Procédures.
French admin, walked through end to endco-pilot, not autopilot
Open a French bank account
A French RIB is the unblock-everything document. APL, CAF, salary, URSSAF, landlords — all of it expects one. This procedure picks a path, lists the docs, and walks the application.≈ 75 min of your time·Then 1–14 days at the adminStart →Build your rental dossier
Assemble the documents French landlords and agencies expect, in one shareable PDF. Reuse it for every visit so you can apply within minutes of seeing a flat.≈ 60 min of your timeStart →Validate your VLS-TS visa
Within 3 months of landing in France on a VLS-TS, validate the visa online and pay the timbre fiscal. Some categories then get an OFII summons for a medical visit and welcome interview. Missing this window makes your renewal harder.≈ 45 min of your time·Then 30–90 days at the admin·OFII (Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration)Start →Open your French social security file
First-time registration with CPAM, the public health insurer. Gets you a numéro de sécurité sociale (provisoire then définitif) and eventually a Carte Vitale. File this within your first 3 months in France — most other procedures wait on it.≈ 60 min of your time·Then 21–90 days at the admin·Assurance Maladie (Ameli / CPAM)Start →Request APL housing aid
Monthly housing benefit from CAF. Most tenants in France qualify, including expats. Apply the day you sign your bail — APL pays from the month you apply, not the month you moved in.≈ 45 min of your time·Then 21–60 days at the admin·Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)Start →Claim Prime d'activité
ProfessionalMonthly top-up from CAF for people in work whose net pay is below ~€2050/month (more if you have kids). Tax-free, paid the 5th of each month, must be re-declared every quarter. Lots of working expats qualify and never claim it.≈ 35 min of your time·Then 14–45 days at the admin·Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)Start →File your French income tax
Annual income declaration on impots.gouv.fr. Filed April-June for the previous year. Mandatory if you were fiscally resident in France 6+ months, even if your income was zero. Generates the avis d'imposition that unlocks half the admin you'll need.≈ 60 min of your time·Then 60–120 days at the admin·Service des Impôts des Particuliers (SIP / DGFiP)Start →Renew titre de séjour étudiant
StudentAnnual renewal of the student residence permit on ANEF. File between 4 and 2 months before your current titre expires — file too late and you risk losing your right to stay legally during processing.≈ 90 min of your time·Then 60–180 days at the admin·ANEF (Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France)Start →Pay your CVEC
Student€103/year flat fee paid once per academic year via the CROUS. Universities won't finalise enrolment without your CVEC attestation. Pay it the day you know your school year — there's no advantage in waiting.≈ 10 min of your time·CROUSStart →Register as auto-entrepreneur
ProfessionalGet a SIRET so you can legally invoice clients in France. Free, online, and fast (1-4 weeks). The catch: pick the right activity type up front, because changing it later means closing and reopening the business.≈ 60 min of your time·Then 7–30 days at the admin·URSSAFStart →Apply for French citizenship (décret)
Acquérir la nationalité française par décret. The standard path for residents without a French spouse. Long process — 18 to 24 months on average from filing — and a thick dossier. Done right, you walk away with a French passport.≈ 480 min of your time·Then 365–730 days at the admin·Préfecture (titres de séjour)Start →