Financial and Administrative Guide: Moving to France 2025

Dreaming of a life filled with fresh croissants, stunning architecture, and rich culture? Moving to France is an incredible adventure, but the initial administrative hurdles can feel overwhelming. I've been through it all, and I created this no-nonsense guide to walk you through the essential first steps, from finding your apartment to getting your phone connected.

This guide is built on my personal experience to help you save time, money, and headaches. Let's get you settled in!

Table of Contents

• Health Insurance for Expats / Visitor Visa Requirements

• Recommendations for moving household goods

• Finding Your Home: How to Buy or Rent an Apartment or House

  • Website to find your apartment or house

  • Furnished vs unfurnished apartments

  • The need for a guarantor

• Getting Around: The Smart Way to Buy a Car

  • Forget the Dealership: Use an Auto Mandataire

  • Websites for shopping for new or used cars

  • Obtaining insurance for your car (Bonus / Malus and using your overseas driving record)

• Managing Your Money: Setting Up a French Bank Account

• Transferring Money to France: how to get the best rate and avoid High Bank Fees

• Specific Money Guidance for US Expats

• Powering and Insuring Your Home & Getting Connected: Utilities

• Staying in Touch: Your French Mobile Phone Plan

• Cashback on Online Shopping in France

Health Insurance for Expats / Visitor Visa Requirements

In order to obtain a long-stay visa in France, you are required to have a visa compliant health insurance. This can be a challenge to find for many expats as there are lots of websites discussing health insurance.

I researched several different options and personally would recommend Feather Insurance. This insurance is specifically set-up for expats arriving on a visitor visa and meets all the visa requirements. The price is fixed at 72 euros a month for individuals under age 65 and 258 euros a month for ages 65-75. This coverage doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, but provides great emergency care coverage, primary care coverage, and repatriation coverage. Insurance that covers pre-existing conditions would cost thousands of euros a month which I wouldn't recommend. You can sign-up for this feather plan here

Feather Insurance is easy to set-up (literally takes less than 10 minutes) and they accept payments via credit card. I would suggest using a credit card from your home country that doesn't charge an FX fee to avoid having to transfer money into euros.

Feather offers a more comprehensive plan option, but it cost from 300 - 600 euros and even higher. I personally wouldn't recommend these plans unless you have a tendency to get sick often. You can find details on these plans here. I personally would sign-up for the 72 euros a month plan as I am in good health and likely wouldn't get value from a more comprehensive plan.

The big benefit of Feather is that you can switch to their classic French Mutuelle once you receive your social security number. You can apply for your social security number after you have been in France for 90 days, but it then takes between 1-6 months to get this number based on where you live. Some social security offices are quicker than others. Feather claims are all done online and their customer service all speak fluent English.

Beyond Feather, the only other insurer I would recommend is April Sante International. April Sante provides great options for expats, but is less of a Niche product than Feather and is usually more expensive. I have used April Sante in the past for my Mutuelle in France; but their international products are much more complex than those of Feather. April Sante could be a good option for those over age 75 that cannot obtain coverage from Feather.

I read online individuals talking about getting cheaper coverage from mondassur. While this might seem like a good option, it only covers 30,000 euros and only hospitalization. Having had family members require hospitalization in France, I can tell you that the bill can quickly exceed 30,000 euros. Feather made a good comparison between Mondassur and Feather Insurance here

If you have a pre-existing condition that has a high cost, I would look into the ability to stock-up on medication prior to travelling and checking declaration requirements for customs. You can find coverage that covers pre-existing conditions, but this usually comes at an extremely high cost.

Recommendations for moving your household goods

As someone that has moved internationally several times, here are a few tips for moving overseas:

• If you are coming to France from North America, sell all your 120V appliances. It is not worth it to manage with transformers. I learned this the hard way after moving some items we couldn't sell in the United States and now they just gather dust in our closet in France.

• Make a large PURGE. We sold dozens of items prior to leaving the United States, but should have probably sold more. If you haven't used an item for years, it is very likely you will not need it in France.

