Swiss franc loan converted into euros: can you still act?

Yes. ACTIVE AVOCATS, a firm of the COGEP AVOCATS group, also reviews a Swiss franc loan converted into euros by an amendment. The exchange‑rate clause is assessed at the time the contract is concluded, on the documents handed over at signing Source [1]. The conversion amendment joins those documents: it states the rate at which the bank converted the outstanding capital, and the date.

What a conversion amendment states.

An amendment is any document that changed the loan: renegotiation, a change of rate or term, conversion into euros. It states what changed and when. For a conversion, it sets the rate at which the bank converted the capital still owed into euros, and what changes for the loan afterwards.

In its version in force in October 2026, article L. 313-64 of the French Consumer Code requires the lender to inform the borrower of the risks of a foreign‑currency loan, at the latest when the offer is issued Source [2]. The same article requires the lender to set out the options for converting repayments into euros Source [2]. For an older loan, the rules that apply are those in force on its signing date, which the lawyer checks.

What the conversion fixes.

Once converted, the loan no longer follows the franc. The rise of the franc reached on the day of the conversion therefore stays in the euro debt, and the date of the conversion weighs on its amount.

According to the European Central Bank’s reference rates, 100,000 francs were worth €59,513.18 at the rate of 12 October 2007 Source [3]. The Swiss National Bank abandoned its minimum exchange rate on 15 January 2015 Source [4]. The same capital was worth €83,263.95 at the rate of 14 January 2015, and €97,276.26 at the rate of the following day Source [3].

Calculating the franc period.

The Hello Justice simulator follows the loan in francs up to the date of the conversion. It converts each instalment of that period at the European Central Bank rate of its day, and checks the result against your bank’s amortisation schedule. For the outstanding capital, it uses the rate set by the amendment, and its report names that rate as such.

If the court sets the clause aside and the contract continues, the loan is recalculated in euros from the start (Cour de cassation, 12 July 2023) Source [5]. If it cannot continue, the contract is annulled, and what has been performed must be returned (article 1178 of the French Civil Code) Source [6]. The calculation then takes in every sum paid to the bank, before and after the conversion. Our guide to estimating the gain from annulment sets out the method.

The documents for a converted loan.

Three documents are essential: the loan offer with its appendices, the amortisation schedule and the amendments. For a converted loan, the conversion amendment is one of them, together with the schedule issued before the conversion and the one the bank drew up afterwards. A schedule that does not start at the loan’s first instalment has been reissued, for example after an amendment.

The loan account statements show the euros actually debited, before and after the conversion. They remain optional, as does correspondence with the bank. Our list of documents to gather covers each one.

Frequently asked questions.

My loan was converted into euros: can it be reviewed?

Yes. ACTIVE AVOCATS also reviews a loan changed by an amendment. The firm reads the conversion amendment together with the loan offer, its terms and its dates, and tells you what your claim allows you to seek.

My converted loan is now repaid: can I still bring a claim?

A repaid loan can be reviewed, and a claim against the unfair term is not time‑barred (Cour de cassation, 30 March 2022) Source [7]. Our article on the repaid Swiss franc loan covers this case.

I no longer have my amendment: what can I do?

Ask your bank for a copy, in writing, quoting the loan reference. You can submit your claim without waiting for it, and add the amendment later from your online space.

How can I have my loan checked?

The programme’s eligibility test starts with a few questions about your loan. You then upload your documents from your online space, straight away or later. Having your claim checked is free, as are the eligibility test and the submission.