Banque de France designates a bank that is obliged to open the account.
  • Timeline: 1 business day for the Banque de France designation, 3 business days for the designated bank to open the account.
  • Eligibility: any individual in France regardless of nationality, plus French nationals abroad and EU residents with a legitimate need for a French account.
  • Free basic services (article D312-5 CMF): debit card with systematic authorisation, SEPA transfers and direct debits, deposits, withdrawals, monthly statement.
  • Remedies if things go wrong: bank complaints department, banking ombudsman (médiateur), ACPR supervisor, Défenseur des droits.
1 day

Banque de France designation time (business day)

3 days

Bank opening deadline once designated (business days)

€0

Cost of the basic banking services package (article D312-5)

L312-1

Code article that establishes the right

Official sources consulted

Banque de France · service-public.fr (F1737) · Légifrance (article L312-1 CMF) · ACPR · Défenseur des droits

What is the right to a bank account?

The droit au compte is a French legal safeguard set out in article L312-1 of the Code monétaire et financier. If you live in or have a legitimate link to France and you cannot get a deposit account from any bank, the Banque de France steps in. It designates a credit institution that must open the account, with a defined free basic services package.

This is not a loophole or a back-door scheme. It is a long-standing right, introduced in 1984, broadened by the Murcef law of 2001 and reinforced by the 2013 banking law. The framework also implements the EU Directive 2014/92 on basic payment accounts.

Tens of thousands of people use the procedure every year. Most are residents who were refused for reasons such as low income, banking incidents, or absence of stable address. A growing share are expats, international students and non-residents who need a French account for property, work or family reasons. The Banque de France treats all eligible files the same.

Key point: you must first be refused by a bank before exercising the right. Apply to at least one bank, ask for the written refusal, then take it to the Banque de France — or let the bank forward the file directly to the Banque de France with your written consent.

Legal framework in 2026

The droit au compte was first established by the Banking Law of 24 January 1984. It is now codified in article L312-1 of the Code monétaire et financier, supplemented by articles D312-5 to D312-8 for the content of the free basic services package and articles D312-6 and D312-7 for the procedural rules.

France goes further than most EU countries. The EU Payment Accounts Directive (2014/92) requires banks to offer basic payment accounts; France adds a designation mechanism that removes any excuse for exclusion.

The framework has been updated several times to expand the free service package, shorten timelines and improve protection of vulnerable customers. The most recent practical references are the Banque de France procedural guide and fiche F1737 of service-public.fr, which list current forms and documents.

Who can use this right?

Eligibility is intentionally broad. The only hard requirement is that you do not already hold a deposit account in France.

Eligible profiles

  • Any individual residing in France, regardless of nationality.
  • French nationals established outside France (expats) who need a French account.
  • EU and EEA nationals legally residing in another Member State, with a legitimate French interest.
  • People listed in the FCC (cheque ban) or FICP (credit incidents) registers.
  • People in the official over-indebtedness procedure handled by the Banque de France.
  • People without a fixed address, with an attestation d'élection de domicile from a CCAS or accredited charity.
  • Refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and asylum seekers (with residence permit or asylum certificate).

Important: the right does not allow you to obtain a second account. If you already have a deposit account in France — even one you barely use — you fall outside the scope. The application form includes a sworn statement on this point.

Step-by-step procedure

Step 1: apply at a bank and get the refusal in writing

Visit any French bank — high street, online or neobank — and apply for a standard deposit account. Provide the standard documents (identity, proof of address, and anything else they reasonably ask for).

If the bank declines, ask for the attestation de refus (written refusal certificate). Banks are legally required to deliver it free of charge and without delay. Some staff try a verbal refusal — insist on written documentation. This letter is the key to the whole procedure.

Step 2: gather your documents

For your Banque de France application, prepare:

  • The bank's written refusal certificate.
  • The droit au compte application form, downloadable from banque-france.fr .
  • A valid identity document: passport, national ID card, French residence permit or récépissé.
  • Proof of address less than three months old (utility bill, rental contract, tax notice) or an attestation d'élection de domicile from a CCAS, CADA or accredited charity if you have no fixed address.
  • A signed sworn statement that you do not currently hold another deposit account in France.
  • For non-residents and expats: evidence of a legitimate interest in holding a French account (property title, French income, inheritance, tax matters).

Step 3: submit to the Banque de France

You have two routes:

  • Direct transmission by the refusing bank — the simplest path. Sign the written consent and the bank forwards the complete file to the Banque de France for you.
  • You submit yourself — in person at any Banque de France branch, by post to the branch of your département, or via the online service on banque-france.fr.

