Opening a French bank account from the US (Paris)

Hi everyone,

I'm a soon-to-be-expat, moving to Paris in June on a 3-year artist visa. I'll be looking for an apartment to rent, and I understand landlords require prospective tenants to have a French bank account. I've been told that opening accounts can take up to 2 weeks, and transferring funds from the US can take another week. First, is this true?? Second, if so: is there a way to begin the process of opening an account here in the US? Are there American and/or French banks that collaborate somehow to make this process easier?

Thanks so much for your advice. (Next question: expected contents of the dossier required by landlords.)

Shannon
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