The first month in France is exciting and completely overwhelming in equal measure. Between finding your footing in a new city and trying to decode French administrative procedures, it’s easy to miss deadlines that will come back to bite you months later. This guide gives you a clear, ordered checklist — so you know exactly what to do and when.
Before You Land: What to Have Ready
Several steps are easier (or only possible) to do before leaving your home country. Do not skip these:
- Apostilles on civil status documents. Your birth certificate and marriage certificate (if applicable) need an apostille — an international certification that French authorities require. Getting this from your home country once you’re in France is slow and expensive. Do it before you leave.
- Certified French translations. Commission traductions assermentées (sworn translations) of any foreign-language documents you’ll need: birth certificate, diplomas, police clearance. French sworn translators can do this remotely if you send scanned documents.
- Copies of all documents. Make digital backups (cloud storage + USB drive) and printed copies of your passport, visa, qualifications, and any contracts.
- Health insurance bridge. Check whether your home country’s health insurance covers you during the first weeks in France before your CPAM registration is processed. Get a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) if you’re an EU citizen.
Week 1: The Urgent Priorities
Validate your visa (VLS-TS holders only)
If you entered France on a visa long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), you must validate it online through the ANEF portal within 3 months of your first arrival. Do not wait — validation takes 10 minutes online and failing to do it can void your visa entirely. Go to administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr and look for “Valider votre visa.”
Secure your address
Everything else depends on having a French address. If you’re in temporary accommodation, that’s fine for now — use it. You’ll need a justificatif de domicile (proof of address less than 3 months old) for virtually every administrative step. If you’re staying with someone, ask for a signed attestation d’hébergement with their ID and utility bill.
Open a bank account
This is a first-week priority because your employer needs your RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire) before they can pay you. La Banque Postale is the most accessible for newcomers with incomplete documents. For a full breakdown of options, see opening a bank account in France.
Get a French SIM card
A French phone number is required for many online procedures — SMS confirmation codes, préfecture bookings, CPAM registration. Buy a prepaid SIM (Free Mobile, Bouygues, SFR) immediately. Switch to a subscription plan once your bank account is active.
Week 2: Administrative Registration
Register with the CPAM (French health insurance)
Start your Assurance Maladie registration as soon as possible. Go to ameli.fr and begin the process. If you’re employed, your employer will register you automatically, but you should still verify the registration is in progress. You’ll receive your numéro de sécurité sociale and eventually your carte vitale. Full instructions are in our guide on healthcare registration: how to do it.
Book your préfecture appointment (non-EU nationals)
If you are a non-EU citizen and your visa requires a full titre de séjour application (not just VLS-TS validation), book your préfecture appointment now. Waiting even two weeks can mean a 2–3 month delay in getting a slot. See how to book a préfecture appointment for strategies when no slots are visible.
Register with your local mairie (EU citizens)
EU citizens do not need a residence permit, but can register at the local mairie (town hall) to receive an attestation d’enregistrement — useful as formal proof of residence for landlords, banks, and other administrative bodies.
Week 3: Employment and Tax Setup
Give your employer your complete file
Your employer’s HR department will need: your RIB, passport copy, Social Security number (or proof it’s in process), and your signed work contract. They may also ask for a copy of your titre de séjour or visa.
Declare your address to the tax authority
Create an account on impots.gouv.fr using your fiscal identification number (numéro fiscal). If this is your first year in France, you’ll need to declare your income for the previous year. If you arrived partway through the year, you declare the income earned while a French tax resident.
Set up a mutuelle (complementary health insurance)
Your employer is legally required to offer a group mutuelle covering at least 50% of premiums — sign up through HR. If self-employed, research individual plans. Don’t wait on this — CPAM only covers ~70% of most medical costs, and without a mutuelle you pay the rest.
Week 4: Practical Life Setup
Choose a médecin traitant (primary care doctor)
Once your CPAM registration is processing, find a GP who accepts new patients and declare them as your médecin traitant. Without this, you’ll pay higher out-of-pocket costs for specialist visits. Use doctolib.fr to find available doctors near you. Instructions are in the healthcare registration guide.
Set up utilities and internet
If you’ve moved into your own accommodation, set up electricity (EDF/Engie), gas, and internet (Free, Orange, SFR, Bouygues). Each utility bill (facture) you receive becomes a valid justificatif de domicile — collect them all.
Enroll children in school if applicable
Contact your local mairie — they assign the nearest school (école publique) based on your address. For primary school, registration is via the mairie; for secondary school, via the académie (regional education authority). Documents needed: birth certificate, proof of address, and vaccination records.
Learn practical daily French
Even a basic level of French dramatically improves your experience at the préfecture, the bank, and the doctor’s office. Our guide to 50 useful phrases for daily life is a solid starting point — and if you want to accelerate your French specifically for administrative contexts, these 7 proven methods for learning French faster will help.
First Month Checklist at a Glance
| Task | Deadline | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Validate VLS-TS visa (ANEF portal) | Within 3 months of arrival | Critical |
| Secure address + justificatif de domicile | Week 1 | Critical |
| Open bank account + get RIB | Week 1 | Critical |
| Get French SIM card | Week 1 | High |
| Start CPAM registration | Week 2 | High |
| Book préfecture appointment (non-EU) | Week 2 | High |
| Give employer your complete file | Week 3 | High |
| Register on impots.gouv.fr | Week 3 | Medium |
| Enroll in mutuelle | Week 3 | Medium |
| Declare médecin traitant | Week 4 | Medium |
| Set up utilities | Week 4 | Medium |
Next Step
Focus on the critical tasks first — VLS-TS validation, bank account, and préfecture appointment — because missing deadlines here has the most severe consequences. Everything else can be done progressively over the month. If documents are holding you up, review the documents you must have when moving to France — it covers exactly what to gather and in what format.