Contacting the Banque de France

34 14 — free service, Monday to Friday

You can locate your nearest branch on banque-france.fr. In-person submission is usually faster: staff check completeness on the spot and tell you immediately if anything is missing.

Step 4: designation by the Banque de France

Once the file is complete, the Banque de France issues a designation decision within one business day. You receive a formal letter naming the bank and branch that must open the account. The decision is also sent to the designated bank.

Step 5: the designated bank opens the account

From the moment it receives the decision and your documents, the designated bank has three business days to open the deposit account with the basic services package. You typically receive your IBAN/BIC immediately and your debit card by post within one to two weeks. Online and mobile banking access is activated from day one.

What you get: the basic banking services package

The free services package is defined by article D312-5 of the Code monétaire et financier and cannot be reduced or charged for. It covers everything you need for ordinary day-to-day banking.

Included free of charge

  • Account opening, maintenance and closure
  • One change of address per year
  • RIB (account details) delivered on request
  • Monthly statement of operations
  • Incoming and outgoing SEPA transfers and direct debits
  • Cash deposits and withdrawals at the managing branch
  • Cheque and transfer cashing
  • Payments by direct debit, transfer and TIP SEPA
  • Debit card with systematic authorisation (EU payments and ATM withdrawals)
  • Two bank cheques per month
  • Remote balance consultation (online and mobile)

Not included

  • Regular chequebook (entirely at the bank's discretion)
  • Authorised overdraft facility
  • Standard or premium credit cards with deferred debit
  • Consumer or mortgage loans
  • Regulated and bank savings products
  • Life insurance, securities, brokerage
  • Premium fee-based services

The bank may offer some of these services, but it is not obliged to.

About the carte à autorisation systématique

Before each transaction, this debit card queries the bank to verify the available balance. If funds are insufficient, the payment or withdrawal is refused on the spot. You cannot go into overdraft and therefore cannot incur overdraft fees. The card works for payments and ATM withdrawals across the European Union.

Special situations

Expats and newcomers to France

If you have just arrived in France with a visa long séjour or a carte de séjour and a French bank turns you down — often because you have no French income history — the droit au compte is your direct route to a working IBAN. Once you have one, lease signing, utility set-up and salary domiciliation become straightforward.

Asylum seekers and refugees

Your asylum application certificate (attestation de demande d'asile) counts both as proof of identity and as proof of legal presence. If you live in a CADA, the centre will issue your proof of address. Refugees with OFPRA protection and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection have the same rights as French residents.

International students

Your student residence permit or long-stay visa for studies works as proof of legal presence. A CROUS housing contract, a private rental agreement or an attestation d'hébergement (with the host's ID and proof of address) covers the address requirement.

People without a fixed address

Contact your local CCAS or an accredited charity (Emmaüs, Secours Catholique, Croix-Rouge, Armée du Salut). They can issue an attestation d'élection de domicile that banks must accept as a legal address.

Non-residents and French nationals abroad

If you live outside France and need a French account for property ownership, French income, ongoing inheritance, tax obligations or family reasons, prepare a short cover letter explaining your legitimate interest and attach supporting documents (title deed, employer letter, tax form, notary letter). The Banque de France will check that the request is justified.

People with banking incidents (FCC, FICP)

FCC (cheque ban) or FICP (credit incidents) listings do not block access. The designated bank may, however, restrict specific services: no chequebook if you are FCC-listed, no overdraft if you are FICP-listed. All other basic services remain available.

Practical tip: keep certified copies of everything you submit, log every postal or email contact, and follow up if you do not hear back within five business days. Visiting a Banque de France branch in person almost always speeds things up.

Account closure and your remedies

The designated bank can decide to close the account, but only with a written notice of at least two months. It does not have to explain its reasons, but it cannot discriminate. Typical reasons are repeated unresolved incidents, prolonged inactivity, or serious misconduct toward staff. After closure, you can immediately launch a new droit au compte procedure — the closure notice itself replaces the original refusal certificate.

