Study costs & money in France
Tuition, living-cost context, banking, taxes and practical money guidance for students planning to study in France.
Read the complete France study abroad guide.
Bank Accounts
A French bank account is convenient for rent, wages and many local services, but avoid treating a French IBAN as universally mandatory. SEPA rules prohibit unjustified IBAN discrimination, and some French services can pay to eligible non-French SEPA accounts even though local administration may be easier with a French account.
Banks normally ask for identity, legal stay where applicable, enrolment and address evidence. Account fees and student offers vary, so compare rather than assuming a student account is automatically free.
Keep a RIB/IBAN document available for administrations and employers that request bank details.
Source: https://www.campusfrance.org/en
Taxes
If you work in France, salary tax and social contributions are generally handled through payroll, including withholding at source where applicable. Whether you must file your own annual income-tax return depends on your tax household and circumstances rather than simply on being a student.
A young adult who is not attached to a parent's French tax household will generally file personally when the filing conditions apply. A qualifying student under 25 can in some circumstances remain attached to a parent's French tax household, in which case the student does not file a separate return and the relevant income is handled on the parent's declaration.
Student employment, internship gratification and scholarships have different exemption rules. For example, qualifying student-job earnings and internship gratification can benefit from statutory exemptions up to specified limits, while social-criteria scholarships are not taxable but scholarships paid for defined work or research can be. Check impots.gouv.fr or Service-Public for the tax year concerned rather than treating all scholarships or all internship pay identically.
CAF housing benefits are not ordinary taxable salary, but CAF uses resource information for benefit calculations. Report changes when the benefit rules require it.
Source: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1228
Common questions
What should international students know about banking in France?
You need a French RIB for rent, housing benefit and reimbursements. Open the account in your first fortnight.
What should international students know about taxes in France?
Tax filing depends on your tax household; student jobs, internships and scholarships have separate exemption rules.