Moving to France

Planning to move to France? This guide puts your first steps in order – visa, residence permit, home, bank, health cover and French lessons – and gathers the France emergency numbers, agencies and city contacts you need when living in France as a foreigner.

If you are moving to France in 2026, the biggest change is the language and civics test. Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year titre de séjour (residence permit) requires French at level A2 and a pass in the new civic exam, and a first 10-year resident card requires B1 plus the civic exam – if you are under 65. Naturalisation now requires B2 French and, since 1 January 2026, the civic exam too; French nationality by marriage now requires B2 as well, but no civic exam. The exam has 40 multiple-choice questions in French: you need 32 correct answers, and it lasts 45 minutes at most. Fees rose on 1 May 2026: a first residence card now costs €350 (was €225), a renewal €250 and the stamp duty for naturalisation €255 (was €55). None of this applies to EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, who do not need a residence permit at all.

This guide is for everyone who wants to move to France and build a life here – for a job, studies, family, retirement, a business or protection – and for French citizens coming home. Choose the profile below that fits you best, then read the 15 guides in the series. Living in France as a foreigner means paperwork, so use this page as your map: the first table puts the steps in order, from the préfecture (prefecture) to the doctor, and the France emergency numbers and the address book are worth saving on your phone. Where a rule is local – in Paris, Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux, for example – we say so. Every phone number, fee and opening hour was checked on 23 September 2026; where we could not confirm a detail, we send you to the agency's website.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

The 2026 tightening for non-Europeans – French tests, the civic exam, higher permit fees – does not apply to you: you need no titre de séjour (residence permit) and no work authorisation. What changes in 2026 is practical: the minimum wage (SMIC) has been €12.31 gross an hour since 1 June 2026, and from 1 October 2026 the yearly caps on medical deductibles and flat fees rise from €100 to €140.

Step	What to do
Arrive with your ID card or passport	For up to 3 months there is no formality. To stay longer you must work or, as a student or inactive person, have health insurance and enough resources. The right to stay can be refused. – Where: Allô Service Public (3939)
Ask for the optional residence card if useful	The 'citoyen UE/EEE/Suisse – Toutes activités professionnelles' card is free and, with a permanent contract (CDI), valid 5 years. Apply online with an e-photo code. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Open your health cover	Working? You are covered from your first hour: contact the CPAM (local health insurance office) with form S1106. Pensioners bring an S1. For inactive people, PUMa (universal health cover) is not automatic. – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Get your social security number and health card	Born abroad, you first get a temporary number valid 9 months, with no card. Once the definitive number arrives, order the free carte Vitale (health card) in your ameli account: about 2 weeks. – Where: Assurance Maladie
Choose a GP and top-up insurance	Declare a médecin traitant (regular GP): a €30 visit is then reimbursed €19, against €8.40 without one. Employers must offer a mutuelle (top-up health insurance) and pay at least 50% of it. – Where: Your GP and the CPAM
Looking for work? Register and bring form U2	Register with France Travail. With form U2 you keep your home-country unemployment benefit for 3 months (up to 6): register within 7 days of leaving the jobseekers' register at home. – Where: France Travail (3949)
Drive on your EU licence	Your EU/EEA licence stays valid while in date. Low-emission zones (ZFE) still apply: in Grand Paris, Crit'Air 3, 4 and 5 cars are banned on weekdays 8:00–20:00 (no fines until 31 December 2026). – Where: ANTS (France Titres)
Register to vote locally	You can vote in municipal and European elections: register on the supplementary lists at your mairie (town hall). Since 1 July 2026 the deadline is the 6th Friday before the vote. – Where: Mairie (town hall)

Rules that apply to you
After 5 years of legal, uninterrupted residence you gain a permanent right of residence; you lose it after more than 2 consecutive years away.
Inactive or retired? The administration cannot ask for more than €651.69 a month for a single person or €977.54 for a couple without children.
Non-EU family members must apply for a residence card within 3 months of arrival; if they need a visa, the consulate issues it free under an accelerated procedure.
EU/EEA/Swiss students may work up to 964 hours a year without any permit; beyond that they are treated as workers.
Rent control is local: Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and a few other areas, not Marseille. The experiment ends on 25 November 2026 unless it is extended.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Assurance Maladie, France Travail, read 23 September 2026

From the UK

If you arrive now you are treated like any non-EU national: you need a long-stay visa, since 1 January 2026 a first multi-year titre de séjour (residence permit) requires French at A2 and the civic exam, and a first card costs €350 since 1 May 2026. If you settled here before 31 December 2020, your free Withdrawal Agreement card keeps your EU-era rights.

Step	What to do
Check which group you are in	Settled in France by 31 December 2020? The Withdrawal Agreement protects you and your family. Arrived from 1 January 2021? You need a long-stay visa and an ordinary residence permit. – Where: Allô Service Public (3939)
Withdrawal Agreement: keep your card current	The card is free and valid 5 years (10 after 5 years' residence). After 5 years, ask for the free 10-year permanent card in the 2 months before your 5-year card expires. – Where: Préfecture (prefecture) of your home
New arrivals: apply for a long-stay visa	Apply to the French consular services in the UK, no more than 3 months before departure. Your passport must be under 10 years old, valid 3 months beyond the visa, with 2 blank pages. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Validate your visa within 3 months	Validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) online and pay the tax: €300 since 1 May 2026, or the reduced €100 for students and family reunification. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Prepare French A2 and the civic exam	For your first multi-year card: a TCF or TEF certificate (valid 2 years) or a French diploma, and the civic exam – 40 questions, 32 correct, 45 minutes. Renewals are not concerned. – Where: Approved centres (CCI Paris Île-de-France, France Éducation international)
Open your health cover	Contact the CPAM (local health insurance office): workers are covered from the first hour, others after 3 months' stable residence. Then order the free carte Vitale (health card). – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Check your driving licence date	A UK licence issued before 2021 stays valid. One issued in 2021 or later is valid 1 year: exchange it online within 1 year of visa validation or your first permit (€40 tax stamp). – Where: ANTS (France Titres)

Rules that apply to you
Visits: since 12 October 2025 stays of up to 90 days in any 180 are logged in the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) with face and fingerprints; long-stay visa or permit holders are not.
ETIAS, the EU travel authorisation, is not yet operational: it is planned from the last quarter of 2026 at €20. Check before you travel.
Withdrawal Agreement card holders may work as employees without a work authorisation, and signing the republican principles contract is optional for them.
Family joining a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary are covered if the link existed before 1 January 2021; they apply at the préfecture within 3 months of arriving.
Years worked in the UK count towards a French pension as if they had been worked in France.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), France Diplomatie, Interior Ministry, read 23 September 2026

Employee from outside the EU

Since 1 January 2026 your first multi-year titre de séjour (residence permit) requires French at A2 and a pass in the civic exam, and since 1 May 2026 you pay €300 to validate your visa and €350 for a first card. Your employer must first get a work authorisation, and your pay can never be below the SMIC (minimum wage): €1,867.02 gross a month since 1 June 2026.

