Your First Weeks in France: An Arrival Checklist (2026)
Jules de Bruin
Editor
Updated: June 2026 | Found helpful by 8 others
- Expats
Updated June 2026. In your first weeks in France, the most urgent task for non-EU arrivals is to validate your VLS-TS with the OFII within three months. Then get a French SIM, open a bank account for your RIB, secure housing with a justificatif de domicile, register for health cover with CPAM to get your carte Vitale, take out mandatory home insurance, set up utilities and internet, start French, and learn how income tax works. As of 2026, most of these steps run online through official portals.
Key takeaways
- Non-EU arrivals must validate the VLS-TS with the OFII within three months.
- A French SIM and a bank account (RIB) unlock almost every other step.
- A justificatif de domicile is requested by nearly every administration.
- Register with CPAM for Assurance Maladie (PUMa) and request your carte Vitale.
- Home insurance is mandatory for tenants; income tax uses prelevement a la source.
Which arrival tasks come first?
Your visa status sets the urgent deadline. If you are non-EU on a VLS-TS, you must validate it online with the OFII within three months of arrival, so put that at the top of your list. See our work visa guide for the validation process in detail.
Almost everything else flows from two practical wins: a French phone number and a bank account. Housing applications, utility contracts, and health registration all expect a French SIM and a RIB, so tackle those early. Check current rules on service-public.fr, the official public service portal.
What documents unlock everything else?
The two documents that recur everywhere are your RIB (bank account details) and your justificatif de domicile (proof of address). A utility bill, rental contract, or an attestation d'hebergement from a host can serve as proof of address. See how to get a justificatif de domicile and how to open a bank account.
Do these two in parallel
What is the step-by-step arrival checklist?
- Step 1: If non-EU, validate your VLS-TS online with the OFII within three months and pay the tax. See our work visa guide.
- Step 2: Get a French SIM or mobile line so you have a local number for logins and applications. See SIM cards in France.
- Step 3: Open a French bank account to get your RIB. See opening a bank account.
- Step 4: Find housing and obtain a justificatif de domicile. See finding housing and proof of address.
- Step 5: Register for health cover with CPAM (Assurance Maladie / PUMa) and request your carte Vitale. See health insurance.
- Step 6: Take out mandatory home insurance and responsabilite civile as a tenant. See home insurance.
- Step 7: Set up utilities and home internet using your RIB. See home internet.
- Step 8: Start French or the OFII CIR civic course. See learning French.
- Step 9: Understand income tax, the declaration des revenus, and prelevement a la source. See income tax.
How do you finish settling in?
Once housing and money are sorted, lock in your health cover. Register with your local CPAM for Assurance Maladie under PUMa, then request your carte Vitale so pharmacies and doctors reimburse you automatically. As a tenant you must also hold home insurance, which usually bundles responsabilite civile for daily-life liability.
Finish by setting up utilities and home internet on direct debit, starting French or your OFII CIR sessions, and reading up on income tax. As a resident your salary is taxed at source through prelevement a la source, but you still file an annual declaration des revenus. Confirm the current calendar on impots.gouv.fr.
Sources: OFII, service-public.fr, Assurance Maladie / Ameli (CPAM), and impots.gouv.fr, as of 2026. Deadlines, fees, and conditions change, so verify the current rules for your situation before acting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should you do first when you arrive in France?
If you are non-EU on a VLS-TS, validating your visa online with the OFII within three months is the most time-sensitive task. In parallel, getting a French SIM and opening a bank account unlock almost everything else, because housing, utilities, and health cover all expect a French phone number and RIB.
Do you need a French address before you can do anything else?
Many steps are easier with a justificatif de domicile (proof of address), but you do not need permanent housing to start. Some online banks open an account with limited documents, and a temporary address or an attestation d'hebergement from a host can cover you while you search for a long-term rental.
How do you register for French health insurance as a newcomer?
Once you have been a stable resident, you apply to your local CPAM for affiliation to Assurance Maladie under PUMa. You submit identity, residence, and address documents through Ameli or your CPAM. After registration you receive a social security number and can request your carte Vitale.
Is home insurance mandatory when you rent in France?
Yes. Tenants in France are legally required to hold home insurance (assurance habitation) covering at least risques locatifs, and the landlord can ask for proof each year. Most policies also bundle responsabilite civile, which covers damage you cause to others in daily life.
When do you have to file a French tax return after moving?
If you become a French tax resident, you declare your income the year after you arrive, in the spring declaration des revenus. Income tax is collected at source (prelevement a la source) on salaries, but the annual declaration still reconciles what you owe. Check the current calendar on impots.gouv.fr.