France (FR)

Monthly fee: €0 (Welcome) / €9 (Ultim) — free with usage

Requirements: Online application, €300 monthly income, passport, justificatif de domicile, RIB for transfer

• + Free CB Visa (Welcome)
• + Great mobile app
• + Best online bank in France per Meilleure Banque awards 9 years running
• + Welcome bonus €80–200

• - App only in French
• - No branch network
• - Cheque deposit by post
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers; Boursorama optimised for EU SEPA payments only

Monthly fee: €0

Requirements: €1,200 monthly income or €10,000 savings

• + Free gold Mastercard (no FX fees worldwide)
• + Excellent for international travel
• + Commission-free trading

• - Income requirement higher than Boursorama
• - French-only interface
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–25 per outbound transfer — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers; Fortuneo designed for domestic and EU banking
• - No branch network — entirely online; complex issues resolved by phone and online chat; in-person banking support unavailable

Monthly fee: €0–13.99

Requirements: Passport + selfie; no income requirement

• + Multi-currency account
• + Near-interbank FX rates
• + Crypto + stocks + savings
• + Instant card via app

• - Lithuanian IBAN (now also French IBAN tier for Premium+)
• - Some landlords refuse non-FR IBAN despite SEPA rules
• - Not covered by French FGDR — Revolut operates under Lithuanian banking licence; deposits are guaranteed under Lithuania's DGS (€100,000 per depositor), not the French FGDR
• - Customer service quality variable — primarily chat-based; complex disputes or fraud resolution can take days without in-branch escalation option

Monthly fee: €0–16.90

Requirements: Passport + selfie via app

• + Fully in English
• + DE IBAN accepted everywhere in SEPA
• + Fast onboarding for newcomers
• + Good for pre-arrival setup

• - No cheque book or chequing support
• - Limited French customer service
• - German DE IBAN — some French landlords, DGFIP (tax authority), and certain French government portals may prefer a FR IBAN for direct debits; supplement with Nickel or Boursorama for IBAN-sensitive transactions
• - International SWIFT fees for non-SEPA transfers — N26 charges per-transfer fees for non-EU wires; Wise is cheaper for regular transfers outside Europe

Monthly fee: €25/year (Nickel Standard)

Requirements: Open in any of 7,500 buralistes (tobacconists) with ID — 5 minutes

• + No income, no domicile required
• + Accepts all nationalities with valid ID
• + No overdraft (good budget control)

• - €25 annual fee
• - CB Mastercard only, no cheques
• - No overdraft, no credit products, no savings products — Nickel is strictly a current account; cannot apply for loans, credit cards, or mortgages through Nickel
• - International SWIFT fees apply for non-EU transfers — Nickel is not optimised for international banking; use Wise or Revolut for transfers outside the EU

Monthly fee: €0–15

Requirements: Branch appointment with passport, justificatif de domicile, RIB/fiche de paie or attestation employeur

• + Largest French bank
• + English-speaking expat desk in Paris
• + Comprehensive services (mortgages, assurance-vie, business)
• + Branch network abroad

• - Branch service primarily in French — English service at Paris and major city expat-desk branches but smaller provincial branches and most customer service interactions default to French
• - Monthly fees €0–15 depending on account type — fee waiver requires salary domiciliation, minimum balance, or qualifying transactions; confirm exact conditions at branch opening
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer plus FX spread — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular transfers to non-EU destinations
• - Account opening requires in-branch appointment with full documentation — justificatif de domicile, passport, and proof of income; typically 1–2 weeks from appointment to full account activation

Monthly fee: €0–15

Requirements: Branch appointment + standard documents

• + International banking network
• + English-speaking branches in Paris, Lyon, Nice
• + Strong online banking

• - Branch service primarily in French — English service at Paris and Lyon flagship branches; smaller branches and customer service may not have English-speaking staff
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer plus FX spread — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers
• - Monthly fees €0–15 apply depending on account type — fee waiver requires salary domiciliation or balance conditions; confirm exact threshold at branch opening
• - Account opening requires in-branch appointment — justificatif de domicile, passport/titre de séjour (non-EU), and proof of income required; allow 1–2 weeks for full account activation

Monthly fee: €0–15

Requirements: Branch appointment; some regional caisses stricter than others

• + Largest branch network in France
• + Strong in rural areas
• + Good for mortgages

• - French-language service throughout — Crédit Agricole has limited English support even in major regional branches; French language capability strongly recommended for any non-trivial banking interaction
• - Fee packages vary by regional caisse — Crédit Agricole is decentralised; pricing and account conditions differ between regional caisses (Île-de-France, Sud, Grand Ouest etc.); compare your regional caisse specifically
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers
• - Some regional caisses have strict documentation requirements for non-EU expats — titre de séjour or student card may be required in addition to standard documents; processing time can be longer at stricter regional offices

Monthly fee: €6–13

Requirements: Branch appointment

• + Strong Paris presence
• + English service in major branches
• + Good digital platform

• - Branch service primarily in French — English service exists in major Paris branches but is not standard at all locations; functional French useful for routine banking interactions
• - Monthly fees €6–13 apply — higher than online alternatives; confirm fee waiver conditions at account opening
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer plus FX spread — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers; LCL designed for domestic French banking
• - Smaller branch network than BNP Paribas or Société Générale — concentrated in Paris and major cities; less convenient for expats in smaller French cities or rural areas

Monthly fee: €2–13

Requirements: Branch appointment

• + Strong local presence
• + Livret A specialist

• - French-language service throughout — Caisse d'Épargne has very limited English capability; primarily serves French-speaking clients; not suitable as primary bank for expats unable to navigate French-language banking
• - Monthly fees €2–13 vary by branch network and account type — decentralised structure means pricing differs between regional entities (Île-de-France, Hauts-de-France, Occitanie etc.)
• - International SWIFT fees: €15–30 per outbound transfer — Wise is considerably cheaper for regular non-EU transfers; Caisse d'Épargne designed for domestic French banking
• - Cooperative share or minimum product requirements — some Caisse d'Épargne accounts require purchasing a cooperative share or bundling products; confirm exact account conditions before opening