Follow them top to bottom: each step unlocks the next.
First week in France Start here
The arrival checklist in the order that won’t get you blocked.
→ 01Open a French bank account Chain
Get your RIB — the document that unlocks almost every step after it.
→ +Student bank comparison RIB
What to compare so you get a usable French RIB fast — criteria, not hype.
→ 02Get a French phone number First week
Needed for ANEF, Ameli, and SMS codes on government sites.
→ +Pay your CVEC Enrolment
The student & campus contribution — required before many schools finalise registration.
→ 03Register for social security (Ameli) Free
Free student health cover — and the number CAF often needs from you.
→ 04Validate your titre de séjour Deadline
The strict three-month window to make your VLS-TS a valid residence document.
→ +ANEF / OFII timeline Companion
Arrival → ANEF window → what to prepare so you don’t miss the deadline.
→ 05Claim CAF housing aid (APL) Money
The €100–200/month you're entitled to — and how to actually get it.
→ +Rent with no guarantor (Visale) Housing
Runs alongside: how to secure a place using the free state-backed guarantee.
→ +Paris notes City
ANEF is national; housing and CAF pressure are local.
→ +Lyon notes City
Campus housing crunch and what still runs through ANEF.
→ +Toulouse notes City
Student-dense districts, Visale timing, CAF prep.
→Wrong order blocks everything else
Answer three questions and get your sequence — with a live titre deadline and a guide for each step.
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