Who to contact, depending on the issue

  • The bank refuses to give you the refusal certificate — send a formal notice (lettre recommandée avec AR) citing article L312-1 CMF, then contact the Banque de France and report the breach to the ACPR.
  • The deadlines are not respected — contact the Banque de France branch that issued the designation. Quote the decision date and the date you contacted the designated bank.
  • You suspect discrimination (origin, religion, family situation) — file a complaint with the Défenseur des droits .
  • Routine dispute with the designated bank — bank complaints department first (response within two months), then the banking ombudsman (médiateur) listed in the convention de compte.
  • Serious professional breach — escalate to the ACPR , the French prudential supervisor attached to the Banque de France.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is the droit au compte in France?
The droit au compte (right to a bank account) is a French legal mechanism set out in article L312-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. If a bank in France refuses to open a deposit account for you, the Banque de France can designate another credit institution that is legally obliged to open the account, together with a set of basic banking services provided free of charge. The procedure is free and applies whether you are a French resident, a French national living abroad, or a non-resident with a legitimate need for a French account.
Who is eligible for the right to a bank account in 2026?
Any individual without a deposit account in France can apply. This includes residents of France regardless of nationality, French nationals established abroad who need a French account, EU and EEA nationals in a regular situation, people listed in the FCC (cheque incidents) or FICP (credit incidents) registers, people in the official over-indebtedness procedure, people without a fixed address who hold an attestation d'élection de domicile from a CCAS or accredited charity, and refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and asylum seekers (with their residence permit or asylum certificate). The framework is set in article L312-1 of the Code monétaire et financier and on service-public.fr (fiche F1737).
How long does the procedure take?
Once the Banque de France receives a complete file, it designates a bank within one business day. The designated bank must then open the account with the basic banking services package within three business days from receiving the decision and the supporting documents. Total turnaround is typically four to five business days between Banque de France designation and account opening. Allow extra time for postal delivery if the file is sent by mail rather than submitted in person or through the bank that refused.
What documents do I need to submit?
Five items are required: the written refusal certificate (attestation de refus) from the bank that refused you, the droit au compte application form (downloadable from banque-france.fr), a valid identity document (national ID card, passport, residence permit or recepisse), a proof of address less than three months old (utility bill, rent receipt, tax notice) or an attestation d'élection de domicile if you have no fixed address, and a sworn statement that you do not currently hold another deposit account in France. Non-residents and French nationals abroad must add evidence of a legitimate interest in holding a French account, such as property ownership, French employment income, inheritance or tax obligations.
What free basic banking services come with the account?
The services bancaires de base, listed in article D312-5 of the Code monétaire et financier, are fully free of charge. They include: account opening, maintenance and closure, one change of address per year, RIB delivery on request, monthly statement, incoming and outgoing SEPA transfers and direct debits, cash deposits and withdrawals at the branch managing the account, cheque and transfer cashing, payments by direct debit, transfer and TIP, a debit card with systematic authorisation (paiements and ATM withdrawals across the EU), two bank cheques per month and remote balance consultation. Overdraft, regular chequebook, credit facilities and premium services are not included.
Can the designated bank refuse to open the account?
No. Once the Banque de France has designated a credit institution under the droit au compte, that bank is legally bound to open the account within three business days. Refusing is a breach of article L312-1 of the Code monétaire et financier and can be reported to the ACPR (Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution) and to the Banque de France branch that issued the designation. The bank may, however, verify identity, confirm completeness of the documents and respect anti-money-laundering due diligence before activating the account.
Can the bank later close the designated account?
Yes, but only with a minimum written notice of two months, as set in article L312-1. The bank is not required to provide a reason in most cases, but it cannot discriminate (origin, religion, family situation, political views and so on). Common reasons for closure are repeated unresolved incidents, prolonged inactivity, or seriously inappropriate behaviour toward staff. After closure, you may immediately start a new droit au compte procedure with the previous closure notice serving as the refusal document.
I am an expat or non-resident — can I use the droit au compte?
Yes. French nationals established outside France and EU/EEA nationals legally residing in another Member State can use the droit au compte to open an account in France, provided they do not already hold one. The Banque de France can ask for documents proving a legitimate interest in holding a French account, such as ownership of property in France, French-source income, ongoing inheritance, tax obligations or family responsibilities. For Turkish residents and other third-country nationals living in France, the standard eligibility rules apply once you hold a valid residence permit or récépissé.

Related banking guides

Banking hub

All our English guides on banks, accounts, savings and credit in France.

Read

Opening a bank account

Step-by-step guide to opening a French account as a resident or expat.

Read

Online banks in France

ACPR licensing, FGDR protection and what neobanks can offer English speakers.

Read

This information is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Procedures, deadlines and forms may change. For up-to-date details on exercising your right to a bank account in France, consult the Banque de France, the service-public.fr fiche F1737, or a qualified legal professional. Last updated: 28 May 2026.