Your First 90 Days in France: The Complete Checklist for Americans

Moving to France is one of the most exciting decisions you can make — and one of the most logistically demanding. The French administrative system is thorough and sequential, and it rewards those who approach it in the right order. Your first 90 days in France set the foundation for everything that follows: your legal status, your healthcare, your housing, and your ability to build a real life in the country you have chosen.

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This checklist covers every step most Americans need to take in their first 90 days in France, from landing at the airport to establishing yourself as a legal resident with a fully functional life.

If you are still in the planning stages, our full guide to moving to France covers the wider picture — which regions suit different lifestyles, how to approach housing from abroad, and the financial groundwork to lay before you leave.

Before You Land: The Paperwork That Cannot Wait

Arrive in France without these sorted and your first weeks become significantly harder.

Your Long-Stay Visa

Americans can stay in France visa-free for 90 days as tourists. To stay beyond that, you need a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour, or VLS-TS) obtained from the French consulate in the US before you travel. You cannot apply for this visa after arrival — it must be arranged on US soil.

The visiteur visa suits retirees and those with passive income. The talent passport covers workers and entrepreneurs. Student visas exist for those entering the French education system. See our French long-stay visa guide for the full breakdown of each category and the income thresholds required.

Health Insurance

Your US health insurance will not cover you in France beyond basic emergency care. Before you leave, arrange international health insurance — Cigna Global and AXA PPP International are widely used by American expats in France. Some visa categories grant you immediate access to Assurance Maladie, France’s universal healthcare system; check your specific visa conditions before departure.

A French Phone Number

You need a French mobile number for nearly every administrative process — OFII registration, CPAM applications, doctor appointments, and utility sign-ups all require one. Order a French SIM before you fly, or purchase one at the airport on arrival. The three main operators are Orange, SFR, and Bouygues Telecom. Pay-monthly plans start from around €10 per month.

Week One: The OFII Validation

This step is mandatory and the most time-sensitive task of your entire first 90 days in France.

Within three months of arriving in France on a long-stay visa, you must validate your VLS-TS visa through the ANEF portal (anef.interieur.gouv.fr). The portal sends your details to OFII (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration), which contacts you to schedule a medical appointment — though this step has been waived in many préfectures in recent years.

Failing to validate your VLS-TS within three months invalidates your visa. Complete this in week one, not week eleven.

Month One: Building the Foundations

Once your OFII validation is underway, focus on four pillars: banking, healthcare, home insurance, and the social security number that unlocks everything else.

Opening a French Bank Account

A French bank account is essential for paying rent, setting up utilities, and managing day-to-day life. French landlords almost always require a French RIB rather than an international transfer.

Online banks — Boursorama, Hello bank, and N26 — are generally the fastest and most accessible options for Americans arriving in France. High-street banks such as BNP Paribas and Crédit Agricole are also open to new residents. You will need your passport, proof of French address, and your visa documentation.

Our guide to banking in France for Americans covers account types, required documents, and the banks most open to people in the first weeks of residency.

Registering with a Médecin Traitant

Every person in France registers with a médecin traitant — a primary care doctor who serves as the gateway to specialist care under Assurance Maladie. Without one, your healthcare reimbursements drop significantly.

Use the Ameli.fr website to search for a médecin traitant accepting new patients near you. In rural areas and smaller towns, GPs are in short supply. Register as early as possible — in some parts of France, waiting lists for new patients run to several months.

Your Numéro de Sécurité Sociale

Your French social security number — numéro de Sécurité Sociale — unlocks healthcare reimbursements, tax filings, and eventually pension contributions. If you are employed in France, your employer handles this. If you are self-employed, retired, or on a visiteur visa, you apply directly through your local CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie).

Expect the process to take six to twelve weeks. You can still see your médecin traitant in the meantime and will be reimbursed retroactively once your number is issued.

Home Insurance

French law requires every renter to hold a contrat d’assurance habitation before occupying a property. Your landlord can refuse your keys without proof of cover. This is not optional.

Policies start from around €10 per month through providers such as MAIF, AXA, and Generali. Take out the policy before your move-in date — not the day after. For everything else about renting in France, our guide to renting a flat in France as an American covers deposits, guarantors, lease types, and the dossier de location in full.

Month Two: Completing Your Registration

Month two is when the longer administrative processes come to the foreground — the ones with multi-month timelines that you cannot afford to delay.

Your Carte de Séjour

Depending on your visa type, you may need to apply for a carte de séjour — a formal residence permit — before your VLS-TS expires at twelve months. You apply at your local Préfecture.

