The short answer for Filipinos in France
ExpatMoneyEU verdict: Open N26 first for a working European IBAN in week one, add Wise for cheap EUR→PHP transfers, and consider BoursoBank once you hold a French address and an existing EEA account.
Opening a compte courant is the first admin task after arriving in France: employers need a RIB (bank identity statement) for salary, landlords for rent, and insurers for direct debit (prélèvement). Generic expat guides compare the same banks for everyone — this guide scores them specifically for Filipinos: which accept your passport without friction, which give you a French IBAN, and which move money to the Philippines cheapest.
France is stricter than Germany on onboarding: traditional banks usually want a French address and a residence permit, and the biggest online bank, BoursoBank, requires an existing EEA account before you can open one. That makes the order you open accounts in matter — start with the providers that accept you on day one, then upgrade once your French paperwork exists.
Key fact: BoursoBank (formerly Boursorama), a Société Générale subsidiary, leads France's online banks with 6.3 million customers in 2024 (ExpatFocus, France banking guide) — which is why it is the upgrade target once you qualify, not the day-one account.
→ Best Bank Account for Turks in France — October 2026 Guide
Expert-Score comparison: 5 accounts for Filipinos in France
| Account | Monthly fee | IBAN | Opens without local address | English support | the Philippines transfer ease | Expert Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N26 | €0 | German (DE) | Yes | Full | 4/5 | 9.0/10 |
| Wise | €0 | EU IBAN* | Yes | Full | 5/5 | 9.2/10 |
| Revolut | €0 | French (FR) since 2022 | Yes | Full | 3/5 | 8.6/10 |
| BoursoBank | €0 | French (FR) | No | Partial | 2/5 | 8.3/10 |
| Shine | €0 basic* | French (FR) | No | Partial | 2/5 | 7.8/10 |
A French (FR) IBAN matters in France: some landlords, employers and insurers still reject non-FR IBANs in practice despite SEPA non-discrimination rules — keep an FR-IBAN account as your primary.
Affiliate disclosure: Some links below may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you — see our affiliate disclosure. Scores are editorial, never ranked by commission.
Ready to open an account? These are our top picks for this corridor — free to open, no monthly fee on the standard plans:
Open Wise Account →Open N26 Account →Open Revolut Account →→ Best Bank Account for Filipinos in Italy — October 2026 Guide
1. N26 — the fastest first account
N26
N26 is a Berlin-based bank with a full German banking licence, and it is the fastest route to a working European IBAN for Filipinos arriving in France: open with a passport and a smartphone, with no French address required. The free Standard plan includes a virtual Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and sub-accounts (Spaces) for budgeting.
For the Philippines corridor, N26 has a built-in edge: Wise transfers are integrated directly in the N26 app, which N26 describes as up to ten times cheaper than sending money with normal banks. Limits to know: no French IBAN (some French landlords and payroll systems prefer FR IBANs), and 2–3 free ATM withdrawals per month on Standard.
→ Best Bank Account for Filipinos in Italy — October 2026 Guide
2. Wise — the Philippines transfer engine
Wise
Wise is not a full French current account — it is a multi-currency account and transfer specialist, and that is exactly why Filipinos in France should have it alongside a European bank. Transfers to Philippine bank accounts and (where supported) mobile wallets run at transparent fees, typically 0.5–1.5% above the mid-market rate, with the total cost shown before you confirm.
Use Wise for what it does best: holding euros, converting to PHP when the rate suits you, and sending to the Philippines far more cheaply than any French bank wire. Use your European bank account for salary, rent and French direct debits.
→ Best Bank Accounts in France for Expats — October 2026 Guide
3. Revolut — the French-IBAN sidekick
Revolut
Revolut is the neobank that solves the French IBAN problem for newcomers: French residents have received FR IBANs since 2022, so salary, rent and prélèvements work without the friction a German or Lithuanian IBAN sometimes causes in France. The free Standard plan adds interbank-rate exchange up to €1,000 a month and multi-currency balances.
The caveat is transfer pricing to the Philippines: Revolut is fine for holding and spending euros, but for the EUR→PHP corridor Wise usually wins on total received. Treat Revolut as your French-IBAN everyday account and Wise as your transfer engine.
→ Best Bank Account for Nigerians in Italy — October 2026 Guide
4. BoursoBank — the upgrade once you qualify
BoursoBank
BoursoBank, formerly Boursorama, is France's largest online bank and the natural upgrade account for settled Filipinos: a free French IBAN, a Visa Welcome card, free eurozone ATM withdrawals, and a full ecosystem of savings (Livret A), investments and insurance. Deposits are protected by the French FGDR up to €100,000.
