Forgotten assurance-vie policy: AGIRA and Ciclade, which office to choose?

To locate a assurance-vie policy when the insurer is unknown, everything depends on where the funds are held. As long as the insurer holds them, it's AGIRA: the request is free, and the search requires the policyholder's death. When the insurer has deposited the funds with the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations (French Deposits and Consignments Fund), it's Ciclade. The determining factor is how long ago the death occurred for the insurer: less than 10 years, or more.

This page deals with searching for a contract after a death. It does not cover searching for a contract whose policyholder is still alive, nor for a contract taken out abroad, nor the taxation of any sums found. Two limitations emerge from the official information sheets: the AGIRA online service is only available after the policyholder's death, and the Ciclade search only covers contracts opened in France (metropolitan France, overseas departments and territories).

Two ticket windows, one criterion

The criteria, as defined by the public service website, state that if the insurer was notified of the death less than 10 years ago, the funds are still held by them and AGIRA should be contacted. Beyond that period, the information sheet directs you to the Caisse des Dépôts (French public sector financial institution), via Ciclade. Ciclade, however, "only records sums already transferred to the Caisse des Dépôts.".

What AGIRA does, and what it doesn't do

Its role, according to economie.gouv.fr, "is limited to forwarding requests to insurance companies." Each insurer that receives the request must then check if a contract exists.

Who can ask?. Anyone can request a search for a deceased person's assurance-vie policy.

What you need to include. A copy of the death certificate. The online service also requests identification from potential beneficiaries and their current postal address.

How. Online, or by mail if you cannot use the internet. We do not reproduce the postal address: please find it on the official form.

The cost. The French government website, Service-public.fr, states that a request to AGIRA is free. Furthermore, after listing the obligations of insurers, economie.gouv.fr writes that "the costs related to the search for beneficiaries cannot be charged to you": this sentence refers to the search carried out by insurers, not by AGIRA.

The moment. The online service indicates that the search is only possible after the subscriber's death.

Ongoing monitoring. AGIRA does not provide information on the progress of the application, and the insurer only contacts the beneficiary, not the person who made the application.

The schedule following your request

Once the beneficiary is contacted, the insurer requests all the necessary documents for payment. The one-month payment period only begins once the file is complete. The information sheet does not specify the legal interest rate or the duration of the triple rate: we do not provide this information.

What insurers must do for themselves

According to economie.gouv.fr, in the event of death, the insurer must "search by all means for the beneficiaries of unsettled contracts".

When the funds left the insurer: Ciclade

When sums owed have not been claimed within ten years, the insurer must deposit them with the Caisse des dépôts et consignations (economie.gouv.fr). For a assurance-vie contract, service-public.fr indicates that this 10-year period begins, for a deceased insured, from the date the institution became aware of the death.

The Ciclade online service allows users to search for funds transferred and pending at the Caisse des Dépôts. It covers contracts opened in metropolitan France, overseas departments and overseas collectivities.

The search. Service-public indicates that "it is advisable to provide as much information as possible": name and surname of the holder, date and place of birth, last known address, if possible date and place of death, and the contract references if you know them.

If the search is successful. You must request the return of your funds. To do so, you need to create a personal account on the Ciclade website. Your case will then be processed directly by Ciclade.

The Caisse des Dépôts (French Deposits and Consignments Fund) does not hold funds indefinitely. For a assurance-vie policy, the French government's public service website states: "The Caisse des Dépôts must hold the funds for a period of 20 years from the date of transfer." Similarly, the French government's economic development website (Economie.gouv.fr) states that the beneficiary has twenty years to claim the funds from the Caisse des Dépôts, after which the sums become the property of the State. The same public service website provides different retention periods for other products (bank accounts, employee savings plans): these do not apply to assurance-vie.

Don't confuse preservation and prescription

The 10-year retention period by the insurer applies to the funds. The statute of limitations refers to the time the beneficiary has to take action. The public service information sheet on the statute of limitations states:

• the beneficiary of a contract taken out by another person: 10 years from the death of the insured; ;
• If he was unaware of the death, the time limit only begins to run from the day he became aware of it, but the action is not admissible if it is brought more than 30 years after the death of the insured; ;
• when the contract expires and the beneficiary requests the savings from the insurer: 2 years from the end date of the contract.

The 30-year period is a statute of limitations for legal action, not to be confused with the holding period for funds at the Caisse des Dépôts (French Deposits and Consignments Fund). Regarding the relationship with the insurer's holding of the funds, the information sheet specifies that 10 years after the insurer is notified of the death, they transfer any unclaimed sums to the Caisse des Dépôts, and the beneficiary must then contact the Caisse des Dépôts through Ciclade. If a contract has been expired for some time, have your situation reviewed before concluding that you are within or outside the time limit.

Numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Claire, 52, residing in France, is settling two estates. Her father died on March 11, 2013, and her mother on January 9, 2022. In October 2026, she finds an insurance statement among their papers: she doesn't know if any payout has been made. She files her claims on October 19, 2026.

Issue. Two deaths, two situations. She doesn't know which office to use for each one.

Strategy. The 10-year criterion is applied from the date the insurer becomes aware of the death. Assumption in the profile: the insurer was aware of each death on its date.

Result.

• Father: The 10-year period ended on March 11, 2023, which is 1,318 days before the claim was filed. After this period, insurers transfer unclaimed funds to the Caisse des Dépôts (French public sector financial institution): the search is conducted via Ciclade.
• Mother: The 10-year period ends on January 9, 2032, which is 1,908 days after the application. The funds are still with the insurer: this is the case with AGIRA. AGIRA informs insurers no later than November 3, 2026. If Claire is designated as the beneficiary and the insurer receives the application forwarded by AGIRA on November 3, 2026, they will inform her no later than December 3, 2026. If she submits her documents on December 15, 2026, the payment will be made no later than January 15, 2027, which is 88 days after the application.

Hypothetical scenario assumptions: dates of death, application filed on October 19, 2026, insurer aware of the death on the date of death, claim received by AGIRA on October 19, 2026, forwarded claim received by the insurer on November 3, 2026, documents submitted on December 15, 2026, Claire designated as beneficiary of her mother's policy. None of this information is legally binding. This calculation does not quantify the capital or its tax implications.

What changes depending on your situation

• The date on which the insurer became aware of the death. She determines the ticket window.
• Your quality. The insurer can only contact the beneficiary of the policy, not the person who applied. If you are designated as the beneficiary, they will inform you of the existence of a policy in your favor.
• The subscription location. The Ciclade search covers contracts opened in metropolitan France and overseas territories. We do not describe the procedure for a contract taken out abroad.
• The subscriber living. AGIRA's online service only becomes available after death. For a contract that expired while the policyholder was still alive, the service-public website indicates that the insurer retains the funds for 10 years from the contract's expiry date; this procedure is not addressed here.
• Capital taxation. It is not covered here: see our page on article 990 I or 757 B.

These points are examined on a case-by-case basis. No general rule replaces reading the contract and the clause.