Key points in 30 seconds
- Get an address: housing, attestation d'hébergement or domiciliation.
- Validate your VLS-TS on ANEF within 3 months and keep the certificate.
- Open a bank account; if refused, get a refusal letter and contact Banque de France.
Week 1: address and visa validation
A long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) must be validated online on ANEF within 3 months of arrival: address, entry date and a tax stamp whose amount depends on the visa. Keep the certificate you receive. You need an address: housing, an attestation d'hébergement or domiciliation through an association or CCAS.
Advice from the association
Don't leave this procedure to the last minute — come and see us.
Weeks 1–2: bank account
You need an account for salary, CAF, CPAM and rent. If a bank refuses, ask for a written refusal and apply to the Banque de France under the right to an account: it designates a bank that must open a free basic account.
Common mistake
Missing the 3-month deadline to validate the VLS-TS.
Weeks 2–4: social security number
The 15-digit social security number comes through your employer or, without a job, after 3 months of stable residence by applying to CPAM (Cerfa 15763, downloadable below) with a translated birth certificate. A temporary number often comes first, then the permanent one and the carte Vitale. Register a GP (médecin traitant) quickly.
Common mistake
Waiting for a tax number without filing a first return.
The tax number comes after your first return
The 13-digit tax number (numéro fiscal) is assigned after your first income tax return the following spring. File even without French income: CAF, social housing and the prefecture ask for it. The number then appears at the top of the avis d'impôt.
Common mistake
Not asking the bank for a written refusal.
Step by step
- 1Get an address: housing, attestation d'hébergement or domiciliation.
- 2Validate your VLS-TS on ANEF within 3 months and keep the certificate.
- 3Open a bank account; if refused, get a refusal letter and contact Banque de France.
- 4Sign the OFII contract and attend the visit if invited.
- 5Register with CPAM (employer or Cerfa 15763) and choose a GP.
- 6Create a CAF account if you may be entitled to benefits.
- 7Enrol children at school and register with France Travail if needed.
- 8File your first tax return the following spring.
Documents needed
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FAQ
What should I do first after arriving in France?
Get an address and validate your VLS-TS on ANEF, then open a bank account.
Where do I find my foreigner number (AGDREF)?
10 digits. On recent permits it is printed vertically along the right edge of the front (not the card number at top right). For a VLS-TS it is on the ANEF certificate.
How do I get a social security number?
Through your employer or by applying to CPAM (Cerfa 15763) after 3 months of residence, with a translated birth certificate.
Where do I find my tax number (numéro fiscal)?
At the top of the avis d'impôt, in the “Vos références” block: 13 digits, assigned after your first return.
The bank refuses to open an account?
Ask for a refusal letter and apply to the Banque de France (right to an account).