Updated October 2026. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa, no titre de séjour and no registration of any kind to live, work or study in France, at any length of stay (Service-Public fiche F2651). In practice you still need a French address, a bank account and a social security number: workers are affiliated through their employer, while non-workers wait three months for PUMa health cover. The optional EU residence card is free, and after five years you gain permanent residence.
Key takeaways
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no visa and no titre de séjour at any length of stay.
- France has no address registration; the EU residence card is optional and free.
- Workers get health cover via the employer's DPAE; non-workers wait three months for PUMa.
- A bank or landlord asking you for a titre de séjour is wrong: cite fiche F2651.
- EU driving licences never need exchanging and skip the new €40 fee.
Do EU citizens need a visa for France?
No. Citizens of the European Union, the European Economic Area (which adds Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and Switzerland enjoy freedom of movement. You need no visa, no entry permit and no titre de séjour to enter or stay, whatever the length of your stay, per Service-Public fiche F2651. A valid national ID card or passport is enough, and there is no registration with the mairie or the Préfecture.
You may request an optional carte de séjour citoyen UE, which costs €0. It helps for a naturalisation file, some civil-status acts, and with banks or landlords who will not take no for an answer. Préfectures handle it by appointment, and slots are scarce around Paris, so most EU citizens live in France for years without one.
EU citizens do not deal with OFII or ANEF validation
Can EU citizens work and study in France?
Yes. Freedom of movement includes the right to work, so you can take any job, be self-employed, or run a business on the same terms as French nationals. No work permit is required, and employers do not need to sponsor you. You also have the right to study and to reside as a jobseeker, worker, student, or self-sufficient resident. If you are inactive or retired, service-public.fr fiche F2651 asks for health insurance and resources at least equal to the RSA scale (about €651.69/month for a single person with no child, as of 2026).
EU students enrol at the same fees as French students: €178 a year for a licence and €255 for a master in 2026-27, plus the €105 CVEC, against €2,902 and €3,950 for non-EU students. Your professional qualifications earned in another EU state are often recognised, though some regulated professions require a recognition step. Check your field on service-public.fr.
What does each EU situation require in France?
| Situation | Residence step | Health cover | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU worker starting a CDI | None | Employer DPAE, then form S1106 to the CPAM | Banks or HR wrongly asking for a titre |
| Non-working EU retiree or partner | None; resources and insurance beyond 3 months | S1106 and PUMa after 3 months' stable residence | Bridge the first months with your home cover or private insurance |
| EU student | None | File on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr | Pays EU fees: €178 or €255 plus €105 CVEC |
| EU visitor up to 3 months | None | European Health Insurance Card | No French step exists at all |
| Non-EU spouse of an EU citizen | Carte de séjour membre de famille UE | Via the EU citizen's affiliation or own work | May need an entry visa first, depending on nationality |
The first three months are unconditional for every EU citizen. Beyond three months, you must be a worker, a student, or have enough resources plus health insurance, as fiche F2651 explains. Nobody checks this at a counter, because there is no registration, but it decides your access to the CPAM and benefits.
The PUMa rule matters most for non-workers. French public health cover opens only after three monthsof stable residence (Service-Public F34308), with exceptions for enrolled students and a few other groups. A salaried EU citizen skips the wait, because the employer's DPAE hiring declaration triggers affiliation. EU and salaried files also move faster: one pregnant EU citizen reported a provisional number in about two weeks and her card in three to four months, while non-EU PUMa files often take a year.
What do EU citizens need to set up life in France?
Daily life in France runs on three things, even with no registration. First, a French address and a justificatif de domicile under three months old in your own name, which each administration checks separately. Second, a numéro de sécurité sociale from your CPAM, managed on ameli.fr. Third, a French bank accountwith a French IBAN for salary, rent and bills. When you move, the service-public.fr "Je change d'adresse" tool updates the CAF, CPAM and tax office at once.
