Moving to France
A practical first-30-days checklist for newcomers to France — residence permit, social security and healthcare, banking, groceries, telecom, transport, and housing, with links to the official sources you actually need.
Last updated:
- Currency
- Euro (EUR, €)
- Capital
- Paris
- Official language
- French
- Dialing code
- +33
- Time zone
- CET (UTC+1) / CEST (UTC+2) summer
Read in another language
English(English)
Sort out your residence permit and social security
In France almost every step depends on a residence document (titre de séjour for non-EU citizens; address registration for EU citizens) and on registration with the social security system, which gives you a numéro de sécurité sociale and access to public healthcare. Settle these first.
1.Validate your visa or apply for a titre de séjour
Non-EU long-stay visa holders must validate their visa online with the OFII (Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration) within 3 months of arrival. Other categories apply for a titre de séjour at the local préfecture. Book your appointment online — Paris, Lyon, and other big cities often have multi-month waits.
Validate your VLS-TS visa — OFII2.Apply for your numéro de sécurité sociale
Your social security number unlocks public healthcare, child benefits, and unemployment cover. Employees: HR usually applies on your behalf, and a temporary number issues within weeks. Self-employed and others register directly via Ameli. The full 13-digit number arrives by post; until then, you can claim healthcare reimbursements with a temporary number.
Register with health insurance — Ameli3.Get your Carte Vitale (health card)
Once your social security file is open, you receive a Carte Vitale — the green chip-card that doctors and pharmacies swipe to bill the social security directly. Without it, you pay the full price up front and reclaim later. Order yours via your Ameli account once you have a permanent number.
4.Register with the CAF for housing and family benefits
The Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) administers housing aid (APL — typically €100–250/month for low-to-mid-income tenants), family allowances, and several other support payments. Register on caf.fr once you have a numéro de sécurité sociale; APL is paid retroactively from the month you applied.
CAF — apply for benefits
Open a bank account
A French RIB (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire — your account details) is required for salary, rent, deposits, and most contracts. Online banks (Boursorama, Hello bank!, Revolut, N26, Fortuneo) open accounts from a passport scan; high-street banks (BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, La Banque Postale) take longer but are useful for in-person services.
1.Start with an online bank
Boursorama Banque (Société Générale-owned and the cheapest mainstream bank), Hello bank! (BNP), Fortuneo, Revolut, and N26 open free accounts in 1–7 days from a passport, proof of address, and a video-ident call. You receive a French IBAN and RIB immediately — enough for salary and rent.
2.Add a high-street account if you want full services
BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, La Banque Postale, and the mutuelles (Banque Populaire, Caisse d'Epargne) have the densest branch and ATM coverage and remain the standard choice for mortgages, business accounts, and complex needs. Branch appointments take a week or two; bring your titre de séjour, RIB-of-an-existing-account, and proof of address.
3.Set up prélèvement automatique for bills
Prélèvement is the French SEPA Direct Debit — utilities, internet, gym, insurance, and many subscriptions pull from your account monthly. You authorise each company once via a SEPA mandate; banks legally guarantee an 8-week refund window if a company takes the wrong amount.
4.Move money in cheaply
Avoid your home bank for the initial transfer — fees of 3–5% are common. Wise and Revolut typically convert at near-mid-market rates with a flat fee under €10 for transfers up to €5,000.
Open a Wise multi-currency account
Find a place to live
French rental markets in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Lille, Nice, and parts of the Côte d'Azur are notoriously tight. Expect a deposit (dépôt de garantie) of 1 month's unfurnished rent or 2 months' furnished, the first month's rent in advance, often a French guarantor (garant), and proof of income at 3x the monthly rent.
1.Search the right portals
SeLoger, LeBonCoin, and PAP (Particulier à Particulier) carry the bulk of rentals. Logic-Immo and Bien'ici are useful complements. For furnished rentals (location meublée), Studapart and Immojeune dominate the student segment. Move quickly — desirable Paris flats can be gone within hours and routinely have 30+ applicants.
