Over the years, our accounting firm has selected the French banks that proved to be most open to foreign investors. We have established relationships with people in charge within bank institutions, to assist you efficiently open a bank account in France.
According to the French Commercial Code (art L123-24 CC), any economic and professional activity (with exceptions), must open a bank account in France. It will not be mandatory to pay with this account, but the opening of an account in France is mandatory for example to deposit the initial share capital. Then you can use either this account or a bank account abroad provided the latter is SEPA standard accepting direct debits.
By default do not need to have a bank account in France: the activities of Distance Selling (B2C), the Liaison/Representation offices, branches, therefore the entities whose Legal Personality is located abroad.
The simplest solution is to have an account opened by your parent company bank branch. The process will be easier because the initial awareness phase has already been made by your original bank.
Since France has almost all the banks on its territory, if you anyway want to use a new bank for France, we will put you in touch with the right people.
As a priority and consistent with any internal control procedure, a double signature flow (the one issuing the payment and then the one signing it) must be requested. Also the usual online banking services in English, corporate cards, corporate car leasing for your employees, etc.
Feel free to get back us we will help you open a bank account in France.