Standard documents include your passport, VLS-TS visa, OFII validation certificate, two different proofs of French address, proof of income or financial resources, and passport photographs. Apply at least three months before your visa expires. The Préfecture issues a récépissé (receipt) while your application is processed, which is legally valid proof of your right to remain in France.

Driving Licence Exchange

Americans in France may drive on a US licence for twelve months from the date they establish French residency. After that, you must exchange it through the ANTS portal (ants.gouv.fr), or sit the French driving test from scratch.

The exchange requires your original US licence, a certified French translation, residency documentation, and photographs. Timelines vary — some départements take six months or more to process applications. Start in month one or two, not month eleven. Our driving licence exchange guide for Americans covers which US states have reciprocal agreements with France and what the ANTS process looks like in practice.

Internet and Utilities

French broadband is dominated by four operators: Orange, SFR, Free, and Bouygues Telecom. Free (Freebox) consistently offers the strongest value. Contracts run twelve to twenty-four months and require a French bank account for direct debit — one more reason to open that account early.

For electricity, EDF is the default provider. You will need your PDL number (found on your meter or provided by your landlord) and your French bank details to open an account.

Tax Registration

If you earn income in France — from employment, freelancing, or rental property — you must register with the Direction générale des Finances publiques and file an annual income tax return each spring. Even income that originates in the US may carry French tax obligations once you are a French resident.

Consult a tax adviser familiar with the US-France tax treaty before your first filing season. The treaty reduces double taxation for most income categories, but the rules are specific enough to warrant professional guidance.

Month Three: Becoming Part of France

By month three, the paperwork should be largely in hand. This is the moment to focus on quality of life — the reasons you came to France in the first place.

Language

Even a modest level of French opens doors that remain shut without it. Not because French people are unwilling to speak English, but because the conversations, friendships, and local relationships that make life in France genuinely rich happen in French.

Alliance Française operates throughout France with group and individual courses. The OFII integration programme — which you may be enrolled in as part of your visa process — also includes free French language classes for eligible arrivals.

Registering Children at School

If you are moving with children, register them at the local école primaire or collège through your mairie. French public education is free and universal. In Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, and other major cities, private international schools offer bilingual programmes — a useful option for children making the transition.

Building a Community

France has a rich network of local associations — sports clubs, cultural groups, hiking societies, and arts organisations — that provide a ready-made social framework for new arrivals. Your local mairie website will list the associations active in your commune.

Anglophone expat communities are active in most major French cities, particularly Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, and along the Côte d’Azur. They are a practical and human resource in those first months, offering hard-won advice from people who have navigated the same process.

The Complete First 90 Days Checklist

Before you leave the US:

• Long-stay visa obtained from the French consulate
• International health insurance arranged
• French bank account opened remotely (some banks allow this)
• Basic French phrases learnt

Week 1:

• Validate your VLS-TS visa online via the ANEF portal (mandatory — three-month deadline)
• Book your OFII registration appointment
• Purchase a French SIM card
• Confirm long-term accommodation

Month 1:

• Open a French bank account
• Take out home insurance before occupying your rental
• Apply for numéro de Sécurité Sociale through CPAM
• Register with a médecin traitant
• Begin driving licence exchange process via ANTS

Month 2:

• Apply for carte de séjour if required under your visa type
• Set up internet and utilities
• Register for income tax filing if earning in France
• Enrol children at school if applicable

Month 3:

• Start French language classes
• Join local associations and expat networks
• Confirm Assurance Maladie access once your Sécu number is issued

Frequently Asked Questions

How long can Americans stay in France without a visa?

Americans can stay in France — and the wider Schengen Area — for up to 90 days within any 180-day period without a visa. To stay longer, you must apply for a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) from the French consulate in the United States before you travel.

What is the first thing I must do after arriving in France on a long-stay visa?

Validate your VLS-TS visa online through the ANEF portal (anef.interieur.gouv.fr) within three months of your first entry. Failing to validate it on time renders the visa void — this is the most time-sensitive task in your first 90 days.

Do I need a French bank account when I arrive in France?

Yes, practically speaking. French landlords require a French RIB (bank account number) for rent payments, and most utility and internet companies require a French direct debit. Open an account as soon as possible after arrival — online banks such as N26 are usually fastest for new arrivals.

Can I drive on my US licence in France?

Yes, for the first twelve months after you become a French resident. After that, you must exchange your US licence for a French one through the ANTS portal. The process takes several months in most départements, so start the exchange in month one or two.

How do I access French healthcare as an American resident?

Once you have your numéro de Sécurité Sociale, you are enrolled in Assurance Maladie, France’s universal healthcare system. Register with a médecin traitant (primary care doctor) early — without one, your reimbursements are lower. Maintain international health insurance from the day you arrive until your Sécu number is confirmed.

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Plan Your France Trip

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