- Step 1: Secure a French address and keep a recent justificatif de domicile in your name.
- Step 2: Open a French bank account with your EU passport or ID card to get a RIB.
- Step 3: Register with the CPAM (S1106, or via your employer) to get your numéro de sécurité sociale and carte Vitale.
- Step 4: Keep driving on your EU licence; it never needs exchanging by default.
See our proof of address guide for which documents banks and the CPAM accept in practice.
What if a bank or landlord asks an EU citizen for a titre de séjour?
Some banks, landlords and HR departments still ask EU citizens for a carte de séjour. The request is a staff-training error: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens hold no titre, and an EU passport or ID card alone legally opens a bank account. Print Service-Public fiche F2651 and show it; most counters back down at that point.
If a bank still refuses, ask for a written refusal and use the Banque de France droit au compte procedure, which designates a bank that must open a basic account for €0. Do not order the optional card just to satisfy one counter: préfecture appointments can take weeks, and the account would wait with them. For a landlord, the same fiche plus your ID, payslips or proof of resources is the complete file; a demand for a residence card is not a legal requirement.
What about non-EU family members?
Family members who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens have a derived right to join you, but they need a carte de séjour labelled "membre de famille d'un citoyen UE". This covers a spouse or partner, children and dependent relatives. Depending on nationality, a non-EU family member may also need an entry visa before arriving.
The application goes through the Préfecture or the ANEF portal. You prove the family link and your own residence in France. Family members of EU citizens are also exempt from the non-EU differentiated university fees, so they pay the €178 or €255 national rate. Confirm the exact documents on service-public.fr before you apply.
How do you get permanent residence?
After five years of continuous legal residence in France, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens acquire the droit au séjour permanent (permanent right of residence). This right is automatic, but you can request a ten-year permanent card as proof at the Préfecture, with five years of proof of residence such as tax notices. The same five-year route extends to your non-EU family members who lived with you.
The card becomes worth its appointment when you plan to naturalise. Since 1 May 2026, the naturalisation stamp duty is €255, up from €55, under the loi de finances 2026. Start collecting your annual avis d'imposition from year one: they are the simplest proof of five years' residence.
Sources: service-public.fr (fiches F2651, F34308, F1460), ameli.fr and the Banque de France, as of October 2026. Rules and fees can change, so verify your situation on service-public.fr before acting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do EU citizens need a visa to move to France?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens have freedom of movement and need no visa, no entry permit and no titre de séjour to live, work or study in France, at any length of stay. A valid national ID card or passport is enough to enter and stay (Service-Public fiche F2651).
Do EU citizens have to register with the préfecture in France?
No. France has no address registration of any kind, for EU citizens or anyone else. You can request an optional carte de séjour citoyen UE, which is free, but you never have to. You still need a French address, a social security number and a bank account in practice.
What can you do if a bank asks an EU citizen for a carte de séjour?
Point the bank to Service-Public fiche F2651: EU citizens hold no titre de séjour, and an EU passport or ID card alone legally opens an account. If the bank still refuses, ask for a written refusal and use the Banque de France droit au compte procedure, which designates a bank that must open a basic account.
Can an EU citizen work in France without a permit?
Yes. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens can take any job, be self-employed or run a business in France on the same terms as French nationals, with no work permit. Your employer's hiring declaration (DPAE) also starts your health affiliation with the CPAM.
Do EU citizens need to exchange their driving licence in France?
No. An EU or EEA licence stays valid in France indefinitely. You exchange it only if it expires, is lost or stolen, or after a traffic offence, and EU licences are exempt from the €40 exchange fee introduced on 12 May 2026.
What happens after five years of living in France as an EU citizen?
After five years of continuous legal residence, EU, EEA and Swiss citizens acquire a droit au séjour permanent (permanent right of residence). You can request a ten-year permanent card as proof, which is useful for a naturalisation file, but it remains optional.
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