What if a French bank refuses your capital deposit?
Updated 24 October 2026 · By Dragos-Razvan Toma
A French bank may refuse to open the account that receives your share capital. Your options: get the refusal in writing, try another credit institution, or deposit the capital with a French notary. The Banque de France right to an account does not solve this step: the application requires a registration extract (Kbis or RNE) less than 3 months old, so the company must already be registered. A payment institution alone cannot receive a capital deposit: if an online account offers the deposit, check which institution holds the funds and signs the certificate.
Who can hold the capital
| Depositary | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Bank (credit institution), branch or online | Yes |
| Notary | Yes |
| Payment or e-money institution alone | No |
| Caisse des dépôts | No, not since 1 June 2021 |
Why banks refuse
- Incomplete file or a business they consider risky.
- Shareholders or directors living abroad, or funds coming from abroad: longer checks.
- No answer: 15 days of silence after the request counts as a refusal. The bank must then give you a written refusal stating the reason and that you can apply to the Banque de France.
After registration: the right to an account
Once the company is registered, if no bank will open its current account, the Banque de France can designate a bank that must provide basic banking services. You need the registration extract, the refusal letter and a sworn statement.
A French SCI (property company) does not have to deposit its capital in a bank.
Sources
- Service-public (FR): refusal to open a business bank account, rights and remedies
- Service-public (FR): share capital deposit
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