Bancaire en France

Depending on the bank and nationality of the individual wanting the account, opening up an a new French bank account is relatively easy. If you choose Credit Agricole you can open the account using a fiscal UK address whilst you are preparing to move to Paris. However, bank statements, payslips, two utility bills, bankers reference, two copies of identification all need to be signed and approval stamped by your UK bank. This can be a long process because all documents go via the fiscal UK address.

Therefore, my suggestion to you is, wait and open an LCL bank once you have moved to Paris. There are plenty of branches in various arrondisements (municipal districts/departments) in Paris. Other banks to use consist of:

- BNP Paribas (my friend did have some bad experience with them)
- HSBC
- Barclays
- Banque Populaire
Plus various others. Some banks have English speaking staff and call centres.

Here is how easy I found it to open an LCL bank account.

Visited branch on Saturday. Bank manager asked for the following information:

1- Proof of Id (id card or passport)
2- Proof of address (Contrat de location meublee a usage d'habitation)
3- Contract of employment(Covention de Stage for Erasmus students)

You can provide LCL with payslips and other information but it is not mandatory.

Within 20-30 minutes I had a bank account up and running. However, French bank accounts differ to that of some UK bank accounts.

1- French bank accounts require payment for the VISA/Mastercard; usually between 3-5 euros
2- I opted for card insurance that is around EUR2-3(optional).

I took both that gave me a slight discount. Please note: these amounts you will not see because they will debit your account automatically.

You have to wait approx. 5 days to receive the pin number. You then need to take this along with your ID (id card/passport) to collect the card, paperwork and cheque book direct from the branch where you opened the account. Please note: employers require RIB and IBAN number to pay wage/salary and the same is required to open mobile phone and transfer money to other French bank accounts.

It is also worth noting at this point that you will need a postbox with your name displayed in order for the postperson to deliver your correspondence. I made sure to immediately notify the porter of the block of flats where I reside.