Step	What to do
Your employer applies for a work authorisation	Online only. Unless the job is on the shortage list (métiers en tension), the offer must first be advertised for 3 consecutive weeks. Pay must reach the SMIC or the collective-agreement minimum. – Where: Employer, via ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Apply for a 'salarié' long-stay visa	At the French consulate where you live, no more than 3 months before leaving. A permanent contract (CDI) leads to a 'salarié' permit, a fixed-term one (CDD) to 'travailleur temporaire'. Start work on arrival. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Validate your visa within 3 months	Validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) online and pay the €300 tax. This keeps your stay legal and lets you cross the Schengen border again. – Where: ANEF
Sign your integration contract	OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) calls you in: French test, then the Republican Integration Contract (CIR) with 24 hours of civic training and 600 hours of French if you are below A2. – Where: OFII
Open your health rights	Your employer starts the procedure; send form S1106 to the CPAM (local health insurance office). A temporary number comes first, then the definitive one and a free carte Vitale (health card). – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Open a bank account	Bring your passport or permit and proof of address. No answer within 15 days counts as a refusal: apply to the Banque de France, which designates a bank that must open a basic account. – Where: Your bank, then the Banque de France
Apply for your 4-year card in time	File at least 2 months before your VLS-TS expires. Pass the civic exam (40 questions, 32 correct, 45 minutes) and prove A2 first with a TCF or TEF certificate or French diploma. The card costs €350. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture (prefecture)
Exchange your driving licence	Your non-EU licence is valid 1 year. If your country has an exchange agreement, apply online within 1 year of validating your visa (€40 tax stamp); otherwise take the French test. – Where: ANTS (France Titres)

Rules that apply to you
Your VLS-TS or 'salarié' card only covers the job it was granted for: every new contract needs a new work authorisation.
You must sign the contract to respect the principles of the Republic with every permit application; without it the file is incomplete.
Income tax is withheld from your pay: until you file your first French return (on paper), a default rate of 0% to 43% applies.
The legal working week is 35 hours, and every employee earns 2.5 working days of paid leave per month – 5 weeks a year.
If the préfecture does not answer a work-authorisation request within 2 months, it is a refusal; you then have 2 months to appeal.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Interior Ministry (ANEF, OFII), Assurance Maladie, read 23 September 2026

Talent card

The talent card (formerly 'passeport talent') still gives you up to 4 years in one go, with no work authorisation and no integration contract. What changed: a first card costs €350 since 1 May 2026, and a first resident card after 5 years now needs French at B1 and the civic exam, in force since 1 January 2026.

Step	What to do
Check your category and pay threshold	Qualified employee: French master's-level degree and €39,582 gross a year. EU Blue Card: €59,373 and a 6-month contract. Corporate officer: €67,212.60. Medical professions: €41,386.48. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Founders and investors: prepare the project	Business creation: master's or 5 years' experience, €30,000 of financing and resources of €22,404.20 a year – ask the economy ministry for its opinion first. Investors: at least €300,000. – Where: Ministry of the Economy
Apply for the 'talent' visa	Under 12 months you get a VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) to validate online within 3 months, at the standard €300 rate. For 1 year or more: a 3-month 'talent' visa. – Where: French consulate
Apply for your card within 2 months	With the 3-month visa, apply online within 2 months of entry. The card lasts as long as your contract or project, up to 4 years, and costs €350 in tax stamps. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Bring your family the simple way	Your spouse and minor children use the 'famille accompagnante' procedure – no family reunification – and get a 'talent-famille' card (€350) that lets them work. – Where: French consulate, then ANEF
Paris: health insurance formalities	Holders of a 'talent – salarié' visa deal directly with the Paris CPAM (local health insurance office). Then order your free carte Vitale (health card). – Where: CPAM de Paris
Renew in the right window	File renewals online between 4 and 2 months before expiry. Silence for 4 months means refusal (90 days for the Blue Card, 60 days for researchers). – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture (prefecture)

Rules that apply to you
Your employer needs no work authorisation and, for salaried talent categories, pays no employer tax on foreign workers.
Recruited from abroad after 5 years without French tax residence? The impatriate regime can exempt your impatriation premium until the end of the 8th year: ask the tax office.
You do not sign the Republican Integration Contract (CIR), but you must sign the contract to respect the principles of the Republic.
Already a Blue Card holder for 1 year in another EU state? Apply for the French Blue Card within 1 month of entering France.
Rent control is local: Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux and a few other areas, not Marseille. The experiment ends on 25 November 2026 unless it is extended.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Interior Ministry (ANEF), Assurance Maladie, read 23 September 2026

Researcher or PhD student

Researchers use the 'talent – chercheur' card: no work authorisation, no integration contract and, for stays of a year or more, a card as long as your hosting agreement, up to 4 years. Since 1 May 2026 the card costs €350, and since 1 January 2026 a later first resident card needs French at B1 plus the civic exam.

Step	What to do
Get a hosting agreement	An approved research or higher-education body issues a convention d'accueil stating your status, the purpose and length of your stay. You need a master's-level degree. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals need none. – Where: Your host institution
Apply for the visa with the stamped agreement	Have the hosting agreement stamped by the French consulate when you apply for your visa, whatever your contract: doctoral contract, CIFRE or other. – Where: French consulate (Campus France)
Under 12 months: validate your visa	Validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) 'talent-chercheur' online within 3 months of arrival and pay the validation tax (€300 standard rate since 1 May 2026). – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
12 months or more: apply for the card	With the 3-month 'talent' visa, apply online within 2 months of entry. The card costs €350; if the préfecture (prefecture) has not answered after 60 days, it is a refusal. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture
Sort out health cover	With a work or doctoral contract you are registered automatically. Enrolled without a contract? Register free with the Assurance Maladie. A mutuelle (top-up health insurance) covers what is not reimbursed. – Where: CPAM (local health insurance office)
Bring your family	Your spouse and minor children use the 'famille accompagnante' procedure and receive a 'talent-famille' card that lets them work – no family reunification needed. – Where: French consulate, then ANEF
After your research: the job-search card	Apply in the 2 months before your card expires for a 1-year 'recherche d'emploi/création d'entreprise' card (€150). Related jobs must pay over €2,800.53 gross a month. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture

Rules that apply to you
Unfunded PhD with no doctoral or work contract? Your host may refuse a hosting agreement, and you then need a 'student' visa instead.
Doctoral students pay €398 a year at public universities: doctorates are not subject to the higher fees for non-EU students.
A minimum pay of €2,200 gross applies if you sign a research-stay agreement (convention de séjour de recherche).
Already a researcher in another EU state and coming for over 3 months? You get the card without a long-stay visa.
EURAXESS centres across France give free advice and administrative help to researchers who move here.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Campus France, Assurance Maladie, read 23 September 2026

Student

Since 1 July 2026 non-EU students can no longer get housing aid (APL) unless they hold a needs-based grant, work or are apprentices – so budget carefully: you must show at least €877.50 a month. In 2026-27 public universities charge non-EU students €2,902 a year for a licence and €3,950 for a master.

Step	What to do
Apply through Études en France or France-Visas	Nationals of countries covered by Études en France apply there at pre-enrolment, others via France-Visas, at most 3 months before departure. Show resources of at least €877.50 a month. – Where: Campus France or the French consulate
Validate your student visa within 3 months	Your VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) 'étudiant' lasts 4 months to 1 year. Validate it online within 3 months of arrival and pay the €100 tax. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Register for health insurance – it is free	Register as soon as you enrol, via the Assurance Maladie student service. EU students with a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) need not. A mutuelle (top-up health insurance) is advisable. – Where: Assurance Maladie
Pay the student contribution and enrol	The student life contribution (CVEC) is €105 for 2026-27; grant holders are exempt from it and from tuition. Doctorates cost €398 and have no higher non-EU fee. – Where: Your university
Find a place to live	Furnished leases run at least 9 months for students; a 'bail mobilité' lasts 1–10 months with no deposit. Visale is a free rent guarantor for tenants under 30. – Where: Action Logement (Visale)
Work within your limit	Your permit lets you work up to 964 hours a year (60% of full time) without a work authorisation. Your employer declares you to the préfecture (prefecture) 2 working days before hiring. – Where: Your employer
Renew between 4 and 2 months before expiry	Apply online. After the first year you can get a multi-year student card for the rest of your cycle (€150) if your studies are real and serious. Silence for 90 days means refusal. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture
After graduation: stay to find a job	Master's-level graduates can get a 1-year job-search/business-creation card (€150). Jobs related to your studies paying over €2,800.53 gross a month need no labour-market test. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture

Rules that apply to you
Since 4 May 2026 the €1 meal in Crous university restaurants is open to all students.
Rent control is local: rents are capped in Paris, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Bordeaux and a few other areas, not Marseille – until 25 November 2026 unless extended.
Students do not sign the integration contract, but must sign the contract to respect the principles of the Republic with every application.
Algerian students may work only 50% of annual working time, under the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement.
With a student permit you need not exchange a non-EU driving licence during your studies.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Campus France, Assurance Maladie, read 23 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

The 2024 immigration law's stricter family reunification rules – including a French test before arrival – were struck down by the Conseil constitutionnel, so the 18-month residence rule still applies. But since 1 January 2026 a first resident card as the spouse of a French citizen or of a resident-card holder needs French at B1 and the civic exam, and nationality by marriage now requires B2.

