The Prime Minister promises to raise the Livret A ceiling to €25,000–30,000 in February. What is decided, what isn't, and how the Livret A works for a foreign resident

What happened

On Tuesday 3 November 2026, during the weekly questions to the government in the National Assembly, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said the deposit ceiling (plafond) on the Livret A will go up in February 2027. The new ceiling will be somewhere between €25,000 and €30,000. For an individual it is currently €22,950.

There is no exact figure yet. According to LCP and ICI, Economy and Finance Minister Roland Lescure will set it "in the coming weeks", after one last round of talks with the banks and the Caisse des dépôts. The Prime Minister also said the Livret A interest rate will go up, but he did not say by how much.

According to the Prime Minister, the extra savings will help pay for social housing, nuclear power and a programme for adapting to climate change.

This is an announcement, not a rule in force. Until a new text is published, the ceiling stays at €22,950 and the rate at 1.7% a year (since 1 August 2026, according to service-public.gouv.fr). Depending on the final figure, savers would be able to put roughly €2,050 to €7,050 more into the account than they can today.

What the Livret A is, and why it matters to newcomers

The Livret A is a regulated savings account. Its terms are the same at every bank, and the State sets the rate by ministerial order (arrêté). Money can be withdrawn at any time. Interest is free of both income tax and social levies (prélèvements sociaux).

The key point for newcomers: according to service-public.gouv.fr, any individual can open a Livret A. There is no condition of age, nationality or French tax residence. Any bank can open one, and most online banks offer it too.

The rules that apply now

• One Livret A per person. A second account is prohibited. The fine is 2% of the balance on the second account, and it is not collected if that amount is under €50. A common newcomer mistake is opening a Livret A at a new bank and forgetting there is already one at the old bank.
• The ceiling limits deposits, not interest. Once the balance reaches €22,950, no more deposits are allowed. Interest still keeps accruing. It is credited on 31 December and can take the balance above the ceiling.
• Interest runs in half-months (quinzaines). It is calculated on the 1st and the 16th, and only on money that stays in the account for a whole half-month. A deposit made between the 1st and the 15th starts earning on the 16th. A deposit made from the 16th to the end of the month starts earning on the 1st of the next month. Money withdrawn during a half-month earns nothing for that half-month. So money paid in on the 15th starts earning the next day, while money taken out on the 15th loses almost two weeks of interest.
• Minimum transaction: €10, or €1.50 at La Banque Postale. The balance cannot go negative.
• Minors can open an account on their own. They cannot withdraw before age 16, and after that only with the consent of their legal representative.

What to do now

Nothing is urgent. The new ceiling only applies once the government confirms the exact figure. Until then, an account that is already full cannot take more deposits. Two things are worth watching: Roland Lescure's announcement of the exact amount, and the new rate in February. The official figures on service-public.gouv.fr (page F2365) will be updated once they are confirmed.

This is a general overview of the rules, not personal savings advice.