Banking fees in French overseas territories are 8 to 42% higher than in mainland France. Online banks and neobanks can save you up to €200 per year, but not all are accessible in all territories.
What are DROM-COM?
The 5 DROM (Overseas Departments and Regions): Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana, La Réunion, Mayotte
The 5 COM (Overseas Collectivities): French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy
Special status: New Caledonia
Available Online Banks
Summary Table
| Bank | DROM | COM | New Caledonia | French IBAN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monabanq ⭐ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Bebunk | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deblock 🆕 | ⚠️ | ⚠️ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Sogexia | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (high fees) | ❌ (LU) |
| Fortuneo | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| BforBank | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| BoursoBank | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ (impossible) | ✅ |
| Hello bank! | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Nickel | ✅ | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| bunq | ✅ (5 DROM) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Revolut | ⚠️ (6 territories) | ⚠️ | ❌ | ✅ |
| N26 | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Helios | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Legend:
- ✅: Available and confirmed
- ⚠️: To verify or partial availability
- ❌: Not available
Important Points
French IBAN
Essential because some organizations (CAF, employers, telecom operators) sometimes refuse foreign IBANs. SEPA regulations accept: French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte, and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Excluded: New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna.
Cash Deposits
- Hello bank!: At BNP Paribas branches
- Nickel: At partner tobacconists
- Other banks: Impossible in DROM-COM
Postal Delays
Longer to/from overseas territories. Favor 100% dematerialized services.
Our Recommendations by Profile
You Live in DROM
Best choice: Monabanq, Fortuneo, or BoursoBank If you handle cash: Hello bank! or Nickel
You Live in COM (except New Caledonia)
Best choice: Monabanq, Fortuneo, or BforBank Alternative: Nickel
⚠️ SPECIAL CASE: New Caledonia 🇳🇨
New Caledonia is the most difficult territory for opening an online bank account.
Deblock débarque dans le Pacifique 🔲
— Deblock (@DeblockApp) May 31, 2024
Découvrez nos services en Polynésie, Nouvelle-Calédonie et Wallis-et-Futuna 🏝️
En savoir plus : https://t.co/3Sp1LdWdn1#deblock
Field experience feedback (2025):
✅ Banks that work:
- Monabanq - Best choice for NC
- Deblock
- Sogexia
❌ Banks NOT available in NC (confirmed by testing):
- N26, Hello Bank, Nickel, BforBank, Fortuneo, Helios: confirmed refusal
⚠️ To avoid:
- BoursoBank: theoretically possible, but in practice an obstacle course (multiple document requests, 3-day delays between each request, very long and tedious process)
Local solutions:
- Bebunk: expensive with few advantages
You Have a Banking Ban
Solution: Nickel
You Travel Frequently
If accessible: Revolut Otherwise: Fortuneo
Schlussfolgerung
Our Overall Top 3 for 2025:
- Monabanq
- Deblock
- Be-bunk
- Nickel - Accessibility and physical network (except NC)
For New Caledonia specifically:
- Monabanq
- Deblock
- be-bunk
- Sogexia
Always verify exact availability with each bank before opening an account. The situation is particularly complex in New Caledonia where most online banks refuse account openings.
Article valid for 2025. Information based on field experience feedback and real testing. Banking offers evolve: always verify current conditions directly with institutions.