Last verified: 5 October 2026, based on the official pages cited at the bottom of the page.

To apply to open an account, you must present a valid official ID with a photograph: national identity card, passport, EU residence permit card (carte de séjour) or other residence permit (titre de séjour).

The Banque de France lists the following eligible persons: "being domiciled in France, regardless of nationality, or being French and living abroad, or being a foreign national and legally residing in a European Union country other than France;"

Documents required to open an account

You must also provide proof of address, for example with a tax notice (avis d'imposition), rent receipt (quittance de loyer), water or electricity bill, or a certificate of address election (attestation d'élection de domicile) if you do not have a stable address.

If you are staying with someone, the bank may also ask for an accommodation certificate (attestation d'hébergement).

You must provide your signature; it will be recorded by the bank.

If the bank accepts, it will inform you of the terms of use and the fees; for a current account, you sign an account agreement on paper or in digital form.

The right to an account: your recourse if refused

The bank is free to refuse to open an account and must inform you of the possibility of contacting the Banque de France to exercise your right to an account.

If refused, the bank must give you a refusal letter stating the reason.

If the bank does not reply within 15 days, its silence is considered a refusal: the period starts from the date of the acknowledgement of receipt of your application, or from the date it was handed in in person or at the counter.

Who is eligible?

According to Service Public, if you are legally resident in another European Union member state, you must not be acting for professional purposes to benefit from the right to an account.

The Banque de France also sets this condition: not having any individual account open in your own name, or having an account that is being closed.

Service Public states that holding a deposit account in France prevents you from benefiting from the right to an account, but specifies that you can benefit if you hold a joint account.

Prepare and submit your application

• The right-to-an-account application form, completed and signed.

• A certificate of refusal to open an account issued by a bank in your name; if not available, a copy of the acknowledgement of receipt of your application by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception), or proof of submission in person, dated more than 15 days ago.

• A valid official ID.

• Proof of address (justificatif de domicile): the Banque de France's application checklist states "dated within the last three months", and its detailed list below distinguishes the documents accepted depending on your situation.

• A sworn statement that you do not have a personal or professional deposit account, and, if there is one, the decision to terminate the account agreement.

• If you are legally resident in another European Union member state, a sworn statement of this legal residence.

You can submit your application to the Banque de France online, at a branch counter or by post.

You can also ask the bank that refused to open the account to forward the application to the Banque de France.

After the bank is designated

According to the Service Public page, the Banque de France designates the bank by post within 1 working day of receiving the documents.

The designated bank must send you by post the list of documents required to open the account and the branch's contact details.

According to Service Public, the bank must open the account within 3 working days from receipt of the required documents.

You must then contact the designated bank and send them the requested documents.

Tip: keep a copy of your file and all exchanges with the bank.

Free basic banking services

Opening an account under the right to an account and using basic banking services are free of charge.

• Opening, management and closing of the account.

• Issuance of bank account details (RIB) on request.

• Having bank transfers paid into the account (domiciliation de virements bancaires).

• Monthly statement of transactions carried out on the account.

• Execution of cash operations.

• Depositing cheques and bank transfers.

• Deposits and withdrawals of cash at the bank counter or at its ATMs.

• Payments by direct debit, interbank payment order or bank transfer.

• Ways to check your account balance remotely.

• Bank card where each use is authorised by the bank.

• 2 bank cheque forms per month or equivalent means of payment offering the same services.

Proof of address (justificatif de domicile): preparing the right document

For a right to an account application if you are living in France

• Title deed for your main home (résidence principale).

• Most recent tax notice (avis d'imposition) or notice of non-taxation.

• Rent receipt (quittance de loyer) less than three months old.

• Water, gas, electricity, internet or telephone bill less than three months old, on paper or printed from a digital version.

• Home insurance certificate less than three months old.

• Valid travel document (livret de circulation).

• A valid certificate of address registration (attestation d’élection de domicile) establishing the link with an approved organisation under Article L.264-2 of the Social Action and Family Code.

If you are hosted in France, provide a sworn statement from the person hosting you, stating that you live with them, along with their ID and their proof of address (justificatif de domicile) less than three months old.

If you live abroad or are applying for asylum

If you are legally resident in another European Union member state, the required documents are a sworn statement of legal residence and a copy of proof of address (justificatif de domicile) abroad.

If you are a French applicant living abroad, provide a copy of proof of address abroad less than three months old.

In the specific case of asylum seekers, if you have an asylum application certificate, the required proof is the domiciliation statement you were given.

FAQ

What are bank account details (RIB) and the IBAN?

RIB stands for "relevé d'identité bancaire" (bank account details).

The RIB contains the account holder's name, the bank's name, the bank code, the branch code, the account number, the RIB key, the IBAN and the BIC code.

IBAN stands for "International Bank Account Number": it is the international identifier for your bank account with a financial institution in a given country.

The IBAN for your account is shown on your bank account details.

Can an IBAN from another SEPA country be refused?

For transfers and direct debits, creditors and bill issuers must accept accounts from anywhere in the SEPA area without discrimination based on the bank's location.

According to the Banque de France, a French creditor cannot refuse an IBAN issued in another SEPA country.

Official resources

• "Individual bank account" (Service Public)

• "Refusal to open a bank account: right to an account" (Service Public)

• "Beneficiaries of the right to an account procedure" (Banque de France)

• "Exercising your right to a bank account" (Banque de France)

• "RIB, IBAN and BIC: the nicknames for your bank account details" (Banque de France)

And what about Pionra?

Pionra does not replace your bank or the Banque de France. It is a space to share your experience.

Have you just completed this process? Share your story in a comment or in a note to help those who come after you.