Settling up Part 1: The bank..-

Having a bank account in France should be one of the first things you do in order to achieve all the paper work to come. Almost all banks have special offers for students and young professionals, check those out before making any choice.

My choice was LCL – and I strongly recommend it.

Some of the most known ones besides the LCL are the BNP and Societe Generale. Generally to open a bank account all you’ll need is:

- Photocopy of your passport

- Certificate from your school or work

- Housing certificate (i.e. Certificate from the residence, letter from landlord, letter from host family, etc).

The student formula will give you access to many advantages, such as economic health insurance, economic house/room insurance, and some other important insurances for no more than 1 euro a year.

Be carefull, most of this options expire after the first year and the cost goes up to 30 euros or more, so follow-up closely your bank account after the first year. 

Once you open your student bank account, you can ask for the ISIC card, which will give you right to interesting discounts on amusement parks, hotels, travels and free entrance to most of the museums in France and possibly in Europe.

PS:  Count a week's time to receive your bank card and check book on the mail.

 T -