Consumer and banking · Bank savings · deposit protection
French deposit guarantee: check your protected balances
Ordinary French deposit protection is assessed per person and legal institution, not per account or brand. FGDR describes a €100,000 ceiling for eligible deposits, including the person’s share of joint accounts. Regulated savings, excluded products and temporary exceptional deposits require separate checks. An allocation illustration helps explain the mechanism; it does not certify individual cover or payment.
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General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.
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Do two brands necessarily mean two legal banks?
You want to understand protected balances: let’s separate institutions, holders, products and exceptional events.
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Why do several accounts not create several ceilings?
The mechanism concerns the person’s eligible deposits at the relevant institution. Aggregate current accounts, deposits and shares within scope. Legal identity matters more than the brand; multiple brands can represent one entity. FGDR’s guide helps check that distinction.
Related step: Consumer and banking
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRCode monétaire et financier, article L312-4-1 : dépôts couverts et exclusionsFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
How is a joint account included in the illustration?
The guide describes equal shares between joint holders unless otherwise agreed. Add that share to the same person’s eligible individual accounts at the institution. The tool assumes the stated equal split; it verifies neither actual holders nor a particular agreement.
Related step: Your French bank is closing the account: prepare next steps
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
Do regulated savings and life insurance belong in the same basket?
No. Livret A, LDDS and LEP fall under the separate state guarantee described by FGDR. Life insurance and securities are not ordinary bank deposits. Identify product and holder before applying a figure; the worksheet does not compare investment safety.
Related step: Ciclade: five checks for unclaimed funds in France
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4-1 : dépôts couverts et exclusionsCode monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
How can deposit aggregation be illustrated?
Fictional example: €70,000 individual plus a €60,000 share at A, and €40,000 at a separate B entity.
Fictional example · Your preparation worksheet
Illustration of the ordinary ceiling on deposits entered as eligible. Products, holders, share and institution still require checking.
| Item to check | Value or document |
|---|---|
| Equal share of joint account A | €60000.00 |
| Illustrative ordinary ceiling across two entities | €140000.00 |
| Regulated savings outside the calculated FGDR total | €20000 entered, separate regime to check |
Check the legal institution in bank documents, not merely its brand.
Aggregate eligible accounts and the joint-account share, checking any different agreement.
Separate regulated savings, securities, life insurance and exceptional-origin funds; retain supporting evidence.
Allocation illustration, not activation of protection or a judgment on a bank’s safety. Exceptional top-ups and the state guarantee are not added to the ordinary ceiling.
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Which records support a temporary exceptional deposit?
The guide distinguishes specified documented events and funds received less than three months before failure. A top-up can reach €500,000 per qualifying event, with particular treatment for bodily-injury compensation. Examine origin, date, amount and funds still present; do not add the funds twice to the balance.
Related step: French life insurance: understand a partial withdrawal
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
What does the governing text say about deposit protection?
La garantie des dépôts couvre également les sommes correspondant à des opérations de paiement en cours ou à des opérations à caractère transitoire, effectuées au bénéfice d'une personne identifiée et provenant d'opérations bancaires normales.
In plain English: The mechanism concerns the person’s eligible deposits at the relevant institution. Aggregate current accounts, deposits and shares within scope. Legal identity matters more than the brand; multiple brands can represent one entity. FGDR’s guide helps check that distinction.
Which categories come before applying a ceiling?
| Point | Check |
|---|---|
| Entity | Verified legal identity |
| Holder | Accounts and shares |
| Product | Deposit or separate regime |
| Exception | Event, receipt and evidence |
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRCode monétaire et financier, article L312-4-1 : dépôts couverts et exclusions
Does the calculation determine when the fund pays?
No. The guide states seven business days from unavailability for the ordinary framework, but exceptional, unidentified or document-dependent cases can require further checks. The calculation prepares aggregation; it establishes neither bank failure nor activation of protection.
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
What else should you know about deposit protection?
Do two brands necessarily mean two legal banks?
No. Check the entity in contractual and guarantee information.
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
Should life-insurance capital enter the deposit total?
No. Identify its product-specific regime rather than treating it as a current account.
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4-1 : dépôts couverts et exclusions
Does the worksheet automatically calculate exceptional protection?
No. It remains outside the ordinary total and needs specific event, dates and evidence.
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
Does every joint account provide an identical amount per person?
Each holder’s share and other accounts must be aggregated for that person’s situation.
Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRFGDR : protection des comptes et livrets
Which sources explain deposit protection?
- Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4 : missions du FGDRLégifrance
- Code monétaire et financier, article L312-4-1 : dépôts couverts et exclusionsLégifrance
- FGDR : protection des comptes et livretsFonds de garantie des dépôts et de résolution (FGDR)
Texts cited last checked: 20 October 2026