Droit au compte
Droit au compte is the French legal right to a basic bank account, letting anyone refused by banks ask the Banque de France to designate a bank that must open a basic account.
Droit au compte operates in the French Banking segment.
Droit au compte: Core Facts
- Definition
- The legal right to a basic bank account in France
- What it provides
- Free basic banking services (services bancaires de base, art. D312-5-1 Code monétaire et financier): a card, direct debits, transfers and statements
- When it applies
- After a written refusal by a bank; 15 days of silence after the application counts as a refusal
- Designation time
- The Banque de France designates a bank within 1 business day of a complete file (Observatoire de l'inclusion bancaire 2025 report)
- What it is not
- Not credit, overdraft, a cheque book or a premium card; you cannot choose the designated bank
- Who can use it
- Anyone legally resident in France, and French citizens living abroad, who holds no personal deposit account in France
- Known friction
- Banks stall on refusal letters; one documented 2025 case took 130 days and a DGCCRF complaint
- Regulator
- ACPR (Banque de France)
- Status
- Active Definition
- Verified
How Droit au compte compares
Droit au compte is NOT a free premium account and NOT a guarantee of credit; it is the right to a basic banking service (services bancaires de base). It applies when banks refuse to open an account, not to overdrafts or loans.
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Droit au compte: Frequently Asked Questions
What is droit au compte?
Droit au compte is the French legal right to a basic bank account, letting anyone refused by banks ask the Banque de France to designate a bank that must open a basic account.
How do I use droit au compte?
Droit au compte is triggered after a bank refuses you in writing, or stays silent for 15 days; you then file online, at a Banque de France branch or through the refusing bank, and the Banque de France designates a bank within one business day of a complete file.
Does droit au compte include credit or overdraft?
Droit au compte only covers basic banking services and does not include credit or an overdraft, so it guarantees an account but not lending.
Related Entities
Other entities covered on the Open a Bank Account page:
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Where Droit au compte is mentioned on How to France
Guides and reference pages on this site that mention Droit au compte:
Maintained by Jules (How to France). This page follows the Grounding Page Standard v1.5. Last verified: 2026-10-14.