EmploymentJob hunting in France: the right reflexes
CV format, speculative applications, networking: what actually works when you're starting out.
Blog & guides
Practical guides for settling in France
Campus France, CAF housing benefit, social security, bank account, job hunting: guides written by community members who went through the procedures.
Latest articles
Worth reading
before you start.
Each guide details a specific procedure: the documents to gather, the order of steps, the real timelines and the mistakes that cost weeks.
Employment
BankingOpening a bank account when you arrive
The documents required, the more flexible banks and what you should refuse to sign.
HealthFrench social security, simply explained
Temporary number, Carte Vitale, GP, top-up insurance: the order in which to go about it.
Personal accountFrom Bujumbura to Paris: landing a first internship
The story of an internship search, from the rejections to the first yes, starting with no network.
HousingGetting CAF housing benefit as a foreign student
Who is eligible, which documents to provide and how to avoid months of pointless waiting.
Campus FranceThe Campus France process, step by step
The documents to prepare, the timelines to anticipate and the mistakes that cost a whole intake.
Frequently asked questions
The ImiziLinks blog
in questions.
Who writes the guides, how often they're updated and how to suggest a topic.
The guides are written by community members who went through the procedures themselves, sometimes reviewed by a local contact or a professional in the field. The aim is first-hand information rather than a rewrite of official text.
We update the guides when procedures change. As French administrative procedures change regularly, we always recommend checking the information on official websites before starting an important step.
Settling-in procedures in France: the Campus France process, CAF housing benefit, social security, opening a bank account, job hunting and personal accounts. New topics are added as the community asks for them.
Yes. If you've been through a particular procedure or you know a topic useful to the community, go to the Join us page and choose “Write an article or guide”. We support the writing if needed.
No. They are practical pointers from real experience. For a complex situation — refused residence permit, dispute with a landlord, employment dispute — speak to a qualified professional or a legal advice service.
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