Opening and keeping a business bank account when you run your French company from abroad

You have registered your company in France, you run it from abroad, and the bank is dragging its feet over opening the account, or even ends up closing it. This is one of the most common points of friction, and it fuels a persistent illusion: believing that a French address settles the matter. The whole question comes down to this: a domiciliation lets you register and locate the company, it strengthens the file, but it guarantees neither the opening nor the retention of the account. The bank, for its part, assesses a risk. Domisiège provides the address, not the account.

Do you need an account, and which one?

One confusion to clear up straight away. For a société commerciale (SARL, SAS, SA, SNC), a trader by its very form, holding an account is a legal obligation: « tout commerçant est tenu de se faire ouvrir un compte » (code de commerce, art. L. 123-24). Sociétés civiles (SCI, SCP), on the other hand, are not subject to it, even though an account remains indispensable in practice.

For a micro-entrepreneur, the obligation is more nuanced than it looks: the dedicated account is only mandatory above 10 000 € in turnover over two consecutive calendar years for a liberal (BNC) or craft activity (code de la sécurité sociale, art. L. 613-10), whereas a trader micro-entrepreneur must have one from the very first euro. And « dedicated » does not mean « professional »: a simple separate personal current account, reserved for the activity, is legally sufficient. We cover the case of the non-resident micro-entrepreneur in being an auto-entrepreneur in France when you live abroad.

Finally, do not confuse the operating account (the one this article is about) with the deposit of share capital at incorporation, which follows a distinct route: that is the subject of our article on the bank refusal at incorporation.

What domiciliation really does (and what it does not prove)

Domiciliation is a regulated activity: the provider must be approved by the préfecture (a six-year approval), and the contract, in writing, lasts at least three months. It gives you a stable business address in France, receipt of your mail, and the proof of occupancy that allows you to register. This is real, and it is useful when facing a bank: a serious professional address is worth more than a makeshift mailbox.

But let us be clear about the limit. The address proves neither the economic substance of the company in France nor the residence of its director. A bank that sees a director and beneficial owners abroad and a registered office at a domiciliation provider does not conclude « case closed »: on the contrary, it sees a file to be examined closely. The address opens the door to registration; on its own it does not open the door to the account. On what a good contract should contain, see our five points to check.

Why it gets stuck: the banker's freedom and anti-money-laundering

Here, two logics combine. First, the bank is free not to enter into a relationship: apart from the droit au compte (see below), no bank is required to open an operating account, still less to grant a card, an overdraft or a payment terminal.

Then, and above all, the anti-money-laundering obligations (LCB-FT). Before entering into a relationship, the bank must identify the client and the bénéficiaire effectif on documents (code monétaire et financier, art. L. 561-5), understand the purpose and nature of the relationship (L. 561-5-1) and exercise ongoing vigilance (L. 561-6). The bénéficiaire effectif is the natural person who holds, directly or indirectly, more than 25 % of the capital or voting rights, or who exercises control (art. R. 561-1).

The decisive point: if the bank cannot identify the client, the bénéficiaire effectif or the purpose of the relationship, it neither establishes nor continues the relationship, and terminates one already formed (art. L. 561-8). This mechanism takes precedence even over the droit au compte. Management and beneficial owners abroad are in no way illegal, but they make the file heavier; on top of this comes enhanced vigilance in certain cases (politically exposed persons, countries under GAFI monitoring, art. L. 561-10). Hence a simple rule: a legible file (organisation chart, clear bénéficiaires effectifs, evidence of the activity) makes the difference.

The droit au compte: a safety net, not a full business account

Refused everywhere? There is a safety net. Any legal entity domiciled in France and without a deposit account can invoke the droit au compte (art. L. 312-1). And this is a crucial point for anyone running things from abroad: it is the company (registered office in France, therefore domiciled in France) that exercises this right, not the director; their residence abroad is no obstacle to it.

The procedure is well marked out: after a refusal (no response within fifteen days counts as a refusal), you refer the matter to the Banque de France, which designates an institution within one business day; the designated bank then notifies the list of documents within three business days, then opens the account. Be careful: this « business day » refers to the designation, not an opening within 24 hours. The designation lapses if nothing is done within six months.

The account thus obtained gives access to the services bancaires de base, free of charge, including for a company: account keeping, RIB, SEPA transfers and direct debits, a card with systematic authorisation, two bank cheques per month. But this is not a full business account: no overdraft, no credit, no ordinary chequebook. And, as we have seen, if the bank cannot meet its identification obligations (art. L. 561-8), even this safety net does not apply.

Bank or neobank?

Many entrepreneurs abroad turn to « neobanks », often more flexible to open for international profiles. But you need to know what you are getting: most are not banks.

