Individual bank account

Verified 31 October 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

What is a individual bank account ? This is a bank account opened by one person (called account holder). Type of account, how to open, use and close: here is the information to know about the individual bank account.

All types of bank accounts can be individual: current account, savings account or book or security account.

To open a bank account, you must follow certain rules.

Please note

special conditions (age, remittance, etc.) may be required when you open a booklet, plan or savings account. Ask your bank for more information.

Verification of identity

To apply for an account, you must present official identification with a photograph:

  • National identity card
  • Passport
  • EU residence card
  • Other residence permit

A driver's license may be accepted if the photo leaves no doubt about your identity.

Age verification

You must be majeur or emancipated minor to open an individual account alone.

If you are an unenfranchised minor or a protected adult, you must have authorization from your legal representatives to open an account.

Proof of domicile

You must also prove your domicile by providing, for example, one of the following documents:

If you are hosted, the bank may also ask you to provide a proof of accommodation. A template is available:

Acknowledgement of accommodation

Deposit of signature

You must deposit your signature which will be registered by the bank.

If you give a power of attorney on the account, the person concerned will have to deposit his signature.

Decision of the Bank

Account opening

If the bank agrees to open an account for you, it will inform you of the terms of use.

If it's of a current account, you then sign the bank account agreement. It contains the rules for opening, operating and closing your account.

If it is another account (savings account, title account, etc.), you sign a specific contract.

Refusal to open

The bank may refuse to open the account, without having to justify its decision.

It must inform you of the possibility to contact the Banque de France to exercise your right to account.

Who shall I contact

You are the only person who can perform the following transactions on your individual bank account:

You are solely responsible for debts and payment incidents linked to your bank account. That means the bank has to come to you to regularize the situation.

The account title is your first name and your last name, preceded by Mr. or Mrs.

If you are married, you can choose to open the account to your surname or your common name (your wife's name, your husband's name, or a double name). The bank will verify that your username is on your ID.

FYI  

if you're a single customer, the bank cannot impose upon you the use of Miss.

In guardianship or guardianship, the mention under the guardianship (or guardianship) of, followed by the name of the guardian or curator, is added.

Account opening is free.

The bank may charge you a fee for managing your account. These are the account keeping costs.

Details of these charges must be included in the pricing information, made available to you.

An individual bank account can be closed at the bank's initiative or at your initiative.

Closure at the initiative of the bank

The account can be closed at the initiative of the bank. To do so, it must respect a 2-month notice. The bank does not have to give reasons for its decision.

In case of death, the bank shall block the account as soon as it becomes aware of it. It shall no longer record any deposit or withdrawal operations. The account may be released for the settlement of certain expenses incurred after death.

Closing at your initiative

You can close your account for freeat any time and without reason.

The account agreement indicates the closing conditions of the account at your request.

In practice, you send a request for cancelation by registered mail with notice of receipt.

A sample letter is available:

Request bank account closure

Remember to keep enough money in your account. This will enable the bank to settle transactions in progress (checks issued in particular) and thus avoid payment incidents.

You must return or destroy all means of payment made available to you.

The transfer or direct debit orders are canceled on the date of receipt of the termination letter.

The bank is closing the account within 30 days maximum from your closing request and the return of means of payment. In practice, this period is generally 10 days.

Please note

in case of a change of bank, you can ask to benefit from the free mobility assistance service.

Within 5 days of the request to close the account, the bank offers you a summary of the automatic transactions that have been made in the last 13 months. For direct debit payments, creditors have 10 days to take into account your new bank details.

Warning  

the withdrawal of the deposited funds does not close the account. The account is closed but not closed, which may result in inactive account charges.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region