Guides for France
Practical guides checked against official sources. Filter by topic to find what you need next.
Showing 30 of 45
Arrival Local guide Your first 30 days in Paris: a step-by-step planA prioritised plan for your first month in Paris, from proof of address and your residence formalities to a bank account, Navigo pass, health insurance, home insurance and housing aid, and why the order matters. Spread over about four weeks; most steps take one online form or one appointment Arrival Plan for two to six months of preparation before departure and about three months of formalities after arrival Moving Several weeks to a few months, mainly waiting for certificates, apostilles and translations from your home country Residence and visas Local guide After arrival in Paris – validating your visa, OFII and the prefectureThe steps non-EU newcomers in Paris take after arrival: validating a VLS-TS online, applying for a card with another long-stay visa, the OFII welcome session, integration contract and medical check, collecting a residence card from the préfecture de police, and preparing the first renewal. About 30 minutes for the online validation; a half day for the OFII welcome session; months for some card decisions Residence and visas The prefecture has six months to decide on a complete file; visas and arrival formalities follow Residence and visas No residence procedure is required; an optional card application takes about 30 minutes online Residence and visas About an hour to file online; decisions can take several months Residence and visas Visa decisions from abroad can take weeks to months; renewals must be filed between four and two months before expiry Residence and visas Visa processing from abroad takes weeks; decisions on applications filed in France can take up to four months in most categories Citizenship Preparing the file takes weeks; the administration has up to 18 months to decide (12 months after 10 years of residence) Housing Local guide Finding a flat in Paris – dossier, guarantor, Visale and rent controlHow renting works in Paris: the documents a landlord may legally ask for, guarantors and the free Visale guarantee, rent control and its November 2026 deadline, deposits and capped agency fees, furnished and short-term leases, how to avoid scams and what to check before you sign. Often several weeks of searching; a complete dossier lets you apply the same day you visit Housing Local guide Temporary accommodation in Paris for your first weeks or monthsThe main short-term housing options for newcomers in Paris (hotels, holiday rentals, the mobility lease, furnished leases, student and young workers' residences, staying with someone) and how each one works for proof of address, deposits, rules and scams. From a few days (hotel, holiday rental) to several weeks or months of applications (student and young workers' residences) Housing Local guide Tenant rights in Paris: rent control, deposit, inspections and noticeYour main rights as a tenant in Paris in 2026: rent control and its reference rents, the November 2026 deadline of the scheme, limits on rent increases, deposit caps and return deadlines, move-in and move-out inspections, notice periods, repairs, and where to get free advice. About 20 minutes to read; a free ADIL appointment usually has to be booked ahead Housing About an hour for the simulation and online application; the CAF then processes your file Housing About 10 minutes to read; a few minutes of checks for each promising listing Housing About 15 minutes to read; keep it open when you read an advert or a lease Jobs Usually several weeks to several months, depending on your sector, experience and French level Employment About an hour to register online; your identification numbers usually follow within days to a few weeks Employment A few weeks to several months for a comparability certificate; often a year or more for regulated health professions with non-EU diplomas Employment About 30 to 60 minutes to register online, then a first appointment and a short monthly update Employment About 20 minutes to read; keep it at hand when you sign a contract or if a problem arises. Money Local guide Cost of living in Paris – what to budget for in 2026What life in Paris costs in 2026, built from official and statistical sources: rents and rent control, energy, transport, health costs, student fees and the minimum wage, with practical ways to keep your budget under control. About 30 minutes to draft a first budget with this guide Taxes About 15 minutes to read; a first paper return takes one to two hours with your documents at hand Banking From a same-day online opening to a few weeks; droit au compte takes a few working days after the Banque de France receives your file Insurance About 15 minutes to read; comparing individual offers can take an evening Insurance About an hour to prepare the form and copies; the definitive number can take several months Insurance An online form or a few documents; processing takes several weeks, and the definitive social security number for people born abroad can take several months Insurance About 30 minutes to compare and take out a policy online; the certificate is usually issued immediately Healthcare Local guide Finding a doctor in Paris and declaring your médecin traitantHow to find a general practitioner in Paris, why declaring a regular doctor (médecin traitant) matters for reimbursement, what sector 1 and sector 2 mean for fees in 2026, where to look, and what to do in the evening, at weekends or when you cannot get an appointment. From a few days to several weeks to find a GP who accepts new patients as médecin traitant Healthcare About 10 minutes to read