Parenthood in France: First Steps When You Become a Parent

This guide is for internationals who have recently moved to France, are expecting a child and want to understand how the French system deals with a growing family. After reading it, you will know which declarations come first, which offices receive them, what the birth grant depends on, and at what point the official information on leave runs out and the relevant office decides.

• How the official pathway works
• Declaring the pregnancy and the birth grant
• Putting your health cover in order
• Choosing a maternity unit and the appointment schedule
• Leave and the steps after birth
• FAQ

How the official pathway works

The French administration sets out the steps for new parents on one Service Public page, Je deviens parent (I am becoming a parent), last checked on 1 June 2026. It lists the procedures in the order they happen, from pregnancy until the child turns three. It asks a few questions first so that it only shows what applies to each household.

Two limits matter for newcomers. First, the page does not yet cover the specific rules for self-employed workers and jobseekers, and says these will be added later. Second, salaried farm workers and farm operators come under the Mutualité sociale agricole (MSA, the agricultural social security fund), which handles health, family and other benefits through a single office. The page says nothing about residence status. Questions about a titre de séjour (residence permit) belong with the prefecture or a migration advice service.

Declaring the pregnancy and the birth grant

The first deadline comes early. Before the end of the third month of pregnancy, the expectant mother must have a first prenatal examination with a GP, a gynaecologist or a sage-femme (midwife), and must show her carte Vitale (health insurance card). During this appointment the professional usually completes the déclaration de grossesse (pregnancy declaration) online. It then goes automatically to the caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM, the local health insurance fund) and to the caisse d’allocations familiales (Caf, the family benefits office). The parents have nothing more to do.

Some practitioners still use a three-part paper form called Premier examen médical prénatal. In that case the mother fills in her own details and sends the parts within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy: the pink part to the health insurance fund and the two blue parts to the Caf. Under the agricultural scheme, the form goes to the MSA within the same 14 weeks.

The declaration starts health insurance cover for the pregnancy and allows payment of the prime à la naissance (birth grant). This grant depends on household income and is paid in the seventh month of pregnancy. The page gives no amount, but it links to an official simulator that gives an estimate.

When the health insurance fund receives the declaration, it offers several resources: a guide called Ma maternité, a personalised calendar of medical examinations, a checklist called La doudou liste and a group workshop with professionals. People with an Ameli account (the online health insurance account) can turn on the Vous attendez un enfant service in its Prévention section to get monthly updates.

Putting your health cover in order

Three practical steps follow. The first is updating the carte Vitale, which makes reimbursements smoother. This can be done at terminals in most pharmacies, in health insurance offices and in some health facilities.

The second is telling the complémentaire santé or mutuelle (top-up health insurance) about the pregnancy. Each insurer asks for its own documents, so the page sends parents to their provider for the list.

The third applies to anyone without a médecin traitant (registered GP). People can choose any doctor, but the doctor must agree to take on the role. With some exceptions, seeing a doctor who is not your declared médecin traitant means a lower reimbursement. Newcomers who cannot find one can contact an organisation coordonnée territoriale (local coordinated care organisation).

Choosing a maternity unit and the appointment schedule

Registration with a maternité (maternity unit) should happen as early as possible, especially in large cities. That means from the end of the third month, or as soon as the pregnancy is confirmed. The mother and her doctor or midwife choose the level of unit according to her health and how the pregnancy is going. Level 1 units handle pregnancies and births without complications. Level 2 units have a neonatology unit for newborn care and take high-risk or multiple pregnancies. Level 3 units also have neonatal and adult intensive care, for pregnancies where the mother or child is at risk.

Private clinics set their own fees. How much the top-up insurer pays back, for example for a private room, depends on the contract. Parents with a disability can contact the CapParents services, which offer adapted follow-up, sessions with a psychologist and birth preparation.

The second consultation takes place in the fourth month and includes an ultrasound scan. From the fourth month, and sometimes later, comes the entretien prénatal précoce (early prenatal interview). This is a confidential conversation of 45 minutes to an hour, alone or as a couple, with no physical examination. A dental check-up is also available from the fourth month. Health insurance covers it in full, with no payment upfront. Further consultations take place in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth months. In the eighth month a pre-anaesthetic consultation is compulsory, even for women who do not plan to have an epidural.

Leave and the steps after birth

This is where newcomers most want exact figures, and where the source material says least. The page confirms that the health insurance guide covers congé maternité (maternity leave), congé paternité (paternity leave) and indemnités journalières (daily allowances). It also says the personalised calendar shows the dates of maternity leave and the periods when care is covered at 100%. It does not say how long either leave lasts, how much the allowances are, or who qualifies.

The page also mentions a section covering the time from birth until the child turns three, but the text we used ends before that section. For that reason, this guide gives no deadline for registering the birth or for claiming family benefits. The offices concerned set those rules: the health insurance fund or the MSA for allowances, and the Caf for family benefits.

FAQ

Do parents have to send the pregnancy declaration themselves?

Not when the doctor or midwife files it online. In that case it reaches the health insurance fund and the Caf automatically. With the paper form, the mother sends the pink part to the health insurance fund and the two blue parts to the Caf within the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.

When is the birth grant paid?

The prime à la naissance is paid in the seventh month of pregnancy and depends on household income. The page does not give an amount, but it links to an official simulator. The Caf decides who is eligible.

Is the dental check-up during pregnancy free?

Yes. From the fourth month, a preventive dental examination is fully covered by health insurance, with no payment upfront. After receiving the declaration, the fund sends an invitation and a cover form. The mother brings this form and her carte Vitale to the dentist.

How long are maternity and paternity leave?

The page does not give the length of either leave. It says the health insurance guide covers both, and that the personalised calendar shows the dates of maternity leave. The health insurance fund, or the MSA for the agricultural scheme, confirms the rules.

Sources: service-public.fr

Last verified: 29 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).