Banking

Living in Paris means having your own place that you call home—but also paying your bills and taking responsibility for your finances. Having a French bank account is often required for getting a mobile phone contract and paying bills such as rent and electricity. We advise all students planning to stay in Paris for more than one semester to open a bank account.

For US citizens, opening a bank account abroad is increasingly difficult. However the HSBC agency at 85 rue Saint Dominique, a 2 minute walk from campus, will open a bank account for US citizens.

In order to schedule an appointment at the agency, please email Ludovic SINATRA ludovic.sinatrahsbc.fr and Anne-Marie NDONGO anne-marie.ndongohsbc.fr , and attach to the email a copy of your passport, a copy of your AUP card and proof of housing.

If you are not a US citizen, you can also open an account with this HSBC agency, or go with another bank such as LCL, Société Générale, Le Crédit du Nord…

Losing your credit card

If you lose your banking card or it is stolen, you must call your bank immediately to block the card and prevent unauthorized access to your bank account. You can  get in touch with us for help if the incident occurred during our office hours.

The relevé d'identité bancaire

Another important part of French banking is the Relevé d'Identité Bancaire, commonly referred to as a RIB. This document contains your personal bank information, including your account number, name, IBAN, and BIC, so keep it safe and don't lose it. It enables you to provide your bank details to others, for example to pay phone bills automatically or to receive wire transfers.

Wire transfers

Wiring money is the fastest way to receive money from outside of France. You can either transfer money to your French bank account using the IBAN/BIC information from your RIB, or wire money using Western Union or TravelEx Moneygram.

Currency exchange

Places to change your money, called bureaux de change are located all throughout the city. At a bureau de change you can either change money or travelers checks. Make sure to check the daily exchange rate at all change agencies to ensure that you receive what is owed to you upon the exchange.