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FRA9 · MOVE TO FRANCE

The first 30 days, in the right order

A visual plan separating residence deadlines, address, health, banking and benefits.

Verified 11 September 2026
3 CHOICES · ONE CLEAR ORDER

Your first month in France, without mixing procedures

Choose the document you hold, your profile and housing. FRA9 puts residence deadlines before convenience tasks and names the owner of each step.

01Arrival document
02Main profile
03Current address
Prioritised plan

6 steps

0 / 6 completed

Residence deadline3 months
Address proofTemporary accommodation
Next authorityANEF
01

This week

Secure temporary accommodation evidence

Why
A spoken address or booking alone is not enough for every procedure.
Action
Request a hosting certificate and host documents where accepted; prepare to update the address.
Owner
Host + receiving authority
02

Before the legal deadline

Validate the VLS-TS within three months

Why
The VLS-TS acts as the permit only after online validation and the required payment.
Action
Use ANEF with the arrival date, French address and payment method; keep the PDF receipt.
Owner
ANEF
03

Build the file

Align contract, work rights and health cover

Why
A contract does not replace the wording that permits work; the employer and CPAM have separate roles.
Action
Complete onboarding documents, verify the right to work and open the health-registration path matching your situation.
Owner
Employer + CPAM

Open a useful account; a refusal is not a dead end

Why
A French bank identifier helps with pay, rent and reimbursements; each bank retains identity and risk checks.
Action
Compare fees and documents. After refusal or 15 days without an answer, check the right-to-account procedure.
Owner
Bank / Banque de France
04

Then

Stabilise housing before an aid application

Why
Temporary accommodation does not automatically create a workable CAF claim.
Action
Prioritise the lease, home insurance, inventory and address proof; then test possible aid.
Owner
Landlord / insurer, then CAF

Prepare the first tax interaction

Why
Tax residence, arrival year and filing duties cannot be inferred from the visa alone.
Action
Keep arrival dates, addresses, French and foreign income records; follow the official tax page for your situation.
Owner
French tax authority

Official sources verified · 2026-09-05An organising tool, not legal advice or an eligibility decision. The exact visa wording and official page for your status control.

Continue without searching

These three guides continue the decision where this plan ends.

Move to France in the right order

Start with status, then work and housing. Banking, health and benefits have separate criteria; no step is an eligibility promise.

Decision path

  1. 01

    Visa or right to stay

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  2. 02

    Residence permit

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  3. 03

    Work

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  4. 04

    Housing

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  5. 05

    Banking

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  6. 06

    Health

    FRA9 guideOfficial source
  7. 07

    CAF and benefits

    FRA9 guideOfficial source

Last verified: 5 September 2026. Rules vary by nationality, purpose, duration and family situation.

FRA9 · FRANCE DECISION PORTAL

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