Step	What to do
Choose the right route	Spouse of a French citizen: a long-stay visa directly. Family of a non-EU resident: regroupement familial. Of a talent-card holder: 'talent-famille'. Of an EU citizen: a card within 3 months. – Where: Allô Service Public (3939)
Sponsor: check income and housing	18 months of legal residence and average income over 12 months of €1,867.02 a month for 2–3 people, €2,053.72 for 4–5. Housing: at least 22 m² for 2 in zones A bis/A, 24 in B1/B2, 28 in C. – Where: OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration)
File the application and wait	The sponsor files with OFII online or by post. The mairie (town hall) checks income and housing within 2 months; the prefect (in Paris, the police prefect) decides within 6 months. – Where: OFII, then the mairie
Get the visa and travel within 3 months	After approval, apply for a VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) at the consulate. The family must enter France within 3 months of the visas being issued. – Where: French consulate
Validate, medical check, integration contract	Validate the visa online within 3 months (reduced €100 tax). OFII runs a medical check, and the spouse and children over 16 sign the Republican Integration Contract (CIR). – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal) and OFII
Get your residence permit	After reunification your titre de séjour (residence permit) is usually a 1-year 'vie privée et familiale' card, or 10 years if your sponsor holds a resident card. The préfecture (prefecture) fee is €150. – Where: Préfecture
Claim family benefits and enrol children	The CAF (family allowance fund) pays €152.25 a month for 2 children if household income is up to €79,980. School is compulsory from 3 to 16: enrol at the mairie, then the school. – Where: CAF and the mairie

Rules that apply to you
Spouse of a French citizen: after 1 year a 2-year multi-year card, after 3 years you may ask for a 10-year resident card – the first one now needs B1 French and the civic exam.
Nationality by marriage is possible after 4 years (5 in some cases): it now requires B2 French and a €255 stamp, but no civic exam.
Parents and grandparents are not covered by family reunification; they may come as visitors if they have enough resources.
A marriage celebrated abroad must be transcribed by the central civil-status service in Nantes.
Algerian sponsors follow the 1968 agreement: 1 year's residence instead of 18 months.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), OFII, Conseil constitutionnel, read 23 September 2026

Refugee or protection status

The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum reached French law in June 2026, with decrees in June and on 26 August 2026 changing the asylum procedure, reception conditions and appeal deadlines – official pages are still being updated, so check before relying on older rules. Once protected, your first card is free and you are not concerned by the civic exam introduced on 1 January 2026.

Step	What to do
Register your asylum claim	Register at the préfecture (prefecture) before claiming asylum from OFPRA (the French refugee protection office). In Paris, first phone OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) on 01 42 500 900. – Where: Préfecture, one-stop asylum desk (GUDA)
Accept the reception conditions	OFII offers housing and the ADA allowance – €6.80 a day for 1 person – if you filed with OFPRA within 21 days. Refusing the housing ends other aid. – Where: OFII
Get health care	At first, emergency care in hospital PASS clinics and PMI centres for children under 6. After 3 months' residence you get PUMa (universal health cover) from the CPAM (local health insurance office). – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Work after 6 months	You cannot work in the first 6 months. If OFPRA has not decided by then, you may ask for a work authorisation with a job offer; the labour-market test applies. – Where: Préfecture
Once protected: your residence card	Refugees get a free 10-year resident card (family members pay €50): apply online as soon as the decision arrives. Subsidiary protection: a card of up to 4 years. Both let you work. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Sign the integration contract	Refugees and subsidiary-protection holders sign the Republican Integration Contract (CIR); OFII can then help you find work and housing. – Where: OFII
Bring your family	Réunification familiale has no income or housing conditions: spouse or partner (relationship before your claim) and unmarried children up to 19, declared to OFPRA. Start once protected. – Where: OFPRA, then the French consulate
Travel document and diplomas	Refugees can get a 5-year travel document (€45 tax stamp), not valid for your country of origin. A comparability certificate for foreign diplomas is free for refugees. – Where: ANEF; ENIC-NARIC France

Rules that apply to you
Ukraine: temporary protection, which allows work, was extended by the EU on 30 July 2026 until 4 March 2028.
A long-term EU resident card based on your protection status does require B1 French and the civic exam.
Family formed after your asylum claim (later marriage or children) must use regroupement familial instead.
Exchange a non-EU driving licence within 1 year of the receipt recognising your protection (€40 tax stamp).
Refugees do not wait 3 months for PUMa health cover.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), OFPRA, OFII, Préfecture de police, read 23 September 2026

Returning French citizen

Two 2026 changes matter if you are coming home: the 2023 pension reform is suspended until 2028 for pensions starting from 1 September 2026, and social levies on interest, dividends and capital gains rose to 18.6% for income received from 2026. Otherwise the job is switching things back on: health cover, tax residence, driving licence and car.

Step	What to do
Leave the consular register	Ask to be removed from the Register of French nationals abroad, preferably online. Registering to vote at your new mairie (town hall) then removes you from the consular electoral list. – Where: French consulate
Restart your health cover	Working? You are covered from the first hour: send form S1106 with your contract or a payslip to the CPAM (local health insurance office). Not working? PUMa (universal health cover) needs 3 months' residence. – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Bridge the first 3 months	Coming from the EU/EEA? Use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or ask your insurer for an S1. Members of the Caisse des Français de l'étranger (CFE) may, under conditions, keep its benefits for 3 months. – Where: CFE or your former insurer
Update your health card and choose a GP	Update your carte Vitale (health card) and declare a médecin traitant (regular GP): a €30 visit is then reimbursed €19, against €8.40 without one. – Where: Assurance Maladie
Tell the non-residents' tax office	Give the SIPNR (non-residents' tax office) your new address and check your withholding rate. Next spring declare French income before your return on form 2042-NR and all income after it on 2042. – Where: SIPNR
Declare accounts you keep abroad	Once tax-resident, declare every bank, life-insurance and digital-asset account held abroad each year: the fine is €1,500 per undeclared account. – Where: Tax office (DGFiP)
Restore or exchange your licence	Swapped your French licence for an EU one abroad? Ask ANTS (France Titres) to restore it once you live here. A non-EU licence gained abroad must be exchanged within 1 year (€40). – Where: ANTS
Register a car you bring back	You have 1 month: proof of address under 6 months, form cerfa 13750, a roadworthiness test if the car is over 4 years old, and customs certificate 846 A for non-EU imports. – Where: ANTS or an approved car professional

Rules that apply to you
Periods worked in the EU/EEA, Switzerland or the UK count for your French pension as if worked in France.
Unemployed after an EU job? Form U1 counts your insurance there, but you must first work at least 1 day in France before France Travail can pay you.
The online change-of-address service cannot be used to declare your return from abroad.
With the new card-format French ID card you can use the France Identité app, including at boarding in French airports since 24 June 2026.
A foreign spouse needs a 'conjoint de Français' long-stay visa; a marriage abroad must be transcribed by the central civil-status service in Nantes.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Assurance Maladie, DGFiP, ANTS, read 23 September 2026

Entrepreneur or self-employed

Since 1 January 2026 micro-entrepreneurs in other services pay 25.6% of turnover in social contributions, while the planned single €25,000 VAT threshold was dropped. Non-EU founders also face the 2026 residence rules: €350 for a first card since 1 May 2026, and French at A2 plus the civic exam for the later 4-year card.

