Guide · Financement
Right to an account: the procedure when every bank refuses
French citizens abroad or residents of another EU country have a right to an account under article L312-1. Refusal certificate, referral, designation within one business day.
When a bank refuses to open an account for a non-resident, the natural reaction is to knock on the next door. That is often right, but it is not the only option: depending on your situation, French law guarantees you an account, and the procedure that obtains it is short, free and little known. This guide walks through it, and says plainly who it applies to and what it gives.
It complements our reference page on bank accounts for non-residents, which covers the whole subject.
Two things people always confuse
A French bank is free to refuse a client. It does not have to give reasons, and it regularly refuses foreign files it judges unprofitable or too costly to monitor. That freedom is real and there is no point contesting it.
Alongside it sits a right, set out in article L312-1 of the Monetary and Financial Code: the right to an account. It does not bind any particular bank, it binds the banking system as a whole to provide a deposit account to certain people. The Banque de France arbitrates, and designates the institution that will have to comply.
Who can rely on it
Three categories of individuals, and you must fall squarely into one of them.
- Anyone domiciled in France, whatever their nationality.
- Any French national residing outside France. This is the line covering the French expatriate, whether they live in London, Dubai, Montreal or São Paulo.
- Anyone lawfully residing in another European Union member state, and not acting for professional purposes. This is the line covering the Belgian, German, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese buyer in France.
The rest of the world does not qualify. A British national living in London since the United Kingdom left the Union in 2021, an American, a Swiss, a Brazilian, an Emirati fall into none of these categories, unless they hold French nationality. For them the only route remains commercial, and the choice of institution decides everything, as our guide to opening an account remotely explains.
The procedure, step by step
- Ask a bank to open an account, properly, with a complete file. The procedure is triggered only by a genuine refusal.
- Insist on the refusal certificate in writing. It is an obligation of the bank, and it is the key document for everything that follows. A verbal refusal is worth nothing.
- Build the referral file: the certificate, a copy of your identity document, proof of address and a sworn declaration that you hold no deposit account in France.
- Refer the matter to the Banque de France. The application is filed online, by post, or through the bank that refused, which may forward it for you.
- The designation comes within one business day of receipt of a complete file. It is a statutory period, and it is met.
- The designated institution opens the account within three business days of receiving your documents. It cannot refuse.
What the account gives, and what it does not
The basic banking services are listed in article D312-5 of the same code, and they are provided free of charge.
| Included, free of charge | Excluded |
|---|---|
| Opening, keeping and closing the account | Authorised overdraft |
| A debit card with systematic authorisation | Deferred debit card |
| SEPA transfers and SEPA direct debits | Mortgage or consumer credit |
| Monthly statements and remote access | Chequebook |
| Two banker’s drafts per month | Regulated savings products |
Before getting that far, do check whether the refusal of your current IBAN is legitimate: in many cases it is not, and our guide on a foreign IBAN refused shows how to get it lifted. For a non-resident owner, this list covers the essentials of the daily problem: utility direct debits, the managing agent’s calls for funds, payment of local taxes, collection of rent. It does not cover financing, and that is the limit to know: a mortgage file requires a commercial banking relationship, not a minimum-service account. Our guide to mortgages by country of residence covers that other door.
The two mistakes that sink the process
The first is settling for a verbal refusal. Without a written certificate the file is inadmissible, and many advisers do not offer it spontaneously: you have to ask, in writing if need be.
The second is already holding a deposit account in France. The sworn declaration is precisely about that, and an account opened then forgotten at an old bank is enough to close off the right. If that is your case, the right step is not the referral but reactivating the existing account, often fallen dormant after twelve months without movement.
What we do at this stage
At French Realty, the referral is never the first reflex: we start by correcting what caused the refusal, because a file reworked and presented to the right desk succeeds in most cases. When the refusal persists and you qualify for the right to an account, we obtain the certificate, build the file and follow the designation through to the IBAN. It is a coordination service, delivered by your dedicated concierge.
To set out your situation and know which door to push first, the complimentary personal study is the starting point.
Frequently asked questions
Does the right to an account apply to a UK or US resident?
Only if they hold French nationality. Article L312-1 covers people domiciled in France, French nationals living abroad and people lawfully residing in another European Union member state. Since 2021 the United Kingdom is no longer in the Union: a British national living in London falls into none of the three categories, and their opening remains entirely commercial.
How long does the Banque de France designation take?
One business day from receipt of a complete file. That is the period set by law, and it is met. What takes time is what comes before: obtaining the bank's written refusal certificate, gathering the supporting documents and sending them. The designated institution must then open the account within three business days of receiving the documents.
Does the account obtained allow you to get a loan?
No. The basic banking services cover account keeping, a debit card with systematic authorisation, transfers, direct debits and statements. They exclude overdraft, credit and deferred debit cards. It is a solution that settles the direct debit of charges and the collection of rent, not the financing of a purchase: for that you need a commercial opening, with a file the bank accepts.