Why you need one, and why it is difficult
A French account is effectively required for utilities, phone contracts, rent, and receiving French benefits — and it gives you access to the direct debit system (prélèvement automatique) that most French billing assumes.
US citizens face additional reporting obligations under FATCA, and some French banks decline American clients outright rather than carry the compliance burden. This is about paperwork, not creditworthiness.
Banks that accept Americans
- BNP Paribas International — generally the most US-friendly, with dedicated expat services
- Crédit Agricole International — varies by region; some branches are more accommodating than others
- Boursorama — online, owned by Société Générale. Hello Bank — BNP Paribas’ online subsidiary
- Wise and Revolut — French IBAN accounts, useful early on
- N26 and Bunq — neobanks increasingly accepting US customers in France
- Qonto — business banking that also offers personal accounts
What your bank reports about you
Under the France–US FATCA intergovernmental agreement, French banks are required to identify accounts held by US persons and report them to the French tax authority, which forwards the data to the IRS.
That sharing is largely automatic and does not depend on you volunteering anything. It is why account opening asks about your place of birth and citizenship — those are the US indicia banks screen for, and it is the reason some decline American clients rather than carry the obligation.
And what you must report
- FBAR (FinCEN 114) once your foreign accounts total more than $10,000 at any point in the calendar year — filed electronically at fincen.gov
- FBAR is due 15 April with an automatic extension to 15 October, granted without any request
- FATCA Form 8938 with your 1040, above $200,000/$300,000 single or $400,000/$600,000 jointly when living abroad
The two forms overlap but do not match: different thresholds, different scope, and filing one does not satisfy the other. Penalties for missing FBAR are adjusted for inflation annually — confirm the current figures on FinCEN’s published table rather than relying on a number quoted anywhere, including here.
What you will be asked for
- Valid passport, plus your visa or residence permit
- Proof of French address — a lease or attestation d’hébergement
- Proof of income — contract, pay slips, or bank statements
- Your US Social Security Number and a completed W-9
- Birth certificate, apostilled, sometimes requested
- French tax number (numéro fiscal) if you have one yet