Step	What to do
Check whether you need a permit	EU/EEA/Swiss nationals set up on the same terms as the French, with no residence permit. Non-EU nationals can own a company from abroad, but need a permit allowing the activity to live here and run it. – Where: Allô Service Public (3939)
Non-EU: choose your residence card	'Entrepreneur/profession libérale': a viable main activity paying you at least the SMIC (minimum wage), €1,867.02 a month; €350, 1 year. Or the talent card: €30,000 of financing, or €300,000 invested. – Where: French consulate, then the préfecture (prefecture)
Register the business online	File on the guichet des formalités des entreprises (single business-formalities portal). You enter the national business register (RNE) and get SIREN/SIRET numbers and an APE code. – Where: Guichet des formalités des entreprises
Micro-entrepreneur or company?	The micro regime applies in 2026 if turnover stayed under €203,100 (sales, accommodation) or €83,600 (services) in 2024 and 2025. One person can hold only one sole-trader business. – Where: URSSAF (social contributions collector)
Know your contribution rates	2026 rates on turnover: 12.3% for sales of goods, 21.2% for commercial and craft services, 25.6% for other services, 23.2% for regulated professions (CIPAV). No turnover, no contributions. – Where: URSSAF (36 98)
Claim start-up relief	Micro-entrepreneurs with ACRE relief pay 75% of normal contributions until the end of the 3rd calendar quarter after starting. Jobseekers on benefit can take 60% of what remains as capital (ARCE). – Where: URSSAF and France Travail
Watch the VAT thresholds	In 2026 you stay VAT-exempt (franchise en base) up to €85,000 for sales and accommodation (tolerance €93,500) and €37,500 for services (tolerance €41,250). – Where: Tax office (DGFiP)
Non-EU: renew and move to 4 years	Renew the 1-year card for €250. The 4-year card (€350) then needs integration-contract follow-up, French at A2 and the civic exam (40 questions, 32 correct) if you are under 65. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal), then the préfecture

Rules that apply to you
The optional flat-rate income tax (versement libératoire) is 1%, 1.7% or 2.2% of turnover, under an income condition; opt in at registration or within 3 months.
From 1 January 2027 all APE codes change to the new NAF 2025 classification.
Graduates of a French master's can use the 1-year job-search/business-creation card to start up, then switch to 'entrepreneur' or the talent card.
Regulated liberal professions (CIPAV) need €2,792 of turnover in 2026 to validate one pension quarter.
Algerians use a 1-year 'profession non salariée' residence certificate and are exempt from the republican principles contract.

Source: Service-Public and Entreprendre Service-Public (DILA), URSSAF, read 23 September 2026

Retiring to France

For the visitor route a single person needs €1,477.93 net a month (€17,735.19 a year) – the net minimum wage (SMIC) since 1 June 2026 – and the first visitor card costs €350 since 1 May 2026. A new health contribution for some inactive residents has been voted but still awaits its decree, so it is not in force yet.

Step	What to do
Apply for a long-stay 'visiteur' visa	Apply at the French consulate where you live, no more than 3 months before departure; the visa fee varies by country. A refusal can be appealed to the visa appeals commission (CRRV) within 30 days. – Where: French consulate (France-Visas)
Prove resources and health insurance	Pensions, rents and family support count; family allowances do not. You also need health insurance for your whole stay, and your housing is taken into account. – Where: French consulate
Promise not to work	Visitors may not work at all – not as an employee, trader, auto-entrepreneur, artisan or liberal professional. You sign a handwritten sworn statement not to work. – Where: French consulate
Validate your visa on arrival	Validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa acting as a residence permit) online within 3 months and pay the validation tax – see the agency's website for the visitor amount. – Where: ANEF (Interior Ministry online portal for foreigners)
Apply for the visitor card in time	Staying on? Apply online between 4 and 2 months before your visa expires, with a medical certificate from OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration). Valid 1 year; renewal €250. – Where: ANEF, then the préfecture (prefecture)
Health cover after 3 months	Without work, PUMa (universal health cover) opens after 3 months of stable residence, with your residence permit. EU pensioners register with an S1 at the CPAM (local health insurance office). – Where: CPAM (Assurance Maladie)
Choose a GP and top-up insurance	Declare a médecin traitant (regular GP) for better refunds and consider a mutuelle (top-up health insurance). From 1 October 2026 yearly caps on deductibles and flat fees rise to €140. – Where: Assurance Maladie
Exchange your driving licence	A non-EU licence is valid 1 year after you settle. If your country has an agreement, exchange it online within 1 year of validating your visa (€40 tax stamp). – Where: ANTS (France Titres)

Rules that apply to you
EU/EEA/Swiss retirees need no card: the administration cannot ask for more than €651.69 a month (single) or €977.54 (couple) without children.
Retirees with only a Swiss pension must choose once and for all between French health insurance and the Swiss scheme.
Former resident-card holders living abroad with a French pension can get a 10-year 'retraité' card (€50): no visa for stays of up to 1 year, no work.
Visitors do not sign the integration contract, but must sign the contract to respect the principles of the Republic.
Low-emission zones (ZFE) are local: in Marseille, Crit'Air 4, 5 and unclassified cars are banned 24/7 inside the boulevard ring; a Crit'Air sticker costs €3.85.

Source: Service-Public (DILA), Assurance Maladie, Interior Ministry, read 23 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1First 30 days in France
2. Part 2French visas and the titre de séjour in 2026
3. Part 3Social security number in France
4. Part 6SMIC 2026 and working in France
5. Part 7Income tax in France 2026

Live

1. Part 4Opening a bank account in France
2. Part 5Renting in France in 2026
3. Part 8Carte Vitale and healthcare in France
4. Part 10Starting school in France
5. Part 11Civic exam and French levels
6. Part 12Driving licence exchange in France
7. Part 13Electricity and gas in France in 2026

Settle

1. Part 9CAF in France
2. Part 14Public holidays in France 2026
3. Part 15Staying in France for good

France in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	68.88 million	Eurostat · 1 January 2025
Economy (GDP)	€2,991 billion	Eurostat · 2025
GDP per person	$48,986	World Bank · 2025
GDP growth	+0.5%	Eurostat, compared with a year earlier · Q2 2026
GDP growth, full year	0.8%	World Bank · 2025
Unemployment	8.3%	Eurostat, seasonally adjusted · July 2026
Employment rate	75.1%	Eurostat, age 20–64 · Q2 2026
Inflation	2.6%	Eurostat, EU-harmonised (HICP) · August 2026
Central bank rate	2.50%	European Central Bank deposit facility rate · 23 September 2026
Median income	€26,459 a year	Disposable, per adult equivalent · Eurostat · 2025
Price level	108	EU = 100 · Eurostat · 2024
Born abroad	14.0%	Eurostat · 1 January 2025

Source: Eurostat, World Bank and European Central Bank, read 23 September 2026, 23:40 Paris time (CET).

Pros
Incomes above the EU average: median disposable income €26,459, against €22,939 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
Lower inflation: 2.6% in August 2026, against 3.2% in the EU (HICP, Eurostat).
Fewer people burdened by housing costs: 6.4% spend more than 40% of their income on housing, against 7.7% in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
A shorter usual working week for full-time employees: 38.9 hours (Eurostat, 2025).

Cons
Unemployment of 8.3% in July 2026 – above the EU’s 6.1% (Eurostat).
The slowest growth of the six: +0.5% in Q2 2026 compared with a year earlier (Eurostat).
Housing and energy prices 22% above the EU average, food 10% above (Eurostat, 2024).

Your first steps in France, in order

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can skip steps 1 to 3: you can live and work in France without a visa, a residence card or a work authorisation, although you may ask for a free card if it helps you. Everyone else starts at the top.

