Revolut has secured a full banking licence in France, giving the digital finance company a new regulatory base for its expanding operations across Western Europe.
Revolut Bank S.A. received the licence following a joint assessment by the European Central Bank and France’s prudential regulator, the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution, or ACPR.
The approval represents another major regulatory milestone for Revolut and comes only months after the company obtained its full UK banking licence in March 2026.
France will now become the starting point for Revolut Bank S.A.’s operations, with the company planning to gradually extend the structure to other Western European markets including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain and Portugal.
France becomes central to Revolut’s Western Europe strategy
Revolut said the French licence would allow it to develop more locally tailored banking services for both retail and business customers.
Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier, chief executive for Western Europe at Revolut, said the approval followed months of engagement with French and European regulators and marked the beginning of a new phase for the company.
The company’s immediate focus will be on launching operations in France before progressively expanding to additional markets.
The move strengthens Paris as an important centre in Revolut’s regional strategy.
Revolut has already announced plans to open a new Western European headquarters in the French capital in 2027.
More than 30 million customers in Western Europe
Revolut has grown rapidly across the region and now serves approximately 30 million customers in Western Europe.
Around eight million customers were added in the region during the previous year, while the company’s global customer base has surpassed 75 million.
The scale of that growth has encouraged Revolut to increase investment across its key European markets.
The company has said it plans to invest more than €1 billion in Western Europe and hire more than 600 employees as it expands its local presence, product range and regulatory infrastructure.
Two banking hubs to support European growth
Revolut’s new French banking entity will operate alongside its existing Lithuanian business, Revolut Bank UAB.
The Lithuanian operation will continue to serve customers across other parts of the European Economic Area, while Revolut Bank S.A. will focus initially on France and selected Western European markets.
Both entities will remain subject to supervision under the European banking framework, including oversight from the European Central Bank and relevant national regulators.
The two-hub model is expected to give Revolut greater flexibility as it adapts products to different regulatory environments and customer requirements across Europe.
Revolut pushes deeper into traditional banking
The French licence also highlights Revolut’s continued shift from a fintech payments platform toward a broader retail banking model.
Founder and Chief Executive Nik Storonsky said France offers a strong financial ecosystem and regulatory environment for the company’s next phase of expansion.
The new licence gives Revolut a stronger foundation to introduce a wider range of banking products and compete more directly with established European banks.
Its regulatory progress in France and the UK also strengthens the company’s position as it works toward becoming one of Europe’s largest digital banking groups.
With a growing customer base, significant regional investment and a new Paris headquarters planned for 2027, Revolut is increasingly positioning Western Europe at the centre of its long-term growth strategy.
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