• Decide if it is worth moving a container. We decided to move a 20' container for our last move which cost us around $11k for the move (packing and unpacking + city center move with furniture elevator included) + $1600 for insurance. We negotiated to have a flat price for the container and not a price per KG which ended up saving us a couple grand as the container was heavier than estimated. We had a lot of nicer items that we were unable to sell for a reasonable price in Houston which is why we hired a container. If you pack and unpack yourself, this can provide significant savings. If you only have a small amount of goods, consider using send my bag which moves suitcases and double-walled moving boxes for a reasonable price versus UPS / FEDEX.

• As we had a full-service mover, they told us exactly which documents we needed for customs clearance. They suggested not to bring alcohol in the container given the customs declaration hassle, so we brought our alcohol in our checked luggage within the 2 bottles per person limit.

• Feel free to contact me at mybestmoneylife@gmail.com if you would like me to share the moving documentation and instructions we received from our movers.

Finding Your Home: How to Rent an Apartment in France

Your new French life begins with a place to call home. The real estate market here has its own set of rules, but it's simple once you know where to look and what to expect.

The Best Websites for House / Apartment Hunting:

• SeLoger.com: This is the best place to start. It's one of France's largest real estate portals, featuring professional listings from agencies. It gives you a great overview of what's available in your desired area.

• Leboncoin.fr: Think of this as the French version of Craigslist or facebook marketplace but more organized, it used by everyone. Here, you can find listings directly from landlords (particulier à particulier), which can help you avoid costly agency fees as well as from agencies. As with any direct-to-owner site, just be sure to proceed with caution.

If you are looking to purchase a house, I recommend looking at this government website where you can see all sales transactions from the last 5 years when you put in a town or an address, it will pull up a map and you can select a plot and it will provide you with the size of what was sold in square meters, the number of rooms, the sales date, and the price.

https://app.dvf.etalab.gouv.fr/

Another great resource is Meilleur Agents : https://www.meilleursagents.com/prix-immobilier/

Both of these are great for getting an idea of pricing in an area, yet they aren't perfect as you cannot know the condition of the apartments or houses being sold. The purchase and renting process can still be overwhelming, especially if you are not fluent in French. If you need a referral to a great Apartment / House hunting company; please e-mail me and I can send you the details of a small company that specializes in helping people from overseas find their perfect home in France. Even as a Fluent French speaker, if I move to the Cote D'Azur or the Paris area, I will definitely be using this service for my house hunting search.

If you are buying a house, keep in mind that it can take up to 3 months to complete the notary process of the sale, so do not expect to buy a house today and move in tomorrow. Given this 3 months delay, we decided to rent when we moved back to France while we find the perfect house to purchase.

Furnished vs unfurnished apartments:

When renting in France, you'll encounter two main types of leases: furnished (meublé) and unfurnished (vide or non meublé), and the legal differences are significant. An unfurnished lease is designed for long-term stability, with a standard minimum term of three years. This gives the tenant strong rights, but requires a longer notice period of three months to vacate (though this can be reduced to one month in designated high-demand "zones tendues" like Paris). The security deposit (dépôt de garantie) is legally capped at one month's rent. In contrast, a furnished lease is built for flexibility, with a standard term of just one year (or nine months for students). This makes it ideal for expats, students, or those on temporary assignments. The tenant only needs to give one month's notice to leave, and the landlord can ask for a security deposit of up to two months' rent. By law, a "furnished" apartment must contain a specific list of essential items, including a bed, cooking facilities, a refrigerator, and a table, making it truly move-in ready.

The Biggest Hurdle: The French Guarantor (Garant)

This is the most common roadblock for expats. Nearly every landlord or agency will demand a garant—a French resident or company that co-signs your lease and promises to pay your rent if you can't. Without a local employment contract or family in France, this is nearly impossible to secure on your own.

Fortunately, you are not stuck. Modern services now exist specifically to solve this problem for expats and newcomers. I have found that Cautioneo offers the best price for guarantor services at 3.5% and accepts overseas pensions / savings accounts to justify your ability to pay.

➡️ For a complete breakdown of how to rent without a traditional guarantor and a comparison of the best services, check out my full guide here

Getting Around: The Smart Way to Buy a Car

While France's public transport is fantastic, a car offers the ultimate freedom to explore hidden villages and breathtaking landscapes. Here's how I saved a significant amount of money and bought my car 100% online.