The catch is onboarding: you must already hold an active account in your name at another EEA institution, and the ID list centres on European IDs and French residence permits. Open N26 or Revolut first, then add BoursoBank once your French address and permit exist.
→ Best Bank Account for Turks in France — October 2026 Guide
5. Shine — the freelancer pick
Shine
Shine is the French digital bank built for freelancers and small businesses, backed by Société Générale. If you work as an auto-entrepreneur or run a small activity in France, Shine pairs a French IBAN with invoicing tools that a general consumer account does not offer.
For most Filipino employees Shine is not the first pick — N26 or Revolut open faster and Wise transfers cheaper — but for freelancers it is the account that matches how you actually get paid, with client invoicing and expense tracking in the same app.
→ Best Bank Account for Filipinos in Italy — October 2026 Guide
Sending money to the Philippines: the corridor playbook
Filipino expats often send money home monthly, so the transfer setup matters as much as the bank account. Wise and Remitly both serve the EUR→PHP corridor with bank-deposit payout; check mobile-wallet payout options in-app before you commit. Compare providers in our Europe money-transfer guide.
- Never send a bank wire from a French branch for Philippine payouts — wires routinely cost 3–5× more than a specialist once FX markups are included (illustrative comparison — verify live rates).
- Compare the total received in PHP, not just the transfer fee: fee + exchange-rate markup + payout method together decide the winner.
- Match the payout method to your family: bank deposit vs mobile wallet — the cheapest provider for one is not always the cheapest for the other.
- Batch sensibly: one larger monthly transfer usually beats four small ones on percentage fees, but never keep money waiting for a “better rate” you cannot predict.
→ Best Bank Accounts in France for Expats — October 2026 Guide
Scenario framework: which setup fits you?
- Healthcare worker / newly arrived professional. Open N26 in week one — no French address needed, full English app, European IBAN for salary. Add Wise for your monthly remittance to the Philippines.
- Student. Revolut for a French IBAN and daily life; check whether your school or landlord insists on an FR IBAN before choosing a German-IBAN account as your only account.
- Settled resident. Add BoursoBank once you have a French address and an existing EEA account: free, fully French, with savings and investment products attached.
- Freelancer / auto-entrepreneur. Open Shine for a French IBAN plus invoicing, and keep Wise beside it for Philippines transfers.
The pattern across all four: one European-IBAN account for French life, one transfer specialist for the Philippines. Two apps, zero monthly fees, everything covered.
→ Best Bank Account for Nigerians in Italy — October 2026 Guide
How we compared: the methodology
How we compared
Fees and features checked: provider price lists plus the October 2026 expat banking comparison tables. Criteria and weights: monthly cost (25%), local IBAN + easy onboarding (20%), English-language support (15%), home-country transfer ease (20%), ATM and cash handling (10%), banking licence and deposit protection (10%). Scores are the editorial judgment of the ExpatMoneyEU Research Team — not financial advice. Any worked fee examples on this page are illustrative figures showing our comparison method; always verify current fees with the provider before opening an account or sending money.
→ Best Bank Account for Turks in France — October 2026 Guide
Practical tips: documents, address and tax ID
- Documents: Philippine passports are accepted by N26, Wise and Revolut under their published non-EU ID lists; BoursoBank centres on European IDs and French residence permits, so have your titre de séjour ready.
- RIB first: French employers and landlords ask for a RIB — get one from your first account immediately, even if you plan to upgrade later.
- Address proof: a rental contract or utility bill unlocks the traditional and online French banks; keep a digital copy ready for every application.
- Fees change: ATM limits and monthly charges are revised regularly — check the provider’s current price list before applying.
→ Best Bank Account for Filipinos in Italy — October 2026 Guide
What changes in 2027
French banks typically publish revised price lists in January — re-check your account’s fee schedule each new year rather than assuming nothing changed. SEPA instant transfers are now standard across the eurozone, which keeps transfer-speed competition alive, and BoursoBank’s product range keeps expanding into savings and investments. None of this is a reason to wait: the free accounts above cost nothing to open now.
→ Best Bank Accounts in France for Expats — October 2026 Guide
Ready to open an account? These are our top picks for this corridor — free to open, no monthly fee on the standard plans:
Open Wise Account →Open N26 Account →Open Revolut Account →