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Outside the EU: get a long-stay visa (type D) before you travel. For a stay of 4 to 12 months this is usually a VLS-TS (long-stay visa that counts as a residence permit). Your passport must be valid at least 3 months after the visa ends, have 2 blank pages and be less than 10 years old.	The French consulate in the country where you live, through France-Visas. Students from countries on the Études en France list apply on Campus France's Études en France platform when they pre-enrol	Apply no more than 3 months before you leave. No answer within 2 months counts as a refusal
2	Validate your VLS-TS online and pay the tax: €300 (was €200), or €100 for students, seasonal workers, family reunification and job-search or business-creation visas. Without it you lose your legal status and cannot re-enter the Schengen area. If your visa says 'carte de séjour à solliciter dans les 2 mois suivant l'arrivée', apply for a residence card at the préfecture instead.	ANEF, online. Pay with an electronic timbre fiscal (tax stamp), bought online or at an approved tobacconist	Within 3 months of arrival (card: within 2 months)
3	Settling long-term from outside the EU: after an interview and a French test, sign the CIR (republican integration contract) with OFII and follow the compulsory civic training – 4 sessions, 24 hours in total, free of charge, and since 1 January 2026 before your multi-year card is issued. OFII may also call you for a medical examination. Students, visitors and talent-card holders do not sign the CIR.	OFII – your regional office	The CIR lasts 1 year and can be extended by up to 1 year
4	Rent a home and insure it: tenants must take out home insurance covering at least fire, water damage and explosion. A landlord may only ask for documents on an official list, and no money before the lease is signed. The deposit is at most 1 month's rent unfurnished, 2 months furnished. Under 30? Visale is a free rent guarantee.	Landlord or letting agency; DossierFacile, the free State service for your tenant file; Action Logement for Visale	Take out the insurance before you move in
5	Open a bank account with an official photo ID (passport or residence permit) and proof of address, such as a rent receipt or an electricity bill. If someone is hosting you, the bank may ask for an attestation d'hébergement (host's certificate).	Any bank. If you are refused: the Banque de France (droit au compte, the right to an account)	No answer within 15 days counts as a refusal. The Banque de France then designates a bank within 1 working day, which must open the account within 3 working days of receiving your documents
6	Join French health insurance under PUMa (universal health protection). Employees: your employer starts the procedure and you complete it with form S1106. Born abroad? You first get a provisional number (NIA), valid 9 months, which gives no carte Vitale (health card). Non-EU students register online, free of charge.	The CPAM (local health insurance office) of your place of residence	Covered from your first hour of work; if you do not work, you wait 3 months. Assurance Maladie gives 9 months as the processing time for the definitive number
7	Once you have your definitive number, order your carte Vitale – it is free – declare a médecin traitant (regular GP) and join a mutuelle (top-up health insurance). A GP visit costs €30: the Assurance Maladie refunds €19 if you have a declared GP, €8.40 if not. Your employer must offer a company mutuelle and pay at least 50% of it.	Your ameli account (Assurance Maladie); any GP who agrees; your employer or an insurer	Card: about 2 weeks if ordered online, about 3 weeks by post
8	Enrol your children: school is compulsory from 3 to 16. Register first at the mairie (town hall), then at the school; public maternelle (nursery school) is free. Newly arrived children aged 6 or over are assessed and, if needed, join a UPE2A class for intensive French; teenagers go through the CASNAV.	The mairie of your home; the CASNAV of your area for collège and lycée	Registrations usually open in March and must be done by June before the school year; after a move, within 8 days
9	Drive legally. A non-EU licence is valid for 1 year after you settle: exchange it (€40 tax stamp) if your country has an exchange agreement, otherwise take the French driving test. EU and EEA licences can be used as long as they are valid. A foreign car must be registered in France.	ANTS (France Titres), online	Licence: apply within 1 year of validating your VLS-TS or receiving your first permit. Car: within 1 month of settling
10	Sort out your taxes. Your employer withholds income tax at a default rate until you have filed. In the year after you arrive, send your first French return on paper (form 2042); after that you can file online. Report a marriage, PACS or birth to the tax office within 60 days.	Your local tax office (DGFiP)	The year after you arrive: 2026 income is declared from April 2027
11	Learn French and, if you want a multi-year card or a resident card, pass the civic exam. If your OFII test shows a level below A2, the CIR includes 600 hours of French, which you can also follow online. The exam can be retaken as often as needed, the pass certificate never expires and the official preparation material is free. In Paris, the City also supports French courses in some 40 schools.	OFII; exam centres approved by CCI Paris Île-de-France or France Éducation international; in Paris, the City of Paris	Exam: 45 minutes at most – pass it before you apply for the card

Tax at a glance for 2026

France taxes households: your income is divided into shares (parts) according to your family situation, and the scale applies to each share. These are the key rates and thresholds for an employee in 2026.

What	Rate or amount	Good to know
Income tax – 0%	Up to €11,600 per share	The 2026 scale, set by the 2026 finance law, applies to income earned in 2025
Income tax – 11%	€11,601 to €29,579	The brackets were indexed by 0.9%
Income tax – 30%	€29,580 to €84,577	Example: a single person with €30,000 of net taxable income pays €2,103.99 – an average rate of 7.01%, although the top rate on the last euros is 30%
Income tax – 41%	€84,578 to €181,917	Each rate applies only to the part of income within its band
Income tax – 45%	Above €181,917	High earners also pay 3% on reference income from €250,001 to €500,000 and 4% above (single person), and a minimum average tax rate of 20% applies above €250,000 (single) or €500,000 (couple)
Household shares (quotient familial)	Married or PACS couple: 2 shares; couple with 1 child: 2.5	Income is divided by the number of shares, the scale is applied to one share and the result multiplied back. The saving from each extra half-share is capped at €1,807
Professional expenses	Flat 10% deduction from salaries	Unless you claim your actual expenses instead
When you start paying	About €19,300 of declared salary	For a single person without dependants, on 2025 income. Tax bills below €61 are not collected
Pay-as-you-earn (prélèvement à la source)	Default rate from 0% to 43%	Your employer withholds the tax. Until you have filed a French return, a default rate based on your monthly salary applies; your personal rate is updated every September
CSG and CRDS on your salary	CSG 9.2% (6.8% tax-deductible) + CRDS 0.5%	Charged on 98.25% of gross pay (up to €192,240)
Investment income	18.6% social levies; flat tax 31.4%	For income received from 2026: 12.8% income tax + 18.6% social levies, or the progressive scale if you opt for it. Life insurance and rental income stay at 17.2%
Tax residence	At least 183 days a year	You are tax-resident if your household lives in France, you spend at least 183 days a year here, your main job is here or the centre of your economic interests is – one criterion is enough. A tax treaty can override this
Impatriate regime	Up to the 8th year after you start	Recruited from abroad and not tax-domiciled in France in the previous 5 years? Your impatriation premium can be tax-free until 31 December of the 8th year after you take up the post; it can be set at a flat 30% of your net pay
Foreign bank accounts	€1,500 fine per undeclared account	Declare every account held abroad each year with your return (form 3916); the fine is €10,000 per account in a country without an anti-evasion tax agreement with France
Minimum wage (SMIC)	€12.31 an hour gross since 1 June 2026	€1,867.02 a month gross for 35 hours a week, about €1,477.93 net. It was €12.02 an hour from 1 January 2026
Your first French return	Paper form 2042	The first time you declare income in France you cannot file online. After that, online filing is compulsory if your home has internet access and you can use it
Housing tax and TV licence	None on your main home	Taxe d'habitation on main residences was abolished on 1 January 2023 (it remains for second homes), and there has been no TV licence fee since 2022

The Relocate in Europe salary calculator applies these 2026 rates to your own salary.

Emergency and health numbers

Save these France emergency numbers in your phone before you need them. Calls to 15, 17, 18 and 112 are free, answered 24/7 from landlines and mobiles, geolocated and prioritised, and they do not appear on your bill. They work even if your prepaid credit has run out, as long as there is a SIM card in the phone.

Number	For what
112	The European emergency number, valid across the EU – you are put through to the right service. Operators can speak French or English
15	SAMU – medical emergency. Also the Service d'accès aux soins (SAS) when you need a health professional quickly and your own doctor is not available
17	Police secours – police, to report an offence
18	Pompiers – fire brigade: fire, accident or danger
114	For deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing and aphasic people – by text message, video, chat or French Sign Language through the urgence 114 app. Victims of domestic violence who cannot speak can also send a free text to 114
196	Sea rescue, from the coast (112 works too)
191	Air rescue
115	Emergency shelter for homeless people
119 or 116 111	Child in danger
3919	Women who are victims of violence
31 14	Suicide prevention – free, 24/7
116 000	Missing children
197	Terror alert – when it has been activated
3117 or text 31177	Safety on public transport
3624	SOS Médecins – a doctor who comes to your home, 24/7
0 800 112 112	The single number the emergency services use to call you back – it is not spam, so save it as "Services d'urgence"
3646	Assurance Maladie (health insurance): your rights, reimbursements and carte Vitale – Monday to Friday, hours vary by département
0 892 705 705	Block a lost or stolen bank card – 24/7, premium-rate
33 700	Report spam text messages and unwanted calls

For a problem that is not urgent at night or at the weekend, your mairie can give you the list of on-call doctors and pharmacies.

