Moving to France: your relocation checklist
How to move to France: the visa and residency routes, cost of living, banking, healthcare and taxes you'll deal with, organized by phase. Generate a free plan tailored to your passport, family, and budget below.
Consumer prices run about 10% above the EU average, the average advertised salary is about €39,685 a year and English proficiency is rated “moderate” (EF EPI).
Moving from the United States? See the France from the USA guide.
Budgeting the move? See the cost of living in France.
France at a glance
Live and regularly refreshed data, each fact with its source.
Air quality · Paris
AQI 43 · Good
WAQI
Prices vs EU average
+10%
Eurostat 2025
Internet
~230 Mbps median
Ookla
Messengers
No known issues
OONI, 6 months to July 2026
Foreign-born residents
13.8% of population
World Bank 2024
Population
68.7M
World Bank 2025
Population density
127 / km²
World Bank 2023
Unemployment
7.5%
World Bank 2025
Avg advertised salary
€39,685 / yr
Adzuna, June 2026
English proficiency
moderate
EF EPI
Safety advisory
Level 2 · Exercise Increased Caution
U.S. State Dept
Currency
EUR
ISO 4217
Timezone
UTC+2
Open-Meteo
Impatriate regime
Impatriation bonus & part of foreign income tax-exempt · up to 8 years
For employees recruited abroad by a French company; exempts the impatriation premium and 50% of certain foreign investment income.
Verified June 2026 · impots.gouv.fr
Getting set up in France: key steps & official resources
The main immigration, tax, healthcare and housing bodies you'll deal with, with the official portals and typical costs. Curated and hand-verified — last reviewed June 2026. Figures are approximate; always confirm the current numbers on the official site.
- A long-stay visa (VLS-TS) must be validated online with OFII (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) shortly after arrival; longer term you get a carte de séjour from the préfecture.
- Tax is handled via impots.gouv.fr (www.impots.gouv.fr) with a numéro fiscal; healthcare is Assurance Maladie (www.ameli.fr) with a carte Vitale, generally after ~3 months of stable residence.
- Opening a bank account and renting require a justificatif de domicile; rentals often need a French guarantor or a Visale guarantee (www.visale.fr).
- Main housing portals: LeBonCoin (www.leboncoin.fr), SeLoger (www.seloger.com), PAP. Emergency number is 112.
- Key figures (approximate — verify current values): validating the VLS-TS online costs a €200 tax (timbre fiscal); the carte Vitale generally requires ~3 months of stable residence before Assurance Maladie affiliation; unfurnished rental deposits are capped at 1 month's rent (2 months furnished).
The France relocation checklist at a glance
1Before you go
- Confirm which visa or residency route fits your situation
- Gather and, where needed, apostille/translate key documents
- Sort out international health insurance for the gap period
- Budget the move and notify your bank of the relocation
2First week
- Register your address with the local authority
- Get a local SIM / mobile number
- Start the local bank account application
- Locate the nearest clinic and pharmacy
3First month
- Complete residency registration and get your ID number
- Enroll in the healthcare system or private insurance
- Set up utilities and a long-term rental contract
- Understand your tax residency obligations
4First 90 days
- Exchange or apply for a local driving license if required
- Build a local support network and language basics
- Review and optimize banking, taxes, and insurance
- Handle school enrollment or childcare if you have kids
This is a general outline. Your personalized plan above adapts every step to where you're moving from, your visa status, and your situation. Always verify official requirements: this is not legal or immigration advice.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to move to France?
It depends on your passport and why you are moving: tourist entry rules are different from working, studying or joining family. Generate a free plan above and we check the visa route for your exact passport and situation, using a 238-country visa matrix.
Does France have a special tax regime for newcomers?
Yes: Impatriate regime. Impatriation bonus & part of foreign income tax-exempt · up to 8 years. For employees recruited abroad by a French company; exempts the impatriation premium and 50% of certain foreign investment income. Status: active, verified June 2026 against impots.gouv.fr.
Can I use WhatsApp and Telegram in France?
Network measurements over the last six months show Telegram, WhatsApp, Signal, Facebook Messenger working normally in France (OONI, 5 January 2026 to 7 July 2026). This reflects measured reachability, not an official policy statement.
What do jobs pay in France?
The average advertised salary is about €39,685 a year (Adzuna job listings, June 2026). For a benchmark role like software engineer, the median advertised band starts around €50,000. Advertised salaries skew toward roles that are posted online, so treat this as a signal, not a guarantee.
How high are taxes on salaries in France?
The OECD tax wedge is about 47% (2025): that is the share of what a job costs an employer that goes to income tax and social contributions for a single average worker. It is not your personal income-tax rate, but it is the honest way to compare countries.
How current is this data?
Climate, inflation and life expectancy were refreshed 12 July 2026; prices, taxes and air quality 7 July 2026; messenger reachability 7 July 2026. Tax regimes are hand-verified against official government sources. Every fact on this page shows its source.