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Getting a French mobile number: SIM, eSIM and phone plans

How to get a French mobile number as a newcomer: prepaid versus monthly plans, what you need to sign up, commitment and cancellation rules, keeping your number, EU roaming and how to avoid common traps.

Checked 7 Oct 2026
Applies to
Anyone who has arrived in France or is about to, and wants a French phone number.
Effort
Low effort
Time needed
About 20 minutes in a shop or online; a physical SIM sent by post takes a few days, an eSIM can work the same day
Cost
Prices depend on the operator and data volume; no-commitment SIM-only plans are widely available. A deposit or SIM fee may apply.
When
In your first days; many French procedures, banks and landlords ask for a French mobile number
On this page
  1. Overview
  2. Documents you need
  3. Step by step
  4. Commitment and cancellation rules
  5. Keeping your number when you switch
  6. Roaming and calling abroad
  7. Avoiding scams and nuisance calls
  8. Watch out
  9. Common mistakes
  10. Tips
  11. Frequently asked questions
  12. Official links
  13. In your plan
  14. Sources
  15. Related guides

A French mobile number (starting with 06 or 07) makes daily life much easier: banks send security codes by SMS, administrations and doctors call or text you, and landlords and employers expect a local number. A few operators run their own mobile networks, and a number of virtual operators use those networks and often sell cheaper SIM-only plans.

You can start with a prepaid SIM (carte prépayée) and switch to a monthly plan (forfait) once you have a French address and bank account, keeping the same number.

Documents you need

  • Passport

    required

  • Proof of address (for a monthly plan)

    optional

  • Bank details (RIB) for a monthly plan

    optional

Step by step

  1. Step 1: Check your current phone and options

    Make sure your phone is not locked to your home operator and whether it supports eSIM. If you come from another EU or EEA country, you can keep your home SIM at domestic rates for a while thanks to EU roaming rules, which gives you time to choose.

  2. Step 2: Choose prepaid or a monthly plan

    • Prepaid (prépayé): you buy a SIM and top up credit. Useful in your first weeks or without a French bank account. You will be asked for an identity document to activate it.
    • Monthly plan (forfait): billed every month by direct debit, usually cheaper per gigabyte. Many SIM-only plans are without commitment (sans engagement), which you can cancel at any time.
    • Plan with a subsidised phone: often comes with a 12- or 24-month commitment. Calculate the total cost over the whole period.

  3. Step 3: Compare coverage and conditions

    Coverage varies by area and inside buildings, especially in older stone buildings and in the metro. ARCEP, the telecom regulator, publishes coverage and quality maps by operator. Compare the data volume, the price after any promotional period, the data allowance in other EU countries and outside the EU, and the SIM or activation fee.

  4. Step 4: Sign up in a shop or online

    You generally need an identity document, a proof of address and bank details for a monthly plan. Before signing, the operator must give you a contract summary with the services, price, duration and cancellation conditions. If you subscribe online or by phone, you have 14 days to withdraw; there is no withdrawal period for contracts signed in a shop.

  5. Step 5: Activate and secure your line

    Insert the SIM or download the eSIM profile and test calls, SMS and data. Note your PIN and PUK codes. Update your number with your bank, employer, health insurance (Ameli account) and other services.

Commitment and cancellation rules

  • An operator cannot impose a commitment longer than 24 months. If it offers more than 12 months, it must also offer the same deal with a 12-month commitment.
  • Without commitment or after it ends, you can cancel at any time, without fees related to the commitment; the cancellation takes effect within ten days.
  • During a 12-month commitment, cancelling early means paying the remaining months. During a 24-month commitment, you pay the remaining months up to month 12 and then a quarter of the remaining amounts.
  • Some situations allow free early cancellation for a legitimate reason, such as job loss or a long hospitalisation, with proof sent by registered letter.

Keeping your number when you switch

Call 3179 (free) from your mobile to receive your RIO code (relevé d'identité opérateur). Give it to the new operator: it transfers your number and cancels the old contract for you. You do not need to write to the old operator.

Roaming and calling abroad

  • Within the EU (and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, plus Moldova and Ukraine under the EU rules), "roam like at home" means you use your French plan at domestic prices for normal, occasional travel. If you spend more time abroad than in France and use your phone more abroad over a four-month period, the operator can apply limited surcharges.
  • Outside the EU, prices depend entirely on the operator and can be high; check your plan's international options before travelling.
  • Calls from France to numbers in other countries are not always included; check the list of included destinations.

Avoiding scams and nuisance calls

  • Banks, the tax office and health insurance never ask you to give passwords or card codes by phone or SMS.
  • Since 11 August 2026, companies may only make sales calls to you if you have given explicit prior consent, which is valid for one year and can be withdrawn at any time. The old opt-out list Bloctel has ended. You can report unwanted sales calls on SignalConso.

Watch out

Do not lend your SIM or identity documents to someone else to open a line; you remain responsible for its use.

Check what happens to the price after a promotional period ends; it can rise significantly.

Common mistakes

  • Signing a 24-month contract with a phone without calculating the total cost.
  • Cancelling the old line before porting the number, which loses the number.
  • Using a home non-EU SIM abroad without checking roaming prices.

Tips

  • Start with a no-commitment SIM-only plan; you can always move to another offer later and keep your number with the RIO code.
  • If your building has poor indoor coverage, check whether your phone and plan support calls over Wi-Fi.
  • Keep a copy of your contract summary; it is the reference in any dispute.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Can I get a French plan without a French bank account?

Prepaid SIMs do not require one. For monthly plans, operators ask for bank details for direct debit, and acceptance of non-French accounts depends on the operator. Ask before signing up.

Do I need a residence permit to get a SIM?

You need a valid identity document, which can be a passport. Operators set their own lists of accepted documents.

Who do I contact if I have a dispute with my operator?

First the operator's customer service, in writing. If that does not resolve it, you can refer the matter free of charge to the Médiateur des communications électroniques.

In your plan

  • Get a French mobile number
  • Set up electricity and order internet for your home

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Apr 2027.

  1. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Premier ministre)Official source
    Téléphone, internet ou télévision – conclusion du contrat (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026

    ID, proof of address and bank details; 14-day withdrawal for distance contracts; 24-month maximum commitment

  2. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Premier ministre)Official source
    Téléphone, internet ou télévision – résiliation du contrat (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026

    Ten-day effect, early termination costs, RIO via 3179, mediator

  3. European Union – Your EuropeOfficial source
    Roaming – using your mobile phone abroad in the EU (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026
  4. DEETS La Réunion (services de l'État)Official source
    Démarchage téléphonique : à partir du 11 août 2026, le consentement devient la règle (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026
  5. Selectra
    Comparatif carte SIM prépayée sans abonnement (Opens {{site}} in a new tab)
    Accessed 7 Oct 2026

    Context only – identity check required when buying and activating prepaid SIMs; no prices taken

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