The address book

The agencies you are most likely to need, grouped by topic. Many procedures are online only, and several offices see you by appointment only, so check before you go. 'Free service + call price' means the service is free but your operator charges for the call.

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Préfecture (prefecture) or sous-préfecture of your home	Hands over your titre de séjour: the préfecture tells you when your card is ready and how much tax to pay. Employers check your permit with the préfecture at least 2 working days before you start work.	See the agency's website	The préfecture of your département	By appointment in most préfectures
ANEF – Administration numérique des étrangers en France (the Interior Ministry's online portal for foreigners)	Validating your VLS-TS; applying for most residence permits, travel documents, naturalisation and work authorisations; reporting a new address. You check the status of an application in your ANEF personal space.	0806 001 620 (free) – the Centre de Contact Citoyens, for technical problems such as a failed log-in or the wrong form; Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00	ANEF (Ministry of the Interior)	Online; digital help points in préfectures can help you
Préfecture de police (Paris police prefecture)	Paris only (it also covers the inner-ring départements): residence permits. Its e-contact form answers questions about where your application stands, whether your card is ready and proof of your right to stay.	34 30 (not premium-rate, cost of a local call); residence-permit phone support Monday–Friday 8:30–16:00	Préfecture de police	Postal address: 1 bis rue de Lutèce, 75004 Paris (Métro 4 Cité; RER B/C Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame). Its services receive the public at several sites – check which one before you go
OFII – Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (French Office for Immigration and Integration)	The republican integration contract (CIR) with its French test, civic training and language course, and the medical examination some visa holders are called to. In Paris, asylum seekers must first call the OFII platform on 01 42 500 900 (Monday–Friday 10:00–15:30).	Paris regional office: 01 45 86 06 22 (+33 1 45 86 06 22)	OFII	Paris regional office: 83 rue de Patay, 75013 Paris, Monday–Friday 8:30–12:00 and 13:30–16:30. Other regions: See the agency's website
OFPRA – Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides (French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons)	Decides on refugee status and subsidiary protection. You must register your asylum claim at the préfecture first.	01 58 68 10 10	OFPRA	201 rue Carnot, 94136 Fontenay-sous-Bois Cedex – visitors by appointment (convocation) only
Allô Service Public (the government's information line)	General information on rights and procedures, including foreigners' rights, labour law, housing and family law. It has no access to your file and cannot tell you where your application stands. The Service Public website also runs a free change-of-address service (in French only) that updates the CPAM, CAF, tax office, France Travail and vehicle registration at once.	3939 (free service + call price): Monday and Thursday 8:30–18:15, Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30–13:00, Friday 13:00–17:00. From abroad: +33 1 73 60 39 39 (landline only). Call-backs on residence permits are answered by Interior Ministry staff with shorter hours: Monday and Thursday 8:30–17:30, Tuesday and Wednesday 8:30–12:15, Friday 13:00–16:15	Service Public (the official administration website)	See the agency's website

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
DGFiP – your local tax office (Direction générale des Finances publiques)	Income tax, your withholding rate, your first French return (on paper) and later returns online.	0 809 401 401 (free service + call cost), Monday–Friday 8:30–19:00	DGFiP tax website – your espace particulier (personal tax account) with secure messaging	Your local tax office – book an appointment in your espace particulier
SIPNR – Service des impôts des particuliers non-résidents (non-residents' tax office)	Non-residents with French-taxable income, for example before you move. Returning French citizens give it their new address.	+33 1 72 95 20 42, Monday–Friday 9:00–16:00; also 0 809 401 401	DGFiP tax website	Centre des finances publiques, 10 rue du Centre, 93160 Noisy-le-Grand, Monday–Friday 9:00–16:00
URSSAF (collects social contributions)	Social contributions if you are a micro-entrepreneur (auto-entrepreneur) or an employer, and a line for residents covered by PUMa.	Micro-entrepreneurs: 36 98 (+33 9 69 36 00 98 from abroad). Employers: 39 57 (+33 9 69 36 00 57 from abroad). PUMa: 0 806 804 267. All Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00	URSSAF (with a separate site for auto-entrepreneurs)	See the agency's website
France Travail (public employment service, formerly Pôle emploi)	Registering as a jobseeker – any nationality, as long as your permit lets you work – and unemployment benefit.	39 49: automated service 24/7, advisers during agency hours (free service + call price). From abroad: +33 1 77 86 39 49	France Travail	Your local agency – each agency sets its own opening hours
CAF – Caisse d'allocations familiales (family allowance fund)	Housing aid (APL), family allowances, the RSA (minimum income) and the prime d'activité (in-work top-up). Check your payments online; if you spot an error, call or write from your personal account.	32 30, Monday–Friday 9:00–16:00 (free service + call price). Students: 0 969 32 52 52, Monday–Friday 9:00–19:30	CAF – your online account	Paris: 101 rue Nationale, 75013 Paris, Monday–Friday 8:30–12:00 and 14:00–16:00 (Wednesday by appointment only). Elsewhere: See the agency's website
Banque de France (central bank) – droit au compte	If a bank refuses to open an account, or does not answer within 15 days, apply here: it designates a bank that must open a basic account, with basic banking services free of charge.	34 14 (8:00–18:00) – also for appointments	Banque de France – personal space for online applications	Banque de France branch counters (book online or on 34 14). By post: Banque de France, TSA 50120, 75035 Paris Cedex 01
Assurance retraite (state pension fund)	Your basic pension. Periods worked in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the UK count as if you had worked them in France.	39 60, or 09 71 10 39 60 from a mobile, a box or abroad; Monday–Friday 8:00–17:00	Assurance retraite; the Info Retraite portal has an expatriation guide	See the agency's website
Énergie-Info (information service for electricity and gas consumers)	Choosing or switching your electricity or gas supplier – free, with no minimum term, as often as you like. If a written complaint to your supplier gets no satisfactory answer within 2 months, you can go to the Médiateur national de l'énergie (energy ombudsman) free of charge.	0800 11 22 12 (free), Monday–Friday 8:30–18:00	Énergie-Info	See the agency's website
RéponseConso – DGCCRF (consumer protection authority)	Consumer information. Report abuses, such as illegal cold calls, on SignalConso.	0809 540 550 (not premium-rate): Monday and Tuesday 8:30–12:30 and 13:15–17:15, Wednesday 13:15–17:15, Thursday 8:30–12:30, Friday 8:30–16:00	DGCCRF – RéponseConso; SignalConso	See the agency's website

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Assurance Maladie – your CPAM (caisse primaire d'assurance maladie)	Your social security number (form S1106), carte Vitale, reimbursements, proof of cover (attestation de droits) and changes in your situation. If you cannot find a médecin traitant, contact a territorial coordinated organisation (organisation coordonnée territoriale) or your CPAM. Holders of a 'Passeport Talent – salarié' visa, language assistants and au pairs deal directly with the CPAM de Paris.	3646, Monday–Friday; hours vary by département, generally at least 8:30–17:30 (free service + call price). From abroad: +33 1 84 90 36 46	Assurance Maladie – your ameli account	The CPAM of your place of residence. Paris: visits by appointment – book in your ameli account or on 3646
Interbank card-blocking line (opposition)	Lost or stolen bank card, or fraudulent payments: block the card at once, through your bank or this line. Your bank must refund unauthorised payments by the end of the next working day after your claim. Report card fraud online on Perceval.	0 892 705 705 – 24/7, premium-rate	Perceval (online reporting of card fraud)	Your bank
Info Escroqueries (national scam-advice line)	Advice if you think you are being scammed. Government bodies and large platforms never ask for sensitive information by message or phone.	0 805 805 817 (free from France), Monday–Friday 9:00–18:30	Info Escroqueries	See the agency's website
33 700 (platform against spam texts and calls)	Report spam text messages and unwanted calls. Report phishing e-mails to Signal Spam and phishing websites to Phishing Initiative.	33 700	Signal Spam; Phishing Initiative	See the agency's website
THESEE (online complaint platform)	Report fake rental ads with an online complaint. Warning signs: a very low rent, photos used in other ads, a landlord who will not meet you, money requested before the lease is signed, or ID documents before a visit.	See the agency's website	THESEE	Online