Forget the Dealership: Use a Mandataire Auto

A mandataire auto (auto broker) is a game-changer for car buying in France. These professionals source new or nearly-new cars from across the European Union, often at a substantial discount compared to local dealership prices. They handle all the complex importation and registration paperwork, making the process incredibly smooth. Some even offer to deliver the car to your house (for a fee). We had a friend in France who we were staying with and through the mandataire Tabor we bought a Hyundai Kona hybrid for over 5000 euros less than the local dealership and did it all online.

Websites to use for Car Shopping in France:

If you are looking for a new or used car, the main websites to search for cars in France include:

https://www.lacentrale.fr/

www.lagrus.fr

➡️ Learn exactly how I bought my car online and why it's the most cost-effective method in my detailed article here

Important Warning: Don't Rely on Credit Card Insurance for Long-Term Rentals!

I've seen people online suggest using their credit card's rental car insurance for a multi-month rental while they shop for a car. Be extremely careful! Most credit card policies limit their collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage to 30 consecutive days, or 60 days at the absolute maximum. If your rental period is longer, you could be completely uninsured. Always read the fine print of your policy before relying on it.

Obtaining insurance for your car (Bonus / Malus and using your overseas driving record)

One of the biggest shocks for expats buying a car in France is the high cost of initial car insurance, unless you are coming from the United States in which case you will find the rates extremely cheap regardless. This is because most insurers will start you at the default rate, ignoring your years of safe driving history from back home. In the French bonus-malus (no-claims bonus) system, this means you begin with a neutral coefficient instead of the discount you deserve if you had no claims in your home country. However, there is a major exception: insurers like MAIF and other tranditional insurance companies will actually take your overseas driving and insurance record into account. By providing a letter from your previous insurer, you can potentially start with a significant bonus (discount), saving you hundreds of euros from your very first year. Online discount insurers often do not provide this service in my experience.

➡️ I explain the exact process in my guide here: How MAIF Accounts for Overseas Insurance Records.

➡️ For more strategies on lowering your premiums and even getting cashback, see my post on Saving Hundreds on French Car Insurance.

Managing Your Money: Setting Up a French Bank Account

Opening a bank account is a top priority. However, you'll quickly run into a classic "chicken and egg" problem: most French online banks require you to already have a French IBAN to open an account. Here is my proven two-step strategy to get around this.

Step 1: Get Your Foot in the Door with Revolut

Revolut is the key. It's one of the few financial institutions that allows you to open an account without a pre-existing French IBAN. This will provide you with a French IBAN you can use immediately for deposits, initial payments, and setting up other services. Please note that you will need a French address with Revolut to get a French IBAN. I would only open up a Revolut account if you can provide a French address. If you are still in the USA but have a French address; I suggest using a VPN showing your location in France.

Step 2: Transition to a Full-Service French Online Bank

Once you have your Revolut account and are more settled, I recommend opening an account with a true French online bank for better local services, checkbooks (chéquiers), and investment options.

• For most non-Americans: Fortuneo is a fantastic and full-featured online bank which I have been using for over a decade.

• For Americans: Monabanq is generally more accommodating to the complex FATCA reporting requirements for U.S. citizens.

➡️ For a complete overview of the best banks for English speakers in France please see my different articles:

Revolut Vs Wise: here

Revolut Packages: here

Best Online Banks: here

Overall Banking Section: here

How to Transfer Money to France and Avoid High Bank Fee

When it comes to transferring money to France, using your old bank is a costly mistake. To avoid hidden fees and poor exchange rates on your currency exchange (especially when sending USD to EUR), your best options are modern financial services like Wise and Revolut. Both offer transparent, low fees and use the real mid-market exchange rate, ensuring more of your money arrives in your French bank account. While both are excellent, they serve slightly different needs—one might be better for pure, low-cost transfers, while the other can provide you with a crucial French IBAN to get started. For a detailed comparison to see which service is the perfect fit for your situation, check out my in-depth Wise vs. Revolut analysis for France. I personally have both a Revolut and a Wise account and if I need to transfer money to France I use my Schwab account which offers free wire transfers. If you have a very large amount to transfer to buy a house for example, I would suggest looking at alternative services such as Schwab or Fidelity in the United States. Feel free to DM me if you have questions on large transfers.

