Withdrawal from a consumer credit agreement (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For a borrower in France who accepted a consumer credit offer (personal loan, car loan, revolving credit, credit linked to a purchase) and has changed their mind. You withdraw within fourteen full calendar days of accepting the offer, without giving reasons (Article L. 312-19 of the French Consumer Code); the period is shorter, at least three days, if you asked for immediate delivery of goods bought on credit. The detachable form attached to the offer is enough and free; this letter does the same with your references and deals with repaying any funds already paid out. In French, to send by registered post with proof of receipt before the period ends.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- You signed up for a personal loan in France and have changed your mind.
- You took out a car loan at the dealer's and no longer want it.
- You accepted a revolving credit offer in a shop and regret it.
- You want to withdraw from a consumer credit agreement and repay any money already paid out.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Borrower
- Borrower's address
- Lender
- Lender's postal address (from the offer)
- City
- Date
- Offer number
- Date the offer was accepted
- Amount
- Goods or service financed (if any)
- Has the loan money already been paid out
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Is the withdrawal form attached to a French credit offer required?
- No, but it is free and enough: a consumer credit offer must include a detachable withdrawal form (Article L. 312-21 of the French Consumer Code). A letter clearly stating your decision, such as this one, also works. The National Consumer Institute publishes a free model letter on inc-conso.fr. Either way, send it before the period ends, normally on the fourteenth day after your acceptance, by registered post with proof of receipt to prove the date.
- What must be repaid in France if the loan money has already been paid out?
- The capital received, with interest accrued from the date it was paid out to the date of repayment, no later than thirty days after you send your withdrawal; no other compensation is due (Article L. 312-26 of the French Consumer Code). Ask the lender for the exact amount. If no money was paid out, there is nothing to repay. The letter offers both situations; choose the one that matches yours and remember to have the direct debit authorisation for the loan cancelled.
- Does the 14-day withdrawal right also apply to a French mortgage?
- No. Mortgage lending follows other rules: the borrower can accept the offer only after a ten-day reflection period from receiving it, but has no fourteen-day withdrawal right once the offer is accepted. This document covers consumer credit. A 2023 EU directive on consumer credit, transposed in France, applies to contracts concluded from 20 November 2026 and keeps the fourteen-day period.
- What happens to a purchase financed by a linked credit in France if the borrower withdraws from the credit?
- The sale or service financed is cancelled automatically, without compensation (Article L. 312-52 of the French Consumer Code), and the seller must refund any advance payment on simple request; tell the seller too. If you asked in writing, in your own hand, for immediate delivery of the goods, the credit's withdrawal period ends on delivery, but cannot be shorter than three days or longer than fourteen (Article L. 312-47).
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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