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Douane – French customs (information service for individuals)	Moving your belongings: nothing to pay and no formalities from an EU country. From outside the EU, personal effects, furniture and your car enter duty-free if you lived outside the EU for at least 1 year and owned them for at least 6 months – bring a detailed, signed inventory in 2 copies and form cerfa 10070. Customs issue certificate 846 A for registering the car. Declare cash of €10,000 or more when you enter France.	0 800 94 40 40 (free), Monday–Friday 8:30–18:00; from abroad or overseas +33 1 72 40 78 50	Douane (French customs)	See the agency's website
ANTS – France Titres (National Agency for Secure Documents)	Exchanging a driving licence (€40 electronic tax stamp) and registering a foreign car. After the online registration request, a provisional certificate (CPI) lets you drive in France for 1 month.	34 00 in mainland France (not premium-rate); 09 70 83 07 07 from overseas and abroad; Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00. The online contact form replies in under 48 hours	France Titres (ANTS)	Online; for registration also through an approved car professional. Registration certificates can no longer be requested at the préfecture
Crit'Air air-quality sticker – official ordering service	Compulsory for driving in low-emission zones (ZFE): €3.85 including postage within France. Owners of foreign-registered cars order it online, on the only official site.	See the agency's website	The official Crit'Air website	Online
Your département's tax office – quitus fiscal	For a car bought in another EU country: request the quitus fiscal (VAT clearance) by e-mail with form 1993-PART-D-SD; any VAT due is paid by bank transfer.	See the agency's website	DGFiP tax website	See the agency's website
Dreal (regional directorate for the environment, planning and housing)	Single-vehicle approval (RTI) if your car has no European certificate of conformity (COC).	See the agency's website	The Dreal of your region	See the agency's website
I-CAD (national register of identified dogs and cats)	A dog or cat arriving in France must be registered within 7 days, through a vet, with a €12 cheque to I-CAD. Before you travel: microchip, rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport or official health document; from most non-EU countries also a rabies antibody test at least 3 months before arrival.	09 77 40 30 77, Monday–Friday 8:30–17:30	I-CAD	By post: I-CAD, 29 rue du progrès, CS 50011, 93108 Montreuil Cedex

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Your mairie – school enrolment	Enrolling children at a public école maternelle (from 3, free) or école élémentaire (from 6): first at the mairie, then at the school. Bring ID, a recent proof of address and proof of the compulsory vaccinations. Children go to the école de secteur (catchment school); another school needs a derogation, which is not automatic.	See the agency's website	Your commune	The mairie of your commune
CASNAV (centre for the schooling of newly arrived pupils)	Teenagers arriving in France meet an Education nationale psychologist and are assessed before being placed in a collège or lycée; they can join a UPE2A unit for intensive French.	See the agency's website	The CASNAV of your area	See the agency's website
France Éducation international (FEI)	The TCF test, whose certificate proves your French level for a residence card or naturalisation (valid 2 years), the DELF and DALF diplomas, the DELF scolaire for pupils aged 12 to 17, and civic exam centres.	+33 (0)1 45 07 60 00	France Éducation international	1, avenue Léon-Journault, 92318 Sèvres cedex
CCI Paris Île-de-France (Paris chamber of commerce and industry)	The TEF French test (certificates valid 2 years) and approved civic exam centres.	See the agency's website	CCI Paris Île-de-France	See the agency's website
Campus France (French agency for the promotion of higher education, international student services and international mobility)	Preparing to study or do research in France. Students from countries on the Études en France list apply for their visa through its Études en France platform when they pre-enrol.	01 40 40 58 58 (+33 1 40 40 58 58)	Campus France	Head office: 28 rue de la Grange-aux-Belles, 75010 Paris
ENIC-NARIC France	An attestation de comparabilité (statement comparing your foreign diploma with French ones) for jobs that are not regulated: apply online; €120, free for asylum seekers and refugees; answer within 4 months at most. Regulated professions have their own recognition procedures.	See the agency's website	ENIC-NARIC France	Online
Assurance Maladie – registration for international students	Non-EU students register for French health insurance online, free of charge (ID, residence permit, enrolment certificate, bank details, birth certificate). EU, EEA and Swiss students with a valid European Health Insurance Card need not register.	3646	Assurance Maladie – student registration site	Online
Crous (student services)	Since 4 May 2026 the €1 meal in university restaurants is open to all students, and to apprentices, doctoral students and civic-service volunteers – you need an Izly account.	See the agency's website	Crous	Crous university restaurants
Parcoursup	EU students apply here for the first year of a licence (bachelor's degree), like French students, from the end of December to mid-March. Non-EU students living in Europe use the demande d'admission préalable (DAP), usually between early October and mid-December.	See the agency's website	Parcoursup	Online

Cities

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Ville de Paris (City of Paris) and its mairies d'arrondissement (district town halls)	Paris only: your Mon Paris online account; City-supported French courses (in some 40 schools, Paris'Anim centres and library conversation workshops); crèche applications from the 6th month of pregnancy, online through Paris Familles or at your district town hall; reporting a rent above the legal cap.	See the agency's website	Ville de Paris (with English pages)	Mairie Paris Centre (former 1st–4th arrondissements): 2 rue Eugène-Spuller, 3e. Mairie du 11e: 12 place Léon Blum. Mairie du 15e: 31 rue Péclet
Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM – Paris region transport authority)	Navigo Mois (all zones) €90.80 a month since 1 January 2026 – your employer reimburses at least 50%. A single Métro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55 and is valid for 2 hours with transfers, but not at the Orly or Charles de Gaulle airport stations.	See the agency's website	Île-de-France Mobilités	See the agency's website
Ville de Lyon (City of Lyon) and its mairies d'arrondissement	Lyon only: local services. Rent control covers Lyon and Villeurbanne, and the City promotes the bail réel solidaire – you buy the home and lease the land for 18 to 99 years, which cuts the price by 20 to 40%.	See the agency's website	Ville de Lyon	See the agency's website
TCL (Lyon public transport)	Adult (26–64) monthly pass: €75.90 for zones 1 and 2, €91.80 for all zones – the page does not give a start date for these prices. Also available by monthly direct debit.	See the agency's website	TCL	See the agency's website
Ville de Marseille (City of Marseille)	Marseille only: the newcomer page S'installer à Marseille (in French) and an annual welcome ceremony for new residents with the Mayor.	See the agency's website	Ville de Marseille	See the agency's website
Maison métropolitaine de l'habitat (Marseille)	Marseille only: applying for social housing at the counter (you can also apply online).	04 95 09 58 58	Ville de Marseille – social housing pages	19 rue de la République, 13002 Marseille
RTM – Régie des Transports Métropolitains (Marseille public transport)	Pass 30 jours Pour tous €49.50 for 30 days of unlimited travel; Pass Permanent €40 a month with a 12-month commitment; Pass Intégral Mensuel €73 for 30 days across the métropole. Prices in force since 1 July 2026.	See the agency's website	RTM	See the agency's website
Ville de Bordeaux (City of Bordeaux)	Bordeaux only: the newcomer guide S'installer à Bordeaux (in French) and a welcome reception for new residents twice a year at the Hôtel de Ville (city hall).	See the agency's website	Ville de Bordeaux	Hôtel de Ville – See the agency's website

The biggest cities

Paris

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
2,103,778 (2023 census, INSEE, published 27 August 2026)	Île-de-France Mobilités: Navigo Mois (all zones) €90.80 a month since 1 January 2026; employers reimburse at least 50%	The City names la Sorbonne, Jussieu, Assas, Dauphine, Pierre et Marie-Curie, INSP, HEC, Polytechnique, the Mines de Paris and the CNAM; it also runs nine higher-education schools of its own	Paris-Orly – metro line 14 has linked it to central Paris since 24 June 2024	No single newcomer hub: the City's English pages include Learn French in Paris and the Mon Paris online account

Paris is divided into arrondissements (districts), each served by a mairie d'arrondissement. Since 13 July 2020 the former 1st to 4th arrondissements have shared one town hall, Mairie Paris Centre, at 2 rue Eugène-Spuller (3e). The 11th's town hall on place Léon Blum is one of those that issue civil-status certificates at the Saturday-morning session (9:00–12:30). The 20th – Belleville, Charonne and part of Ménilmontant – was created from villages annexed in 1860; its town hall on place Gambetta was built between 1867 and 1877. Paris rules to know: rent control applies to leases signed since 1 July 2019, and you may let your main home to tourists for no more than 90 days a year. Paris is in school holiday zone C.

