First 30 days in France for Russian speakers: a checklist of what to do and in what order

In brief

As of 6 November 2026, the first 30 days in France depend on how you entered. If you hold a long-stay visa that acts as a residence permit (VLS-TS), several sources say it must be validated online on the ANEF portal within 3 months of your first entry, and that after that the stay becomes irregular. Public health insurance (PUMA) asks for 3 months of stable residence, so most newcomers need private cover at first. Banks usually ask for a passport and a proof of address no older than 3 months. We could not confirm the validation fee, the carte Vitale steps or the exact tax-number procedure.

What depends on your status

France separates three situations, and the order of your first month changes with each: - A long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS). You have a deadline, the online validation, and you are allowed to live and, depending on the visa, work. - A tourist stay or a short visit. You are a visitor: no health system, no long lease, and banks will be cautious. - A residence title issued by the prefecture. The title itself is your main document for the bank, the health insurance fund and the tax office.

Citizens of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine are all treated as third-country nationals for this purpose. Which visa you hold depends on why you came, and this article does not tell you which one to apply for. If you came as a buyer, a resident-to-be or a retiree, see life in France, retiring in France and the digital nomad visa for the visa side.

Days 1 to 3: the minimum that cannot wait

• Put your passport, visa, the address where you are staying and the lease or title deed in one folder. Every office will ask for the same four items.
• If you have a VLS-TS, write down the date of your first entry. The 3-month clock starts there, not on the start date of a job or a course.
• Check whether the visa must be validated. Several sources say a VLS-TS has to be validated online on the ANEF portal through the procedure called "Je valide mon VLS-TS". Do not wait for a letter: the portal step is yours to start.
• Arrange private health cover for the first months. The public system will not take you in immediately (see below).
• Get a local mobile number. We did not research the SIM registration rules, so ask the shop what it needs from you.
• Ask your landlord or your accommodation provider for a proof of address (justificatif de domicile) in your name: a rent receipt, a utility bill or a signed lease. Banks and the tax office will ask for it.

Week 1: validation, address and a bank account

Validation of the visa is the one step with a deadline. Sources agree on the 3-month limit and on the online route. They disagree on the fee: pages give 75, 100, 150, 269 or 300 euros depending on the visa category and the date of the page, and one says the amounts changed in May 2026. We do not state a figure; check the amount for your category on the Service Public website and pay through the official stamp portal, not through an intermediary.

If you miss the 3 months, one source says validation becomes impossible and your situation irregular. Another describes a route through the prefecture for serious illness or force majeure, but that source is a blog and should be treated with caution. If this applies to you, go to the prefecture of your place of residence as soon as you can and keep proof of the reason.

An invitation from OFII (the French immigration office) is a separate step. One source says an OFII convocation does not mean the validation failed; it can come after the visa is registered, and the medical visit can take from a few weeks in the regions to more than 6 months in the Paris region. Keep the convocation letter and your passport together.

Opening a bank account fits this week too. See the section below.

Health cover: what to do before PUMA accepts you

The state system (PUMA, universal health protection) asks for stable residence of 3 months. The official Service Public page, as quoted in search summaries, says this condition is met immediately by some categories of people, for example refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and people arriving as family members. Parliamentary answers say that a person with no rights from a previous scheme and not working in France can take out voluntary insurance while waiting. We did not find how a non-EU newcomer receives the social security number (NIR) or the carte Vitale, so ask the local health insurance office (CPAM) what documents it wants.

For the first 3 months, plan on one of two routes: - A private policy that covers a hospital stay, a doctor visit and medicines for the whole period. - Cover that your visa requires. Some visas require proof of insurance; check the conditions of yours.

For choosing a policy, pre-existing conditions and what residence normally requires, see health insurance after a move.

