What are the steps to close a French bank account if moving back to the UK?

Reader Question: I am moving back to the UK after 25 years in France. I need to close my bank account. Can I do this online? 

The first thing to note is that emptying funds out of a bank account and no longer using it is not sufficient to close it – you must officially make a request for your bank to close it for you.

This must be done through a registered post letter with acknowledgement of reception (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception). 

It is uncommon in France to be able to close an account by a purely procedure – even online-only/neo-banks often require you to send a physical letter. 

A model letter is shown here from the Crédit Agricole bank or here from the government (which includes options for if it is a foreign account). 

Closing your account is free provided you have had it open more than six months. 

What do I need to do? 

Provided you have sent the letter informing the bank you wish to close your account, there is nothing else to be done on your side.

The account can be closed at any point from the letter being received by the bank. 

However, there may be an agreement that allows the account to be open a few extra days – up to a maximum of 30. 

Because of this, however, you should make sure that before the closure any direct debit payments have been switched over from this account to an alternative one, or have been cancelled with no more payments set to be deducted. 

You should also wait to make sure there are no pending payments from a bank card associated with the account that may be pending. 

You are recommended to keep your bank statements for five years, to prove that you have made payments. 

You should still keep these even if you close your account. 

If you do not receive paper versions, you should download the digital statements from your account space on the bank’s website / app before closing the account and losing access. You should then print these or keep them stored safely in an additional location (cloud storage, memory stick etc) as well as your device.

Read more: How long must I keep important documents in France?

Refunds for unused funds and savings

You will need to return all methods of payment related to the account – bank cards, chequebooks, etc – before closing the account. 

Funds for some of these methods (such as bank cards) require an annual fee you must pay to your bank, which will be refunded on a pro-rata basis. 

If you have a savings account attached to your main current account – such as a Livret A, the interest earned on this account will be paid out on the day your account closes. 

You must inform the bank of the account to pay these funds into – if transferring to a UK bank (as the UK is still part of the Sepa payment system) you should have no issues. 

Switching banks in France 

A switch between French banks is significantly easier than closing one, as your former bank must switch over direct debits from the old account to the new one.

Read more: How to change bank account in France - and points to consider