Specific Money Guidance for American Expats in France:

If you are based in the United States, I recommend finding a bank that offers ATM fee reimbursements and no FX fees on ATM withdrawals. I use Schwab and can withdraw cash in France without any FX charges and with the ATM fee reimbursed by Schwab. Fidelity also offers similar ATM fee reimbursements on their debit card and no FX fees. If you have citigold status, this provides the same ATM fee reimbursement and no FX fees on foreigh withdrawals. Be sure to always select the amount in Euros and never let the ATM do the conversation for you. If you select the amount in dollars, the ATM will be charging you a high FX fee. I don't withdraw often, but when I do withdraw, it is usually higher dollar amounts >$500. This allows me to not pay FX fees on cash in France. If you have a Monabanq account, you can deposit cash 1-3 times per quarter at credit mutuelle or CIC branches without a fee.

Use your USA Credit Card for Cashback / Miles accrual

United States credit cards offer great benefits that you can't receive with credit cards in France. I personally do almost all my spending on my USA credit cards to take advantage of their great benefits and cashback.

My favorite credit cards for spending in France includes:

• The Alaska Airlines Summit Visa Card: Great travel coverages, the ability to earn Alaska Airlines elite status + 3 miles per dollar spent overseas. If you have a Bank of America checking account, this increases to 3.3 miles per dollar. The card has a $395 annual fee, but offers a 100,000 mile bonus after $6,000 in spending in the first 90 days. You can see additional details on the card here

• I participate in the Bank of America Preferred Rewards program with over $100k in assets which provides me with Platinum Honors status with bank of America. As a result, my premium rewards credit card provides me with 2.625% cashback on all my purchases and 3.5% cashback on Travel and Dining. It has a $95 annual fee which you can cover with the $100 airline incidental credit that comes with the card. You can see my article on this card here

• If you want a simple, no annual-fee card with 2% cashback and no FX fee, then the Fidelity credit card is likely your best bet. You can find additional details on this card here

• You can find all of the best USA credit card offers in our dedicated page here

Powering and Insuring Your Home & Getting Connected: Utilities

You have the keys! Now it’s time to get the lights on, getting insured, and getting the Wi-Fi running.

Electricity, Gas, and Water: Choose Your Provider and Save!

The energy market in France is deregulated, meaning you are free to choose your provider. You don't have to stick with the historical provider, EDF. By shopping around, you can find much better rates.

After researching my options, I switched to Primeo Energie and was able to save 20% on my electricity bills. It was a simple switch that saves me money every single month.

➡️ See my step-by-step process and learn how to get a bonus for signing up in my post here

Unlike electricity, setting up your water and gas contracts requires a slightly different approach. How you pay for water (l'eau) depends entirely on your city and building management. For example, in Rennes, I had to sign a contract directly with the municipal water authority. However, in our Paris apartment, the water usage was included in our monthly building fees, known as charges de copropriété. Always ask your landlord or real estate agent how water is billed for your specific property.

Furthermore, if your home uses natural gas (gaz de ville) for heating, hot water, or cooking, you must sign up for a separate gas contract. This is not automatically included with your electricity. We chose EDF for our natural gas supply because they offered a fixed-price contract for two years, protecting us from market volatility. Our plan is to regularly check for better deals and switch if a more competitive offer becomes available. You can explore similar fixed-rate options, like EDF's Avantage Gaz 2 ans offer, to better manage your budget.

