How to

I have been living in Bordeaux, France for the past four years. I am here to answer all your questions about moving, settling and everything in between. You probably have thousands of question. In this category I will try to answer them. How to open a bank account? How buy a car? How to learn french? Basically a guide to how to do anything in France.

How to open a bank account in France as a foreigner ?

These days it seems impossible to reside somewhere, without having a proper bank account it the said place. If you are like me and you have no idea what to do in order to obtain one, research on the subject can get a little tedious and frustrating. When I came to France I quickly realized that I am completely lost without a bank account. People here like to do everything online (though they will send you a paper version of your accounts as well, like a lot.) You will need a bank account in order to receive your income, pay taxes and manage your other expenses. So, how to open a bank account in France as a foreigner? Here is my experience.

First of all, you should know that the French bureaucracy is like a Kraken that you should fight with mercilessly in order to succeed. Prepare yourself now, opening a bank account is actually the easiest part of starting your life in France. Renting a place, for example, will be a lot bigger challenge. I don’t want to scare you, you will get there, it is not impossible, but it does take time and patience. More on the blog