Browse rentals on SeLoger2.Build a complete dossier
Landlords expect a single PDF dossier de location with: passport / titre de séjour, the last 3 payslips, the work contract, the last 2 tax returns or French avis d'imposition if available, plus the same documents for any guarantor. Without a French income history, the Visale guarantee from Action Logement is free, state-backed, and accepted by most landlords for tenants under 30 or earning under specific thresholds.
Free Visale guarantor — Action Logement3.Understand the lease — meublé vs vide
Furnished leases (bail meublé) run a minimum of 1 year (9 months for students) at slightly higher rent; unfurnished leases (bail vide) run 3 years for individual landlords (6 years for corporate). The tenant can leave with 1 month's notice in tense-market cities (Paris, Lyon, etc.) for unfurnished rentals; furnished is always 1 month. Landlords cannot terminate without specific legal grounds.
4.Apply for APL housing aid
The Aide Personnalisée au Logement (APL) is a means-tested housing benefit worth €100–250/month for many tenants. Apply on caf.fr as soon as you have moved in and registered with social security; aid is paid retroactively from the month of application. Eligibility depends on income, rent, and the area.
Estimate your APL — Service-Public.fr
Get a French phone number and home internet
A French phone number is the easiest way to receive 2FA codes from French services. Prepaid SIMs work without a French address; postpaid contracts require a RIB and a French address.
1.Buy a prepaid SIM on day one
Prepaid SIMs from Free Mobile, B&YOU (Bouygues), Sosh (Orange), RED by SFR, and Lebara start from €9.99/month for 100–200 GB and EU roaming. Sold at supermarkets, tabacs, and operator stores. Most can be activated online with a passport and a card.
2.Switch to a contract once your address is registered
The four major networks (Orange, SFR, Bouygues, Free) compete sharply on price. The cheapest decent plans (Free Mobile €9.99 with 250 GB, B&YOU €9.99 with 200 GB) are no-commitment monthly. Premium plans with handset finance run €30–50/month over 24 months. Most include EU roaming up to 25 GB/month.
3.Compare home internet — fibre is dominant
France has aggressively rolled out fibre — most urban addresses can get 1–8 Gbps for €20–40/month. The four major operators (Orange, Free, SFR, Bouygues) compete on bundles (internet + mobile + TV). Free is typically cheapest; Orange has the most reliable customer service. Check Arcep's coverage map for your specific address.
Check fibre coverage — Arcep
Where to buy food and household goods
France has the most varied supermarket landscape in Europe. Hypermarkets (Carrefour, Auchan, Leclerc), discount chains (Lidl, Aldi), urban-format supermarkets (Monoprix, Franprix), and the still-thriving network of marchés (open-air markets) and small specialty shops (boulangerie, fromagerie, boucherie) cover overlapping needs.
1.Hypermarkets for the weekly shop: Leclerc, Carrefour, Auchan, Intermarché
E.Leclerc is consistently the lowest-priced major chain on a typical basket; Carrefour, Auchan, and Intermarché compete closely. Hypermarkets (Carrefour Hipermarket, Géant Casino, Leclerc) are out-of-town and require a car; their urban supermarket sub-brands (Carrefour Market, Carrefour City, Casino Supermarché, Intermarché Express) trade smaller ranges for walkability.
2.Discount chains: Lidl, Aldi
Lidl and Aldi run tight ranges — typically 30–40% cheaper than Carrefour or Auchan on basics, with weekly themed promotions for non-food items. Strong on cheese, butter, dairy, fresh produce, and own-label baked goods. Cash, card, and contactless accepted.
3.Urban premium and convenience: Monoprix, Franprix, Picard
Monoprix is the upscale urban chain — broader fresh and specialty ranges, longer hours (often open Sundays), prices 15–25% above hypermarkets. Franprix is the smaller, faster cousin. Picard specialises in frozen prepared foods of unusually high quality — a French institution worth using even if you cook from scratch most of the time.
