News

What's changed — and what it means for you.

The rule changes, fee rises and deadlines doing the rounds for British people in France — each one pulled apart so you can see, at a glance, whether it's actually your problem. No jargon, no doom.

Cost1 May 2026

Residency and citizenship fees just went up — some of them a lot

From 1 May 2026 the one-off charges for getting a first residency card, validating a long-stay visa, and applying for citizenship all went up. Renewals didn't. Here's who actually feels it.

Driving12 May 2026

Swapping a foreign licence now carries a €40 charge

Exchanging a non-EU licence for a French one now carries a €40 stamp duty for the first time. The good news for most British drivers: you probably don't need to swap in the first place.

HealthcareComing

A new healthcare contribution — but probably not for you

A contribution for non-working residents is working its way through the system. If you're a UK state pensioner on an S1, the short version is: this almost certainly isn't yours to pay.

Hospital1 Mar 2026

The daily hospital charge nudged up to €23

The flat daily charge for a hospital stay — the bit the Sécu doesn't cover — rose to €23 a day. If you've a decent mutuelle, you'll likely never notice.

TaxLate Jul 2026

Your tax bill (avis d'imposition) lands late July into August

The document that tells you what you owe (or are owed) arrives across late July and August. There's a short correction window if the figures look wrong — and the day it lands matters more than the day it's due.

Health cardNow

The carte Vitale is now an app

Your health card now lives on your phone — usable at the pharmacy and the doctor's. Genuinely handy, with one catch worth knowing before you try to set it up.