A French company needs a bank account with a credit institution or a notary to deposit its share capital before registration, and the funds are released once the company is registered. Banks can refuse to open an account. A company domiciled in France that is refused can use the Banque de France's right-to-an-account procedure, which has short statutory deadlines. Banks have full access to the beneficial ownership register and use it at onboarding.
Opening the account and depositing capital
The capital of an SAS, SARL or SA must be deposited in a blocked account with a bank or a notary before registration. Payment institutions are not accepted. The funds are released when the company produces its Kbis or RNE extract. In practice this means a bank relationship must be in place before the company exists, so onboarding should start early.
Banks are obliged entities under anti-money-laundering rules and have full access to the beneficial ownership register. Expect the bank to check that the ownership chain declared to it matches the register, and to ask for documents tracing ownership to the individuals above 25% or in control.1234
If a bank refuses: the droit au compte
A bank may refuse to open a business account, but it must give a written, reasoned refusal certificate within 15 days. Silence for longer counts as a refusal. A company domiciled in France that holds no deposit account in France can then apply to the Banque de France. The Banque de France must designate a bank within 24 hours of a complete file, and that bank must open the account within 3 business days of a complete file. The account includes 12 basic services free of charge, but no overdraft.
The procedure is aimed at companies already domiciled in France, so it does not help a foreign parent open an account before its French entity exists. It works as a backstop, not as a route to full corporate banking services.5678
How it works, step by step
- Approach a French bank or notary for the capital deposit and provide ownership and identity documents.1Bank or notary
- After registration, provide the Kbis or RNE extract to release the capital to the company's account.2Bank or notary
- If refused, obtain the refusal certificate (or wait 15 days) and file a droit au compte application with the Banque de France.58Banque de France
- Contact the designated bank, which must open the account within 3 business days of a complete file.6Designated bank
No timings or fees are shown unless an official source states them.
Documents usually needed
- Identity document of the legal representative
- Draft or signed articles and ownership chart tracing beneficial owners
- Kbis or RNE extract less than three months old (after registration)
- Bank refusal certificate and sworn statement of no other French deposit account (droit au compte)
Common mistakes
- Leaving bank onboarding until the articles are ready; the capital deposit must be made before registration.
- Using a payment institution for the capital deposit, which is not accepted.
- Expecting the droit au compte to deliver credit facilities; it covers basic services only, without an overdraft.
When the business crosses borders
- Ownership chains through several jurisdictions lengthen bank due diligence; prepare certified, translated corporate documents for each layer.
- The droit au compte requires a company domiciled in France, so it cannot be used for the foreign parent itself.
Questions businesses ask
Can a French bank refuse to open an account for a new subsidiary?
Yes. It must issue a reasoned refusal certificate within 15 days. The company can then use the Banque de France droit au compte procedure.56
Can the capital be deposited with an online payment provider?
No. The deposit must be made with a credit institution or a notary. Payment institutions are not accepted.1
What this guide does not yet confirm
These points need checking with a qualified local professional in France before you rely on them.
- Exchange control status, reporting of cross-border financial transactions to the Banque de France and the declaration of foreign accounts were not confirmed.
- Rules and procedures for repatriating profits, beyond the withholding taxes covered in the tax area, were not confirmed.
- The cash declaration threshold for entering or leaving the EU and the role of TRACFIN and the ACPR in AML supervision were not confirmed.
Sources and review status
Each statement is numbered to the source it was checked against. We use official sources where we can, and each statement says whether it was checked against an official or a secondary source. Sources last checked on 19 October 2026. None of it has been professionally reviewed yet: it is research checked against official and secondary sources by WONE Global, not legal or tax advice.
For an SAS, SARL or SA, cash share capital must be deposited in a blocked account with a bank or a notary before the articles are signed and before registration; payment institutions are not accepted and the Caisse des dépôts has not taken deposits since 1 June 2021. Commercial companies. The deposit is optional for civil companies. The depositary issues a certificate of deposit required for registration.
Deposited share capital is released to the company only once it provides proof of registration, either a Kbis extract from the RCS or an extract from the Registre national des entreprises (RNE).
The beneficial ownership register (RBE) is no longer open to public consultation; access is limited to persons showing a legitimate interest in combating money laundering, assessed case by case, while authorities and AML-obliged professionals keep full access. Those with a legitimate interest see limited data such as name, month and year of birth, nationality and nature and extent of interest.
Commercial and civil companies with a head office in France, and foreign commercial companies with an establishment in France, must declare their beneficial owners at registration through the Guichet des formalités des entreprises. A beneficial owner is a natural person holding directly or indirectly more than 25% of capital or voting rights, or otherwise exercising control; failing that, the legal representative.
A French bank may refuse to open a business account, but it must issue a written refusal certificate within 15 days of receiving the request, and silence for more than 15 days counts as a refusal. The certificate must give the reason and mention the right to an account through the Banque de France.
Under the right-to-an-account procedure (droit au compte), the Banque de France must designate a bank within 24 hours of receiving a complete file, and the designated bank must open the account within 3 business days of a complete file. Companies domiciled in France that hold no deposit account in France and can prove a refusal. The designation is valid for six months.
An account opened under the droit au compte must include a set of 12 basic banking services free of charge, excluding overdrafts, and the bank must give at least 45 days' notice to close it.
A company applying for the droit au compte must provide the legal representative's identity document, a Kbis or RNE extract less than three months old, the refusal letter or proof of a request more than 15 days old, and a sworn statement that it holds no deposit account in France. Filing is online through the Banque de France personal space, by post or at a branch.
Questions on this topic
4 statements on banking, accounts and capital flows in France
