Banking & admin in France (from the UK): account, RIB, the starter pack
In France, your RIB (bank details) is the key that unlocks everything — rent, salary, utilities, phone. Here’s how to open an account, what the IBAN actually means, and how to force the issue if a bank refuses you.
You’re settling in France from the UK and you need a French bank account and the basic admin set up — but the paperwork loop (account needs address, address needs account) is slowing you down.
- The RIB (relevé d’identité bancaire — your French account details) is the master key: rent, salary, utilities, phone and most subscriptions need it, set up via prélèvement (France’s name for SEPA direct debit).
- A French IBAN is 27 characters: FR + 2 check digits, then your bank code, branch code, account number and a final key — the same digits UK readers would recognise as "sort code + account number", just packaged differently.
- Online banks (BoursoBank, or EU-wide apps like N26 and Revolut) let you open in minutes, often before you have a French proof of address; traditional branches (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole...) usually want a fuller file.
- If every bank refuses you, the "droit au compte" is fast in practice: the Banque de France designates a bank within 24 hours of your complete file, which must then open your account within 3 days.
The RIB unlocks everything
If the UK runs on your sort code and account number, France runs on your RIB (relevé d'identité bancaire) — a standard slip every French bank issues, showing your IBAN and BIC. It's requested everywhere: to receive your salary, set up rent, and arrange a prélèvement — France's name for what the UK calls a direct debit — for utilities, phone and subscriptions. Getting a French account and RIB early is the move that unblocks the rest of your admin.
Reading your IBAN
A French IBAN always has 27 characters: "FR", then 2 check digits (used to catch typos), then a 23-character block that's actually nothing new — it's your bank code (5 digits) + branch/guichet code (5 digits) + account number (11 characters) + RIB key (2 digits), the exact same reference French banks have printed on paper RIBs since the 1970s. The IBAN is just that legacy number wrapped in a country code so any European bank can read it. In UK terms: think of the bank + branch codes together as your "sort code," and the account number + key as your "account number" — same job, different shape.
Opening an account, for real
Online banks are usually the fastest entry — BoursoBank (France's largest, formerly branded Boursorama Banque, 7M+ customers) is a common first stop, alongside EU-wide mobile banks like N26 or Revolut, which many movers already have from elsewhere in Europe and can sometimes get a French IBAN on. These may accept your ID and limited documents, sometimes before you have a French proof of address. Traditional branches (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, LCL, and others) tend to want a fuller file — ID, proof of address, sometimes proof of income or employment. Many people open online first for the RIB, then add a branch account later if they want in-person service.
Proof of address (justificatif de domicile)
France asks for a justificatif de domicile constantly — for the bank, the phone contract, even some visa or residence steps. Accepted forms include a lease, a recent utility or energy bill in your name, or, if you're staying with someone, a signed attestation d'hébergement from them plus their own ID and a bill in their name. Once you have your first one, ask your landlord for a quittance de loyer (rent receipt) every month — it becomes your easiest, most-reusable proof going forward.
If every bank refuses you
This is rarer than its reputation suggests, and there's a real legal route: the droit au compte. Get a written refusal from at least one bank, then apply to the Banque de France with your ID, a proof of address under 3 months old, and that refusal letter (a dedicated form exists, in French and English). Once your file is complete, the Banque de France designates a bank within 24 hours, and that bank then has 3 days to actually open your account — a legal safety net that works faster in practice than most people expect.
Common mistakes
- Waiting for a traditional bank before you have any account → salary/rent blocked.
- Not preparing a justificatif de domicile (or attestation d'hébergement) in advance.
- Not knowing the droit au compte exists — and that it's genuinely fast — if you're refused.
- Losing track of which prélèvements are set up on which account when juggling an online + traditional bank.
Your plan — a preview
Get an account and RIB early, prepare your proof of address, know the droit au compte. Veia times these in your arrival roadmap, with reminders.
FAQ
What is a RIB and why does it matter so much?
A RIB is your French bank account details (essentially your IBAN and BIC, presented on a standard slip every French bank issues). Almost everything in France — employer payroll, rent, utilities, phone, subscriptions — asks for it to set up a prélèvement (direct debit). Getting your account (and RIB) early unblocks the rest.
What do the letters and numbers in a French IBAN mean?
A French IBAN has 27 characters: "FR" (country code) + 2 check digits, then a 5-digit bank code, 5-digit branch (guichet) code, 11-character account number, and a 2-digit RIB key. Those last 23 characters are exactly the same numbers French banks have used on paper RIBs since the 1970s — the IBAN just wraps them for international use.
Can I open a French account before I have an address?
Often with an online bank (BoursoBank) or an EU-wide app (N26, Revolut), yes — ID and limited documents may be enough at first. Traditional branches usually want a proof of address from day one. Check each bank’s exact requirements before applying.
What if every bank refuses me?
You have the droit au compte: get a written refusal from one bank, then apply to the Banque de France with your ID, proof of address (under 3 months old) and the refusal letter. They designate a bank within 24 hours of receiving your complete file, and that bank must open your account within 3 days — much faster than its reputation suggests.