What paperwork do you need after moving to France in 2026?

Confirm lawful stay first. Non-EU arrivals with a VLS-TS must validate the long-stay visa online within three months of entry. A different long-stay visa may require a first residence permit through ANEF or the préfecture for your address. EU citizens rely on free movement rather than that card process.

Buy a French prepaid SIM with passport ID so banks, landlords, and portals can reach you: Get a mobile phone. Sign a real lease and gather a justificatif de domicile, then open a French current account for a RIB: How to rent a home and Open a bank account.

Register for French health cover through the route that matches your status, then order a Carte Vitale when the social-security number is certified: Register for French health insurance. Choose a mutuelle, a complementary policy, once public rights or an employer plan are clear: Choose health insurance.

Ask DGFiP for a numéro fiscal when you need tax access or a first return: Get a tax number. If OFII summons you for a medical visit or republican integration contract, attend and keep every attestation: Complete OFII formalities. Eligible renters can apply for housing benefit through CAF after the lease and RIB exist: Apply for housing benefit.

Driving and cars run beside the core stack. Check European recognition or the one-year exchange window: Exchange a driving licence. Import or buy a car only with the ANTS registration path ready: Register a vehicle. Ship pets on Agriculture Ministry and customs rules in parallel: Bring pets.