If you’re a foreigner looking to find dedicated banking services in France, then this article is a great place to start. We’ve collected 6 of the options available for 2024, breaking down each bank’s core offering for expats and students and comparing the key features side-by-side.
Something that’s worth bearing in mind before reading on, is that French banks typically offer tailored products to both expats and students. Expatriate accounts often come with reduced overseas transaction costs, and student accounts usually offer favorable interest rates.
Without further ado, here are the 6 best banks in France for expats and students.
List of the best banks in France for foreigners:
BNP Paribas — One of France's largest banks with a wide branch network
Société Générale — A major French bank with expat banking services
LCL — The leading French retail bank
Crédit Mutuel — Caters to expats and offers affordable student accounts
CIC — Expat banking packages with multi-currency options
Boursorama — An online bank owned by Société Générale
Key considerations
Expats and students in France have access to a broad selection of banks, with many of the options providing tailored services and preferential features.
Expats should look out for multi-currency banking support, as this can help to reduce the cost of overseas money transfers and foreign exchange. On the other hand, students can often get reduced interest rates from top French banks, especially with regard to an arranged overdraft and student loans.
Here are some other key considerations to make when choosing the right banking option if you’re an expat or student moving to France:
English language services
Affordable fees
Online/mobile banking options
Ability to open an account remotely
The 6 best banks in France for expats
This section will compare and contrast key features from some of France’s top banks for expats and students. The following banks are known for providing tailored options to expats and students alike, with each tailored account coming with its own set of perks.
1. BNP Paribas — One of France's largest banks with a wide branch network
BNP Paribas is one of the largest banks in France and one of the top 50 largest banks in the world, offering several key services that are tailored for expats and students. Its International Expatriate Account is a multi-currency account that offers online banking in multiple languages, including English. The account can be opened remotely before arriving in France, and it offers dedicated expat advisory services from over 2,000 branches spread across the country.
BNP Paribas’ Free Student Package offers no monthly fees for students under 28. This account includes a debit card and overdraft protection, in addition to tailored in-app services such as budgeting tools and discounts on transportation. Students also receive preferential rates on loans and student credit cards.
Key takeaways
Multi-currency account for expats
Multi-lingual support
Tailored banking services for students
2. Société Générale — A major French bank with expat banking services
Société Générale is another major French bank that offers tailored services to expats and students.
Société Générale’s International Package offers international money transfers and foreign exchange from a dedicated multi-currency account for expats. The account can be opened before arrival in France, and the bank’s website supports English for easy navigation. Likewise, expats can find multilingual staff if they ever need banking support online.
The bank has a large network of branches across France, with students often choosing Société Générale for its mix of convenience and favorable student offerings. Students can access an interest-free overdraft allowance and a mobile app that has in-built budgeting tools. The Student Package is completely free to open and it comes with no fees for students under 29.
Key takeaways
Expats can open an account remotely
Investment options tailored for expats
Credit options tailored for students
3. LCL — The leading French retail bank
LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) is a major retail bank in France that is part of the Crédit Agricole group. It offers a Non-Resident Package that comes with multi-currency support by default, which has proven popular among many French expats. LCL allows expats to access investment products like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, and it also offers multilingual support through the app.
The LCL Student Package includes free banking with no monthly fees for students under 26, along with a checking account, debit card, and online banking access. It has an interest-free overdraft allowance and provides budgeting tools for students from its convenient mobile banking application.
Key takeaways
Expats can open an account remotely
Affordable student packages
Extensive network of local branches
4. Crédit Mutuel — Caters to expats and offers affordable student accounts
Crédit Mutuel is a large cooperative banking group in France that provides several key offerings tailored for expats and students. Accounts can be opened online with convenient document uploads, allowing expats to create a multi-currency account that can be opened before they arrive in the country.
Crédit Mutuel’s International Package offers international money transfers, foreign exchange, and insurance products to all expats, in addition to investment services like non-resident trading accounts.
For students, Crédit Mutuel offers a free account with no fees which comes with an interest-free overdraft agreement by default. Students can also access preferential rates on loans and credit cards, and Crédit Mutuel has many branches that are located near university campuses in cities across France.
Key takeaways
Multi-currency account for expats
English language banking services
Extensive network of local branches
5. CIC — Expat banking packages with multi-currency options
CIC (Crédit Industriel et Commercial) is part of the Crédit Mutuel-CIC banking group in France. It has a tailored offering for expats called CIC ExpAtrio Account. It is a multi-currency account that can be opened remotely before arriving in France, and it offers direct access to a network of more than 2,000 local branches afterward.
The CIC Student Package is free for students under 29. It comes with a digital banking app with built-in budgeting tools, and CIC has many branches and ATMs that are located directly on French university campuses. Like other banks on this list, CIC offers preferential interest rates for students and and various credit products including student loans.
Key takeaways
Expats can open an account remotely
Student-focused mobile app that offers discounts
Extensive network of local branches
6. Boursorama — An online bank owned by Société Générale
Boursama is an online bank owned by Société Générale that is popular among expats and students for several key reasons. Firstly, Boursama’s multi-currency checking accounts offer free overseas money transfers and low-cost currency exchange. In addition to providing a more affordable alternative for expats, it provides access to investment products from within the application.
Students can open a free student checking account with no monthly fees with Boursama as long as they’re under the age of 26. This option provides a free debit card and access to over 5,000 ATMs in France, and it has very low fees compared to traditional banks. It’s also one of the easiest student banks to open in France, supporting remote applications with just proof of student status.
Key takeaways
Fully digital banking option for expats and students
Multi-lingual support
Integrated with Société Générale’s investment products
The bottom line
France’s banking options for expats and students are extensive, with people often finding the remote application process to be both convenient and simple to complete. Additionally, each of the banks on this list provides a tailored offering for expats and a tailored offering for students, so the ideal pick for you will likely come down to personal preference.
If you’re a student or expat looking to travel abroad, you can also check out our article on the best banks in Germany.
