Revolut follows Paris HQ with French banking license

UK neobank Revolut has announced that its French banking entity, Revolut Bank S.A., has received a full banking licence from the European Central Bank, following a joint assessment by the ECB and France's ACPR prudential regulator. The decision was formally adopted by the ECB Governing Council, marking a major regulatory milestone for the company in Western Europe.

Revolut established Paris as its EU headquarters last year and appointed France-based executive Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier as CEO for Western Europe. The company says it has committed more than €1 billion of investment in the region, is hiring over 600 people across its Western European markets, and has confirmed that its new Western European headquarters in Paris will open in 2027. Frédéric Oudéa chairs the board of Revolut Bank S.A., while Cossa-Dumurgier serves as CEO for Western Europe.

Western Europe is Revolut's largest and fastest-growing region, with approximately 30 million customers, including close to 8 million who joined in the past year alone. The region also hosts Revolut Business, which serves hundreds of thousands of companies, from freelancers to large enterprises. The French licence is intended to give Revolut a stronger regulatory and operational base as it pursues its ambition to become one of Europe's largest and most trusted banks.

Revolut has also stepped up its brand presence in continental Europe, including a recent front-of-shirt sponsorship of Italian Serie A club Como 1907.

What happens next

Revolut Bank S.A. will progressively begin serving customers across Europe, starting with France. Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain are expected to follow in subsequent phases. Revolut's Lithuanian entity, Revolut Bank UAB, will remain a cornerstone of its operations for the rest of the European Economic Area. This dual-hub model means both entities are supervised by their local competent authority and the ECB.

Revolut founder and CEO Nik Storonsky said the licence provides the foundation for building the next generation of banking for more than 30 million customers across Western Europe. Oudéa called the approval a significant milestone in Revolut's evolution as a banking group, reflecting a long-term commitment to high governance, regulatory and compliance standards. Cossa-Dumurgier said the achievement followed months of close collaboration with the ACPR and ECB, and that the focus now shifts to execution, beginning with customers in France before expanding across the region.

With banking licences on both sides of the Atlantic and a footprint spanning 40 markets, Revolut says it is building the blueprint for a global banking champion born in Europe.