Date source: 2026-06-29
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What are the legal interest rates applicable during the second semester of 2026? Published June 30, 2026 - Service Public / Legal and Administrative Information Department (Prime Minister)
Legal interest rates are used to calculate the amount of penalties in case of late payment to a creditor. The rates applicable during the second semester of 2026 were set by a decree published in the Official Journal on June 30, 2026. They apply from July 1, 2026.
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Legal interest rates are updated every semester.
The first rate, the highest, concerns cases where a sum of money is owed to an individual (in other words, the creditor is a natural person not acting for professional purposes); the second rate applies to other creditors (particularly professionals).
Table - Legal Interest Rates Debtor (the one who owes money)
Creditor (the one to whom the money is owed)
Rate (2nd semester 2026)
Rate (1st semester 2026)
The legal interest rate is used to calculate interest on sums of money owed to a creditor in case of late payment, particularly in banking, over-indebtedness, credit, divorce or between professionals. For example, in the context of a commercial dispute or a court decision requiring you to pay a sum of money, if you pay this sum late, you must pay legal interest in addition.
To calculate the amount of these interests, you must multiply the sum owed by the number of days late and by the applicable legal interest rate during the period in question. The result must then be divided by the number of days in a year (365). This corresponds to the following formula: (sum owed x days late x legal interest rate) / 365.
You must also use 365 in this calculation when it is a leap year.
The increased legal interest rate for the second semester of 2026 is:
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11.84% if the creditor is an individual;
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7.75% if the creditor is a professional.
This increased rate applies when the debtor has not paid the sum owed within 2 months. It corresponds to the simple legal interest rate, increased by 5 percentage points.
Legal texts and references
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Decree of June 26, 2026 relating to the setting of the legal interest rate
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Decree of December 15, 2025 relating to the setting of the legal interest rate
See also
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What is legal interest? Service Public
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Legal interest calculation Service Public
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Payment terms between professionals and late payment penalties
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Everything you need to know about the legal interest rate Ministry in charge of the economy
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Source: Service-Public professionals