4.The marché tradition
Most French towns hold a marché 1–3 days a week — open-air markets where local farmers, butchers, fishmongers, and cheesemakers sell directly. Prices are slightly above supermarket level but the produce is often dramatically fresher and the variety is broader (heirloom tomato varieties, regional cheeses, raw-milk butter). Cash is still common at smaller stalls.
5.Online delivery: Carrefour, Auchan, Houra, Amazon Fresh
Most major chains deliver in cities; courses.carrefour.fr and Auchan are reliable for full weekly shops. Houra is a specialist online supermarket with broad ranges. Amazon Fresh covers Paris and a few other metros. Quick-commerce (Frichti, Gorillas in their day, Cajoo) covers small top-up shops in 30 minutes for a small fee.
Get around — public transit and driving
French cities have excellent public transit and the TGV high-speed rail network is among Europe's best. Driving is on the right; EU/EEA licences are valid indefinitely; non-EU/EEA licences must usually be exchanged within 1 year of becoming a resident.
1.Get a regional transit card
Île-de-France (Paris) uses Navigo — a contactless season pass that costs €88.80/month (2025) for unlimited travel across all 5 zones, including airports. Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux, and Lille each have their own card. Most networks accept contactless debit/credit cards or phone wallets directly at the gate for single tickets.
Navigo pass — Paris transit2.Use SNCF for intercity travel
SNCF runs the TGV (high-speed) and intercity rail network. Paris to Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, and Lille in 2–4 hours by TGV. Book through SNCF Connect, OUIGO (low-cost SNCF), Trainline, or Trenitalia France (now competing on Paris–Lyon). Booking 2–3 months ahead can be 50–70% cheaper than walk-up.
Book trains — SNCF Connect3.Driving licence: convert or sit a French test
EU/EEA licences are valid indefinitely. Non-EU/EEA licences are valid for 1 year from the date you become a French resident; after that you must exchange or take French theory and practical tests. France has bilateral exchange agreements with most US states, Canadian provinces, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and many others — check ANTS for your specific licence-of-issue.
Exchange a foreign driving licence — ANTS4.Cycling and shared mobility
Most major French cities have public bike-share schemes (Vélib in Paris, Vélov in Lyon, Velhop in Strasbourg). Lime, Tier, and Dott e-scooters cover the main metros at per-minute pricing. Paris withdrew shared e-scooters in 2023 after a public referendum; bikes and standard scooters remain.
Topic deep dives
Once you have the basics in place, these in-depth guides cover the parts of life that come up after the first month — and the social norms newcomers most often notice.
Other countries
Frequently asked questions
How fast can I get a French bank account?
1–7 days at an online bank (Boursorama, Hello bank!, Revolut). 1–3 weeks at a high-street bank, depending on appointment availability. Bring a passport, proof of address (utility bill, lease, or attestation d'hébergement from the person hosting you), and your titre de séjour or visa.
Can I get healthcare before my Carte Vitale arrives?
Yes. Once you have a temporary social security number (numéro provisoire), you can pay up front at the doctor or pharmacy and reclaim via your Ameli account. The Carte Vitale automates this once it arrives — typically 2–3 months after you first register.
Do I need to learn French?
In central Paris and a few tech-sector niches you can survive with English. For everything else — bureaucracy, doctors, schools, small business, the long term — French is essential. Free OFII-funded French classes are part of the integration contract for many newcomers; CCFS, CIEP, and the Alliance Française also run paid courses.
Is a French guarantor really required?
In a competitive rental market, yes. Without a French income history, the free state-backed Visale guarantee from Action Logement is accepted by most landlords for tenants under 30 or earning under specific thresholds. Above those thresholds, paid guarantor services like GarantMe charge 3–5% of annual rent.