Weeks 2 to 4: the tax number and the first tax account

France does not issue a tax number automatically to a newcomer. Two routes appear in sources: a request by the form called cerfa 2043 sent with documents to the tax centre, and a visit to the tax centre of your home address with your residence title or visa and a proof of address. After you have the number you can create your personal account ("Votre espace particulier", then "Créer mon espace") on impots.gouv.fr. Sources disagree on the format of the number, so we give no digit count; read it from your first letter from the tax office.

Tax residence is not only a matter of counting days. The 183-day test is the best known criterion, but sources note that a person who spends fewer days in France can still be resident when the household or the centre of economic interests is in France. If you spend part of the year elsewhere, read tax residency when relocating before you file anything, and ask an adviser. This article is a checklist, not a tax opinion.

Bank account: documents and refusals

Sources agree on the base documents: - A valid passport. A foreign passport is generally accepted as proof of identity. - A proof of address no older than 3 months: a utility bill, a rent receipt or a declaration of free housing. - A residence title or visa. Traditional banks often ask for it, even if the law does not require it in every case.

If a bank refuses you, France has the right to an account (droit au compte). It goes through the Banque de France, and a parliamentary answer says the bank must be designated within one business day. The file usually includes the request form, an identity document, a proof of address and the refusal letter of the bank. The basic banking services are free under it. One page says non-residents do not benefit from the right, so it is a point to confirm case by case. Some neobanks ask for an identity document only; one page names Nickel as an example. Keep every refusal in writing.

For why accounts are refused to holders of some passports and what the alternatives are, see a resident bank account abroad. For a non-resident owner account, see opening an account as an owner.

Driving, schools and the rest

We did not research the exchange of a driving licence, school registration and utilities for France in this article. For licences, read driving licence abroad, and for the overall order of any move, the 30-day checklist. If you bought property and plan to let it for most of the year, see buying where you holiday.

Typical mistakes of the first month

• Counting the 3 months from the start of the job or the course instead of the first entry.
• Paying the validation tax through an intermediary or a page that is not the official portal.
• Assuming that PUMA starts on day one. Plan private cover for the first 3 months.
• Using a proof of address older than 3 months, which banks routinely refuse.
• Skipping the written refusal when a bank says no, and so losing the document that opens the right to an account.
• Starting a tax declaration before you know whether you are tax resident.
• Relying on one forum post for fees. Amounts and procedures changed in 2026 and the sources conflict.

One-page checklist

• Passport, visa, proof of address and lease or title deed in one folder.
• Date of first entry written down; 3-month clock noted.
• VLS-TS validated on the ANEF portal (if you have one), receipt saved.
• OFII letter kept, if you receive one.
• Private health cover for the first 3 months.
• Local mobile number.
• Proof of address no older than 3 months.
• Bank account application; refusals kept in writing.
• Tax number requested; personal account created on impots.gouv.fr.
• Questions to the CPAM about the social security number and the carte Vitale, with written answers.
• A note of what remains open: driving licence, school, utilities.

This article is a general checklist and not legal advice. Confirm every rule with the office or the bank before you act.

FAQ

Do I need to validate my visa in the first 30 days? If it is a long-stay visa acting as a residence permit, you have 3 months from first entry, so do it early rather than at the end. Sources agree on the online route through ANEF. Keep the receipt.

Can I register with state health insurance on day one? Usually not. PUMA asks for 3 months of stable residence, with exceptions for some categories. Plan private cover for the gap and ask the CPAM about the exact rules for your case.

What happens if the bank refuses to open my account? Ask for the refusal in writing and use the right to an account through the Banque de France. Whether you qualify before your residence title is issued is unclear in sources, so confirm it with the bank or an adviser.

How do I get a French tax number as a newcomer? Sources describe a request to the tax centre with the cerfa 2043 form or a visit with your residence document and a proof of address. After you have the number, create your account on impots.gouv.fr.

Does 183 days decide whether I am tax resident? It is the best known test but not the only one. A household or economic centre in France can also make you resident. Read the article on tax residency and ask an adviser.