Bear in mind: a neobank can perfectly well hold your operating account and provide an IBAN, but it does not receive the deposit of capital of a company being formed (établissement de crédit or notaire only), and the droit au compte cannot be exercised against it. As for the funds, they do not directly benefit from the deposit guarantee fund (FGDR): they are ring-fenced (art. L. 522-17), with indirect cover of 100 000 € should the ring-fencing bank fail.

Collecting and paying from a foreign IBAN

Another common fear: « my IBAN is not French, my payments will be refused ». The rule is protective, but limited. A creditor or a service provider cannot refuse a valid IBAN for a SEPA transfer or direct debit in euros as soon as the account is located within the European Union (a rule extended to the EEA): this is règlement (UE) n° 260/2012, art. 9, whose breach is penalised by the DGCCRF (up to 75 000 € for a natural person, 375 000 € for a legal person).

Two limits, however:

• The protection covers payments, not the opening: it does not require any bank to open an account for you, nor to provide you with a French IBAN.
• It covers the EU/EEA, not the whole « SEPA zone »: an IBAN from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Monaco or San Marino does not benefit from it.

In practice, the DGFiP (and, in practice, URSSAF) accept any SEPA-format account, including outside France, to pay taxes and contributions, provided that SEPA direct debit is enabled on the account.

Reporting obligations: don't get the wrong 3916

A lot of things get confused here, so let us be precise. The formulaire 3916 (art. 1649 A du CGI) covers accounts held abroad by French tax residents and by sociétés civiles. Two consequences follow:

• A company with a commercial form (SAS, SARL, SA) is exempt from declaring its foreign accounts on the formulaire 3916, and the French account of the company never falls within this scope.
• A non-resident director does not have to file a French formulaire 3916 in respect of the French account of their company.

When the declaration is due and omitted, the penalty is 1 500 € per account (10 000 € if the State concerned has not signed an administrative assistance agreement), under article 1736, IV, 2° du CGI. The proportional penalty of 5 % of the balance, for its part, was struck down by the Conseil constitutionnel. Finally, do not confuse this with FATCA (which targets « US persons ») and the automatic CRS exchange: these are separate banking mechanisms: the information flows from the bank to the tax authorities, without any reporting step on your part.

Closure, mobility and anticipation

An open account is not secured forever. For a company's account, the bank may close an ordinary account without having to give reasons, respecting the notice period set by the account agreement (often 30 to 60 days) and the prohibition on abrupt termination. The two-month statutory notice period cited everywhere is a consumer regime, reserved for individuals. Only the account opened under the droit au compte benefits from a reasoned closure, with notification to the Banque de France and two months' notice (except in cases of fraud).

Nor should you count on bank mobility assistance: the statutory service (art. L. 312-1-7) is reserved for individuals; for companies, there is only a commitment from the banking profession, which is not enforceable.

The real safeguard is therefore not legal, it is preparatory: a solid file (organisation chart and clear bénéficiaires effectifs, evidence of the activity and of its link with France, source of funds), a stable business address, and a bank used to non-resident directors. This is where domiciliation really helps, without ever replacing the bank's decision. If your company is genuinely run from abroad, also consider the place of effective management, which has its own consequences.

Key takeaways

• A société commerciale must hold an account (art. L. 123-24); the BNC/craft micro-entrepreneur only above 10 000 €/2 years (the trader from the 1^st euro), and a dedicated personal account is enough.
• Domiciliation registers and locates the company; it helps the file but guarantees neither the opening nor the retention of the account.
• The bank is free to refuse, and the LCB-FT prevails: without identification of the bénéficiaire effectif, no account (art. L. 561-8).
• The droit au compte (art. L. 312-1) is exercised in the name of the company, but gives only basic services, without credit or overdraft.
• A neobank is most often an établissement de paiement: no deposit of capital, no direct FGDR, no enforceable droit au compte.
• European IBAN: its SEPA payments cannot be refused within the EU/EEA (règl. 260/2012), but this opens no right to an account. The 3916 does not cover the French account of a société commerciale.

Sources checked as of 17 septembre 2026: code de commerce, art. L. 123-24 (via L. 210-1); code monétaire et financier, art. L. 312-1, L. 312-1-1, L. 312-1-7, D. 312-5-1, R. 312-7, R. 312-7-1, L. 511-5, L. 522-17, L. 561-5, L. 561-5-1, L. 561-6, L. 561-8, L. 561-10, R. 561-1, L. 362-1; code de la sécurité sociale, art. L. 613-10; code général des impôts, art. 1649 A, 1649 AC, 1736 IV; règlement (UE) n° 260/2012, art. 9; Conseil constitutionnel, décision n° 2016-554 QPC du 22 juillet 2016; Banque de France, ACPR, FGDR, service-public.fr, impots.gouv.fr. Domisiège provides a business address and the proof of occupancy required at registration; its préfecture approval in Indre-et-Loire is being finalised, and its references will be published as soon as they are issued. A domiciliation does not guarantee the opening of a bank account, which is a matter for the institution's decision. This article does not replace an examination of your situation.