Opening a French bank account and getting a RIB

In France your bank details are a document in their own right. Until you have a RIB, half of Paris will politely tell you to come back later.

The short version

A RIB (relevé d'identité bancaire) is a one-page slip with your IBAN and BIC. Landlords, employers, phone companies and the tax office all ask for it.
High-street banks usually want ID, a French address and proof of income. Online banks are cheaper but can be stricter about French tax residence.
If a bank refuses you, French law gives you a droit au compte: the Banque de France designates a bank, which must open a basic account within three working days of getting your documents [1][2].
Instant euro transfers cost the same as standard ones since 9 January 2025, and banks must offer a payee check since 9 October 2025 [3].
Tell your Australian bank you're a foreign resident so it withholds the right tax on interest [4].

Why the RIB matters so much

In Australia you read out a BSB and account number and nobody asks for paperwork. In France the RIB is the paperwork. You'll be asked for it to:

set up rent payments and sometimes as part of a rental file, although landlords can't ask for bank statements or a letter about your account history [5]
get paid, since French employers pay salaries by transfer
sign up for a mobile plan, internet box or electricity, which are almost always paid by direct debit (prélèvement)
receive health insurance refunds and any CAF housing help
pay income tax, which is collected at source or by direct debit

Your banking app will produce a RIB as a PDF in seconds once the account is open. Keep one on your phone.

High-street bank, online bank or something else?

	High-street banks	Online banks	Payment accounts and fintechs
Examples	BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, LCL, La Banque Postale, CIC	BoursoBank, Hello bank!, Fortuneo	Nickel, euro accounts in multi-currency apps
How you open	Appointment in a branch, often with an adviser	Online, with ID and document uploads	Online or at a tobacconist for Nickel
Monthly fees	Usually a package fee	Often free if you meet card-use or income conditions	Low, set fee
Typical sticking point	Waiting for an appointment	Many want French tax residence or minimum income	Not always accepted as a "real" bank by landlords
Cheques	Yes	Usually yes	Usually no

The French usually have a conseiller, an adviser at a branch. That's useful when you need a letter for the prefecture or a loan. Online banks are cheaper day to day and fine once you have your feet under the table.

The Banque de France notes that a payment account such as Nickel doesn't count as a deposit account for the droit au compte procedure [2]. So you can hold one while still pursuing a full account.

What to bring

Most banks will ask for:

ID: passport and, if you have it, your visa or residence permit.
Proof of address: a lease, rent receipt, home insurance certificate or recent bill. If you're staying with someone, a signed letter from them plus their ID and their bill. Our French paperwork guide covers the justificatif de domicile in detail.
Proof of income or status: employment contract, payslips, student card or a PVT visa.
Tax residence details: banks must collect your tax residence and tax identification numbers under international reporting rules. Have your Australian TFN handy if you're still an Australian tax resident.

Some branches ask for documents in French. Ask before your appointment, so you don't lose a week.

If the bank says no: the droit au compte

Being turned away is common for new arrivals with no French address history. France has a legal fix, and it works.

You're eligible if you're domiciled in France (any nationality), and you don't already hold a deposit account in France [1]. The steps [1][2]:

Get the refusal in writing. A bank that refuses must give you a letter with the reason and a mention of the Banque de France procedure. If a bank doesn't answer within 15 days, that counts as a refusal [1].
Put your file together: the application form, valid ID, proof of address under three months old, the refusal letter (or proof you applied more than 15 days ago) and a sworn statement that you have no French deposit account [1].
Lodge it with the Banque de France: online through its personal space, at a branch, by post to Banque de France, TSA 50120, 75035 Paris Cedex 01, or by asking the refusing bank to send it for you [1][2].
Wait one working day. The Banque de France designates a bank within one working day of receiving a complete file [1].
Contact that bank. It must send you its document list within three working days. You have six months to follow up [1].
Get your account. Once your documents are in, the bank must open the account within three working days [1].

The account comes with free basic services: a RIB, a card with each payment authorised, SEPA transfers and direct debits, online balance checks, cash at the counter and up to two chequebooks a month or equivalent [1]. If it goes into overdraft, intervention fees are capped at €4 per transaction and €20 per month [1].

It's not glamorous, but it gets your salary paid and your rent out the door. Many people switch to a fuller account a year later.

Cheques, virements and paying the French way

France still writes cheques, more than you'd see at home. You may need one for a deposit, a sports club or a school canteen. Most of your life, though, runs on two things:

Virement (transfer). Paying someone with their IBAN. Instant SEPA transfers arrive in under 10 seconds, 24 hours a day, and banks must charge the same as for a standard transfer, usually nothing online for individuals [3].
Prélèvement (direct debit). How your phone, electricity, internet and gym get paid. You sign a SEPA mandate with your RIB.

Since 9 October 2025, banks must offer a check that the name you've typed matches the IBAN before you send money [3]. Use it. Fake RIB scams, where someone swaps the bank details on an invoice or a rental deposit request, are a known problem. Banks also set their own limits for instant transfers, which you can ask to change [3].

Moving money from Australia

You'll probably arrive with savings in Australian dollars and need euros for a deposit, the first month's rent and furniture.

Compare the real rate. Banks and transfer services make most of their margin on the exchange rate, not the fee. Our guide to sending money home explains how to compare, and the same logic applies in the other direction.
Move a buffer before you arrive. A euro account in a multi-currency app can tide you over until your French account opens.
Large transfers. French and Australian banks may ask where the money came from. Keep your payslips, sale contracts or Australian bank statements handy.

Keep your Australian accounts, but tell them you've left

There's no need to close your Australian accounts. A local card is handy for visits home, and you may still have bills there. The ATO says to tell your Australian bank you're a foreign resident and give it your overseas address [4]. It then withholds tax on interest at the treaty or non-resident rate, generally 10% for non-treaty countries, and you won't usually need to declare that interest in an Australian return [4]. If you don't give your overseas address, the bank may withhold at a higher rate [4].

On the French side, residents must also report foreign bank accounts, including Australian ones, to the French tax office with their annual return. This is a separate form, and penalties apply for leaving accounts off. Our French income tax guide covers it.

See Keeping your Australian accounts while abroad for which cards, numbers and logins to hold on to.

A first-month order of play

Arrive with a working Australian card and a multi-currency euro account.
Sign your lease and take out home insurance, so you have two documents in your name.
Book a branch appointment, or apply to an online bank if you already have French income.
If refused, ask for the refusal letter on the spot and go to the Banque de France.
Download your RIB and send it to your employer, landlord and phone company.
Tell your Australian bank you're now a foreign resident.

Want to know which branches have been friendly to Australians lately? Ask in Cooee France, our Facebook group for Australians in France.

Opening a French bank account: the RIB, the right to an account and moving money from home