Revolut has been granted a full banking licence in France, according to reports from Le Monde.fr and other French outlets. The announcement, made public on Monday, August 10, 2026, marks a significant regulatory milestone for the digital bank in one of the European Union's largest markets.
The licence, reported by Le Monde.fr, Le Figaro, and Les Echos, allows Revolut to operate as a fully regulated bank in France rather than relying on passporting arrangements from another EU state. According to bfmtv.com, France is Revolut's largest market within the European Union, making the licence a strategic win for the company.
This development follows a similar move in the United Kingdom, where Revolut secured a banking licence just a few months prior, as noted by bfmtv.com. The French licence is described by Les Echos as a key step in Revolut's ambition to become a major European bank.
The approval comes after a lengthy review process by French regulators, though the specific timeline of the application was not detailed in the reports. Revolut, which began as a fintech app offering currency exchange and prepaid cards, has been expanding its banking services across Europe over the past several years.
With the French licence in hand, Revolut can now offer a broader range of banking products to its French customers, including deposits and lending services, under its own regulatory umbrella. The company's push into full banking status reflects a broader trend among neobanks seeking to deepen their foothold in traditional financial services.
Observers will be watching whether Revolut uses its French licence as a springboard to secure similar approvals in other major EU economies, such as Germany or Spain, in the coming months.