Lyon

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
519,127 (2023 census, INSEE, published 27 August 2026)	TCL: adult (26–64) monthly pass €75.90 for zones 1 and 2, €91.80 for all zones (start date of these prices not stated)	Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (about 49,000 students), Université Lumière Lyon 2 and Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 (Manufacture des Tabacs campus)	Lyon Aéroport Saint Exupéry, linked to the city by the Rhônexpress tram	See the agency's website – Ville de Lyon and your mairie d'arrondissement

The 2nd arrondissement, the Presqu'île, runs from rue Neuve in the north to the confluence of the Rhône and the Saône, and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site listed in 1998. The 4th, on the Croix-Rousse plateau, is the cradle of silk and of the canuts (silk weavers): La Croix-Rousse became part of Lyon in 1852 and saw the canut revolts of 1831 and 1834. The 5th – Vieux Lyon and Fourvière – sits around the hill with its Roman theatre and basilica, and the 6th lies between the Parc de la Tête d'Or, cours Lafayette, the Rhône and Villeurbanne. Lyon rules to know: rent control applies in Lyon and Villeurbanne to leases signed or renewed since November 2021, and according to the national ZFE portal, Crit'Air 3, 4, 5 and unclassified vehicles have been banned from the low-emission zone since 1 January 2025. Lyon is in school holiday zone A.

Marseille

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
886,040 (2023 census, INSEE, published 27 August 2026)	RTM: Pass 30 jours Pour tous €49.50 for 30 days; Pass Permanent €40 a month with a 12-month commitment (prices in force since 1 July 2026)	Aix-Marseille Université (AMU): over 75,000 students, including 10,000 international students, in 19 faculties and schools	Marseille Provence Airport	The City's newcomer page S'installer à Marseille (in French) and an annual welcome ceremony for new residents with the Mayor

Belsunce, in the 1st arrondissement between the Canebière and the Porte d'Aix, is described by the City as the neighbourhood of diversity; it has the Bourse shopping centre with the History Museum and the Alcazar library. Le Panier, in the 2nd, is the oldest part of Marseille, going back to the Greek colony of Massalia (600 BC). The 7th covers Endoume, Roucas Blanc and Vauban, with the corniche Kennedy, the Vallon des Auffes and the basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde (built 1864) on its 150 m limestone peak. The 8th has the Orange Vélodrome stadium, the Prado beaches and Le Corbusier's Cité radieuse. Marseille rules to know: rent control does not apply here yet – its launch depends on a ministerial decree – and letting your main home to tourists is capped at 90 days a year. According to the national ZFE portal, unclassified, Crit'Air 5 and Crit'Air 4 vehicles have been banned 24/7 inside the boulevard ring since September 2023. Marseille is in school holiday zone B.

Bordeaux

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
267,991 (2023 census, INSEE, published 27 August 2026)	See the agency's website – the adult monthly price could not be confirmed	Université de Bordeaux (about 53,000 students, 184 ha of campus), Université Bordeaux Montaigne (over 17,000 students, mainly in Pessac) and Sciences Po Bordeaux; over 100,000 students in the city at the start of the 2024 academic year	Bordeaux Aéroport – the 30'DIRECT shuttle links it directly with Saint-Jean railway station (announced 10 September 2026)	The City's newcomer guide S'installer à Bordeaux (in French) and a welcome reception for new residents twice a year at the Hôtel de Ville

Bordeaux Centre has four neighbourhoods – Saint-Seurin, Tourny–Quinconces, Mériadeck–Saint-Bruno and Pey-Berland–Saint-Pierre–Saint-Paul – and the city centre is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Chartrons, Grand Parc and Jardin public lie between the centre and the Bassins à flot, mixing homes, local shops and heritage. On the right bank, Bastide-Niel, a former industrial and railway area redeveloped since 2016, is planned for about 10,000 residents. Ginko, in the north by the lake, was built from 2012 and labelled an éco-quartier in 2014; the lake beach is about 20 minutes' walk away. Bordeaux rules to know: rent control has applied since 15 July 2022, and according to the national ZFE portal only unclassified vehicles have been banned inside the rocade (ring road) since 1 January 2025. Bordeaux is in school holiday zone A.

Embassies in France

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to France need – 43 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs’ list of foreign embassies on 23 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know

Rent control (encadrement des loyers) is local, and its future is open. It caps rents in Paris, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Bordeaux, Lille, Montpellier, Est Ensemble and Plaine Commune (Seine-Saint-Denis), part of Grenoble-Alpes Métropole and the Pays Basque – but not in Marseille. It is an experiment that ends on 25 November 2026 unless it is extended, and the bills to make it permanent have only been referred to committee. A landlord who breaks the cap risks a fine of up to €5,000 (€15,000 for a company). Everywhere in France, with few exceptions, no tenant can be evicted between 1 November and 31 March.

Low-emission zones (ZFE) still exist. Parliament voted to abolish them, but the Conseil constitutionnel struck that article down on 21 May 2026, so the zones stay – and the rules are local. To drive in one you need a Crit'Air sticker (€3.85); the fine is usually €68 and can reach €450. In the Grand Paris zone, cars with Crit'Air 3, 4 or 5 or no classification may not drive Monday–Friday 8:00–20:00 (except public holidays), although an educational period without fines runs until 31 December 2026. Check the local rules in Lyon, Marseille or Bordeaux before you drive there.

A French digital identity takes time. FranceConnect, the single log-in for more than 1,500 public services, only works once you have a definitive French social security number – a provisional one is not enough. The France Identité app needs the new French identity card, so it is not open to foreign nationals. Among the FranceConnect identity providers, only TrustMe lets you create a digital identity with a foreign passport, ID card or residence permit (EU, EEA or Swiss documents, or passports of visa-exempt countries); another provider, YRIS, stopped on 1 July 2026.

If you come to study, budget carefully. A student visa needs proof of at least €877.50 a month. Since 1 July 2026, non-EU students without a needs-based grant (bourse sur critères sociaux) cannot get housing aid (APL) unless they work or are on an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. For 2026–27, university fees for non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss students are €2,902 a year for a licence and €3,950 for a master, against €178 and €255 for others (some students are exempt), plus the €105 CVEC (student and campus life contribution). One piece of good news: since 4 May 2026 the €1 Crous meal is open to all students.

Some announced changes are not in force yet. The 2026 social security budget provides for a new health contribution from some residents covered by PUMa who do not work and pay no CSG, but it waits for a decree that sets the amount, so it does not apply yet. From 1 October 2026, the yearly caps on medical deductibles and on the €2 contribution per consultation each rise from €50 to €70, so you may pay up to €140 a year instead of €100. And the 2023 pension reform is suspended until 2028: for pensions starting from 1 September 2026, the minimum age is 62 years and 9 months for people born between 1 January 1963 and 31 March 1965, rising step by step to 64 for those born from 1969.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 23 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.