Business bank account of a business

Verified 27 May 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The opening of a professional bank account is a mandatory formality when creating a business, in particular for the deposit of the share capital. Once the business has been registered, maintaining this account is no longer a legal obligation, but remains a key practical requirement for clear and compliant financial management. It is also possible to close it or change it.

One business bank account is an account opened in the name of the company, used only to manage transactions related to its activity: receipts, payments, miscellaneous fees, etc. separate the business operations of the business from those of the person who runs it (on legal representative of the business).

Unlike a personal bank account which is specific to a natural person and intended for its private expenses, the professional account is designed to meet the specific needs of a business: accounting, monitoring and reporting tools billingetc.

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Opening a professional bank account is one of the essential steps before the creation of the business, as the choice of legal form or the domiciliation of the registered office, for example.

Any business with a share capital must have a professional bank account. It's a obligation to carry out the deposit of share capital. This is the case, for example, with SAS or SARL.

Once the business is set up, the law does not require you to keep a professional bank account. But, it is common to keep it active to ensure a separation of personal and professional finances.

FYI  

The opening of account dedicated to the professional activity of a micro-company is mandatory if the annual turnover of the activity exceeds €10,000 for 2 consecutive years.

The opening of account dedicated to the professional activity of a is also mandatory for merchants. However, it is optional for other activities. In these two cases, it is not necessarily a question of opening a professional bank account but a bank account dedicated to the activity.

The documents required to open a business bank account differ depending on whether the business is being created or has already been created.

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Business being created

As part of the creating a business, theopening a business bank account is an indispensable step, in particular for carrying out the deposit of share capital. To do this, a number of documents must be sent to the bank:

  • Proof of identity of the business manager next:
    • If the legal representative of the business is a legal person : proof of registration of the business
    • If the legal representative of the business is natural person : valid identity document (identity card, valid passport or residence permit)
  • Copy of one of the proof of domicile of the business following:
    • Lease receipt of less than 3 months
    • Water, gas, electricity, internet or landline bills less than 3 months old, on paper or printed dematerialized
    • Certificate of housing insurance less than 3 months old
    • Certificate on the honor of the host stating that the declarant resides at his home, identity document and proof of residence of the host less than 3 months
    • Last tax or non-tax notice
    • Title to the principal residence
    • Contract of commercial lease or professional
    • Domiciliation contract if the business is located in a domiciliation business
  • Draft statutes of the business or any document justifying the application for registration of the business

Once all the necessary documents have been collected, the banking institution may open an account in the name of the business in training.

This account is provisional: it allows the deposit of share capitalin return for which the bank issues a certificate of deposit of funds to be attached to the registration file.

After registration, a proof of registration must be transmitted to unblock the funds and finalize the opening of the professional bank account.

Please note

Some additional documents may be requested depending on the banking institution chosen (certificate of publication of a legal advertisement in a legal advertisement journal, business forecast, business plan, etc.).

Business already created

For open a business bank account, a number of documents must be sent to the banking institution:

  • Proof of identity of the business manager next:
    • If the legal representative of the business is a legal person : proof of registration of the business
    • If the legal representative of the business is natural person : valid identity document (identity card, valid passport or residence permit)
  • Copy of one of the proof of domicile of the business following:
    • Lease receipt of less than 3 months
    • Water, gas, electricity, internet or landline bills less than 3 months old, on paper or printed dematerialized
    • Certificate of housing insurance less than 3 months old
    • Certificate on the honor of the host stating that the declarant resides at his home, identity document and proof of residence of the host less than 3 months
    • Last tax or non-tax notice
    • Title to the principal residence
    • Contract of commercial lease or professional
    • Domiciliation contract if the business is located in a domiciliation business
  • Number Siren of the business

FYI  

Some additional documents may be requested depending on the banking institution chosen (certificate of publication of a legal advertisement in a legal advertisement journal, business forecast, business plan, etc.).

If the selected bank refuses to open a bank account in the name of the company, it must provide a attestation or a rejection letter account opening.

This letter of refusal then makes it possible to approach the Banque de France for the latter to designate a banking institution which will be required to open a professional bank account in the name of the company. This is the so-called account entitlement procedure.

The right to the account allows any business to benefit from a bank account with an institution designated by the Banque de France with a access to basic benefits guaranteed by law (account keeping, collection, bank transfers or payment card for example).

The refusal to open a business bank account does not therefore prevent you from having a professional account in another banking institution determined by the Banque de France.

The closing a business bank account is a common step in the life of a business, whether it is to change establishment for better pricing conditions, to migrate to an online bank, or to dissolve the business. This operation is free of charge.

To close your professional bank account, the steps may vary depending on the bank. In general, it is appropriate toinform the establishment by sending a request by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt (LRAR), indicating the date on which the closure must be effective.

Before this deadline, it is essential to ensure that the account balance is zero and thatno operation is yet awaiting processing, such as card payments or direct debits. We must also return the means of payment, such as checkbooks and bank cards, by destroying them or returning them to the bank.

If the change concerns a new establishment, it is possible to ask this new bank to take over the transfer of recurring credit transfers and direct debits, which greatly simplifies the transition. We are talking about banking mobility.

FYI  

From 26 May 2027, financial institutions will be required to provide annually, in January, annual statement of expenses. This obligation applies to companies with fewer than 10 employees and less than EUR 2 million in turnover or balance sheet total per year (or micro-companies). If the business exceeds these size criteria, it is still possible to request this type of information from the bank advisor, who may or may not agree to provide it.