Published: 26.07.2026
A Russian exile describes difficulties opening a French bank account because banks must enforce sanctions and assess possible links to sanctioned individuals. The account of the experience also mentions applications to the Banque de France and a fintech account with a French IBAN as practical ways to address the problem.
Sanctions compliance affects not only people on sanctions lists but also the banking checks faced by some Russian nationals relocating to France. In practice, this can delay obtaining a French IBAN needed for everyday services, bills and insurance. The source describes a route through the Banque de France for legal residents, while also showing that it may not result in an account being opened immediately. New Russian residents should account for this banking risk in advance rather than assuming that a residence permit will make account opening routine.