Can non-residents switch banks in France easily?

Reader Question: I have a holiday home in France and have a Société Générale account but there is now a €200 service charge to use it, and I want to change banks. Are there options for a simple current account with a debit card?

Most banks in France charge a minimum service fee for having an account with them, called frais de tenue de compte, although the amounts vary. In addition, most will charge for having a debit card tied to the account – usually a cost of around €40 annually. 

Opening an account as a non-resident may be more difficult, but as you have proof of an address in France (and ownership of a property), many banks should allow you to open an account.

Before looking at a change, make sure to check if the new bank also has high fees for people overseas. We have not identified other leading high street banks with a specific overseas customer ‘admin charge’ as levied by Société Générale, however, some, such as BNP Paribas, charge higher-than-usual frais de tenue de compte.

You should also check, for example, if it has fees for receiving transfers from outside the EU/EEA (in French UE, EEE).

Banking fees

We asked several leading high street banks if they welcome new non-resident customers from outside the EU, and received a positive response, notably, from the Banque Populaire/Caisse d’Epargne group.

Your account will be designated as un compte de non-résident, and you may expect to have to answer certain questions about the origins of the money deposited, related to the fight against fraud and money laundering. 

The Connexion recently covered a study of banking fees by consumer rights association Consommation Logement Cadre de vie (CCLV), which showed costs have risen significantly in 2025. 

Advice from the CCLV includes carefully reading contracts to see if ‘packages’ offered are more advantageous than subscribing to individual benefits, and as you have mentioned, switching to a new bank.

Its report suggests customers with ‘small’ requirements (simple services and moderate deposits) can find good deals at LCL, Crédit Coopératif, and Banque Postale. Conversely, your current bank was listed as one of the worst for smaller accounts. A general comparison of prices is found in CLCV’s report. 

Alternatively, you can often find a list of account fees offered by a bank on their website, often by scrolling to the bottom of its homepage. Note that many French banks operate on regional lines, so check you are looking at the page for the area where you live.

Read more: Significant bank fee rise in France in 2025: how to compare and tips to save

Online options

If you want to minimise fees, online or neobanks banks are an option, if you do not mind not having a physical bank and personal advisor, though not all accept new customers who are not French or EU tax residents. The simple Nickel accounts at tabacs also do not take non-EU/EEA residents. One option is the Crédit Agricole’s Britline online bank, which is particularly aimed at Britons who live in France or have second homes here.

Many online accounts do now come with a French Iban, meaning they can be easier to use in France and do not face foreign currency fees, and (for French tax residents) do not need to be declared as foreign accounts for French income tax declaration purposes. 

Some online banks offer options to open a current account with a digital-only bank card (ie. used through your smartphone) for free, such as N26. Alternatively, having a physical card will increase the price to a few euros per month. 

Switching accounts 

If switching to a traditional brick-and-mortar bank, you can use the loi Macron to have your new bank switch over your direct debit payments to your new account. However, they cannot transfer over savings accounts, and in some cases, such as with a government-regulated Livret A, you can only have one of these accounts open at a time. 

Some direct debit payments may also not transferable. 

Read more: How to change bank account in France - and points to consider

As a second-home owner, you are not obliged to have a French bank account, but for payment of property taxes, a Sepa (Single Euro Payments Area) bank account is needed.

UK banks are part of the Sepa scheme – as are accounts from almost all banks in Europe – but US, Australian, etc banks are not. 

However, you should also check if the bank accepts Sepa direct debits, if you want to pay your taxes and French utility bills in this way.