France (FR)
France is a unitary semi-presidential republic and the EU's most visited country, renowned for its world-class cuisine and wine, the iconic City of Light that is Paris, the French Riviera, iconic Alpine ski resorts, and a generous social state offering universal healthcare, extensive family benefits, and strong worker protections.
Key Documents Checklist
Gather these before and after moving to France.
Valid for at least 6 months beyond planned stay. Bring the original + 3 certified copies.
Required for visa applications, PACS/marriage, naturalisation (naturalisation), and certain CAF applications. Must be recent (less than 3 months old at submission).
Required for family reunion visa (regroupement familial), tax filing as a couple, and spouse name change.
Required for school enrolment, CAF family allowances (allocations familiales), and any family-related procedure.
Degree certificates and transcripts. For academic recognition, France Éducation International (ENIC-NARIC France) issues an attestation de comparabilité — they accept certified copies. For regulated professions (medicine, law, architecture, pharmacy), the relevant professional body (Ordre des médecins, etc.) may additionally require apostille. All non-French documents need certified French translation.
Required for work visa (Passeport Talent), salaried visa applications and Carte de séjour salarié.
Bring your original licence. EU/EEA licences are valid indefinitely. Non-EU licences must be exchanged within 1 year of establishing residence, if your country has a reciprocity agreement with France.
Proof of health cover during your first months (travel insurance or CEAM/EHIC if EU). Needed before you obtain your Carte Vitale through the CPAM.
Documentation of pension contributions from home country. Useful for totalisation agreements (CNAV) and future French pension claims.
Required for long-stay visa, Carte de séjour renewal, and as part of the rental dossier.
EU pet passport (passeport européen pour animal de compagnie) or health certificate + rabies vaccination record + microchip certificate (ISO 11784/11785).
Proof of address in France (electricity/gas bill, internet bill, or attestation d'hébergement from a host + their ID + a bill). Essential for almost every administrative procedure.
📜 What is an Apostille?
An apostille is an official certification that validates a document for international use. It is issued by a designated authority in the country where the document was issued (usually a court or government office). Required for documents from Hague Convention member states.
🌍 Certified Translations
Certified translations must be done by a sworn/authorised translator. In France, only translations by officially registered translators are accepted by government offices. Keep originals — they may be returned after verification.
Documents
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