Steps to take after arriving in France

A complete, realistic guide to the first days and weeks after arrival

1. Day one: housing and basic documents

Right after arrival, the first and most important thing is your housing.

Getting the Attestation de logement (housing certificate)

If you're in a dormitory:

Lease agreement or booking email (for Airbnb)

⚠️ Be sure to make several copies of your housing certificate. It will be used repeatedly for the bank, insurance, CAF and the university.

2. SIM card (before opening a bank account)

Since you don't have a bank account yet, only buy prepaid SIM cards.

Airports

Tabac shops

Carriers: Orange, SFR, Free, Bouygues

🔸 Be sure to get a plan (no commitment).

3. Home insurance (Obligatoire)

Without home insurance, you usually won't be given the keys.

Documents needed: passport + home address + surface area

Contract length: usually one year

Some banks offer home insurance themselves

4. Bank account and RIB

Opening a bank account can be hard; don't get discouraged.

If no branch will open an account for you:

📄 Once your account is open, get several copies of your (you'll need it a lot).

5. Visa validation (OFII)

This step is mandatory and done online.

Official OFII website

6. Health insurance (CPAM / Ameli)

Basic coverage: 70% of costs

Supplementary insurance (Mutuelle): 100% coverage

CMU-C / CSS: free insurance for low-income students

Ameli website

7. CAF housing benefit

CAF covers part of your rent, usually between 30% and 70% of the rent (depending on the city, surface area and income).

📄 Documents needed for CAF:

Attestation de logement

Lease agreement

Bank RIB

University enrollment

Copy of passport and visa

🔗 Official CAF application form:

Download the CAF form

8. University enrollment

Final enrollment

Getting your student card

Certificate of enrollment (get several copies)

9. City transport

Transport costs vary by city:

Some cities: free or €2–10 a month

Some cities: €30–43 a month

10. Final advice

Keep a physical or digital folder for your documents. Once you've done all this, it's time to enjoy France 🇫🇷😄