Don't Forget Renter's Insurance (Assurance Habitation)

In France, securing renter's insurance, known as assurance habitation, isn't just a good idea—it's a legal requirement for anyone signing a lease for an unfurnished apartment. Your landlord will require proof of your policy before handing over the keys. This insurance primarily covers your civil liability (responsabilité civile), protecting you against damages to the property (like from fire or water leaks) and to third parties. The great news is that this essential coverage is surprisingly affordable. Many expats assume it will be a major expense, but it's one of the easiest and cheapest administrative tasks to complete. I personally chose MAIF for my rental insurance policy, and my comprehensive plan costs me less than €20 per month, providing complete peace of mind for a very small price. If you aren't as comfortable working directly with insurance companies in France, Feather, the same company that offers expat health insurance in English also offers Renters and homeowners insurance in English. This could be a convenient option for those that want to keep their insurance in one place. You can find details on Feather's renters and homeowners insurance here

Internet: The Best Value for High-Speed Fiber

When it comes to internet, Free.fr consistently offers the best value for money. They are known for competitive pricing and bundling incredible value into their packages.

I personally have the Freebox Ultra package for €49.99/month. This single bill includes ultra-fast fiber internet, a Wi-Fi 7 repeater, and subscriptions to Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Canal+, etc.. It's an unbeatable deal. If you don't need the streaming services, free offers packages starting at 19.99 euros a month.

➡️ You can even get cashback on your new internet plan. I explain how in this article here

Staying in Touch: Your French Mobile Phone Plan

Having a working French phone number the moment your plane lands is a game-changer. It simplifies everything from navigating with GPS to contacting your landlord.

My Top Recommendation: Free Mobile

I highly recommend Free Mobile, especially for expats. Their biggest advantage is that you can sign up online and activate your eSIM while you are still in your home country. This means you are connected from day one.

The best plan for most people is the €19.99/month plan. It includes a large data package for France and the EU, plus unlimited calls to mobile phones and landlines in the United States and Canada.

Pro Tip: If you also have a Free.fr fiber internet plan, this mobile plan is discounted to just €15.99/month and get 11 euros cashback on your subscription using Poulpeo cashback with a 5 euro referral bonus here

We consolidated our USA Phone lines down to one line with T-Mobile that costs $25 a month which we use to manage our USA investments and banking and other USA administrative items. We will also use this phone when we travel back to the United States. There are cheaper options, but I know some of them do not always work with 2 factor authentication (ie: Google Voice), so we just kept our T-mobile plan.

Cashback on online shopping in France

Similar to the United States and the UK, Cashback on online shopping is common with most of the main companies overseas also operating in France. Cashback works when you go to the cashback website and click on their affiliate link and they give you a portion of the cashback they receive. I was able to get 5% cashback on my TV and appliances from LG and get 3 euros cashback on each Monoprix delivery. When you get to France, you will likely need to buy appliances, a TV, furniture, etc, and cashback websites can save you hundreds of euros. In my first 3 months in France, I saved over 300 euros through online cashback websites.

My 3 favorite websites are:

Poulpeo: Part of the Retail Me Not group from the United States. Poulpeo has a great selection of cashback from numerous retailers with boosted cashback promotions on a regular basis. Their customer service is the best amongst cashback providers in France, which is useful in case the cashback doesn't post. You can get a 5 euros sign-up bonus at Poulpeo through my referral link here

Igraal: This is my second favorite cashback website. It is a local French company that has a great selection of merchants and regular boosted cashback rates. I already have earned over 100 euros in cashback from iGraal and regularly post about their promotions on my France blog. You can get a sign-up bonus of 3 euros (15 euros through October 16th through my referral link here

Topcashback France: This is my third favorite cashback website. They often have the best cashback rates, but have a more limited selection of vendors than iGraal or Poulpeo and their customer service isn't as customer friendly when the cashback doesn't track correctly. Topcashback offers between 10-20 euros in sign-up bonuses (varies regularly) through my referral link here

Cashback is a great way to stretch your euros further and use the savings to enjoy the great travel, food, and wine that France has to offer!

Moving to France is a journey, and the initial setup is just the first step. By following these tips, you can navigate the process efficiently and get straight to the best part: enjoying your new life in this beautiful country. If you had specific topics you would like me to add to the guide, feel free to e-mail me at mybestmoneylife@gmail.com.

You can find the full France blog for English speakers here

Disclaimer:

Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission or referral fee if you make a purchase or take action through those links. This comes at no additional cost to you and helps support the content I share. I only recommend products or services I genuinely believe in.