Moving to France: A Checklist for the First Weeks

This guide is for internationals who have just moved to France and want a clear order for the official tasks of their first weeks. After reading it, you will know which steps come first, which body handles each one and which official page explains it.

• Papers and residence status
• Housing, insurance and utilities
• Health cover and benefits
• Bank, employer and work
• Children and school
• FAQ

Papers and residence status

The main official reference is the Service-Public.fr checklist Je déménage en France, last checked by the service on 9 July 2024. It is written for anyone changing address in France, not only for new arrivals. It explains what to update once you have a home. It does not explain how to get the right to stay. The prefecture decides on that question, and a migration advice service can explain the options in a particular situation.

The page sets out clear rules on documents. A holder of a titre de séjour (residence permit) must have it updated when their address changes. A citizen of a European Union member state who holds a carte de séjour UE (EU residence card) must also have it amended, although the page notes that this card is not compulsory. The address on a carte grise (vehicle registration certificate) must be changed as well. For a leased car or a long-term rental, the leasing company handles the change. Changing the address on a driving licence is not required.

You can register on the listes électorales (electoral rolls) at any time of year, but each election has its own deadline. The page does not say which non-French nationals may register, so ask the mairie (town hall). An online application is only open to applicants aged 18 or over, who must upload proof of identity and proof of address less than three months old. At the mairie or by post, the same documents go with form cerfa n°12669. Someone else can submit the application on the applicant’s behalf with a signed written authorisation.

Housing, insurance and utilities

Home insurance comes first. A tenant must take out an assurance habitation (home insurance) contract covering risques locatifs (the damage a tenant is liable for) and may add further cover. In a flatshare, the rules depend on whether there is one tenancy agreement or several. An owner is not obliged to insure, except in a copropriété (jointly owned building), where the insurance required by the co-ownership is compulsory.

Utilities come next. The page says to contact gas and electricity suppliers and to read the meters on the day you move in. It also links to a list of the suppliers in each commune. Water, phone, television and internet providers also need the new address. If an internet operator has no offer at the new home, the subscription can be cancelled free of charge on legitimate grounds. La Poste runs a paid mail redirection service.

Some help with moving costs exists. The mairie or the département may contribute to removal or set-up costs, notably through the Fonds de solidarité pour le logement (FSL, housing solidarity fund), and the local body decides. A household with at least three children, born or expected, can claim a moving allowance from the Caf or the MSA within six months of the move. A professional mover is liable for loss, breakage and delay, and can be asked for a free quote. If you move without a professional, there is no compensation for theft or damage in transit, and using undeclared labour can lead to prosecution.

Health cover and benefits

The page names the bodies that must have your current address:

• the Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM, local health insurance fund), or the scheme covering public employees
• the Caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf, family benefits office) or the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA, farming sector scheme)
• any complémentaire santé or mutuelle (top-up health insurance)
• pension funds

A single online declaration reports a change of address to several organisations at once, including the CPAM, the tax office, EDF, France Travail and the Caf. The tax office must be told in any case.

The page does not explain how a newcomer first joins the French health system, what conditions apply or how long it takes. The CPAM decides on affiliation, and the Caf decides on entitlement to family benefits.

Bank, employer and work

On banking, the page says only that your bank needs your new address. So do insurers for a car, motorbike, bicycle or electric scooter, and any life insurance provider. The page does not cover opening an account or the documents a bank asks for, so ask the bank directly.

Employees must tell their employer, and public servants their administration. Anyone registered with France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi), the public employment service, must update their situation. The relevant convention collective (sector-wide collective agreement) or a company agreement may give days off for moving. It may also require the employer to pay some or all of the moving costs. New state civil servants may receive the aide à l’installation des personnels de l’État (AIP, a settling-in allowance) under certain conditions. The page does not cover the right to work in France. The prefecture or a migration advice service can answer that question.

Children and school

For a child at école maternelle (nursery school) or primary school, the page says a change of school must be requested unless the child stays at their former school. At collège (lower secondary school) or lycée (upper secondary school), a change of school may be needed. Help with public transport costs may be available, and childcare outside school hours may need reorganising. After a separation, the other parent must be told. The page does not describe how a child arriving from abroad is first enrolled. The town hall or the school can explain the local procedure.

FAQ

Does a residence permit need updating after a change of address?

Yes. The Service-Public.fr page states that a titre de séjour must be updated with the new address. An EU citizen who holds the optional carte de séjour UE must have it amended too. The prefecture handles the procedure.

Is home insurance compulsory for tenants?

Yes. A tenant must hold a contract covering risques locatifs. Owners do not have to insure unless the home is in a copropriété, where they must take the insurance the co-ownership requires.

Who can claim the Caf moving allowance, and when?

A household with at least three children, born or expected, can claim it from the Caf or the MSA. The claim must be made within six months of the move. The body that pays the allowance decides who qualifies.

What happens to the deposit when a tenant leaves?

The tenant gives notice, which can be one or three months, then carries out an état des lieux (check-out inventory) with the landlord. If it matches the check-in inventory, the landlord must return the dépôt de garantie (security deposit) within one month of departure.

Sources: service-public.fr

Last verified: 20 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the prefecture of your département, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (avocat).