Your first week in France: the settling-in sprint
The short version
- Get a French SIM or eSIM on day one; every form, bank and delivery wants a local number
- Validate your long-stay visa early in the week; the 3-month clock started when you landed
- Say bonjour before any request, anywhere; it genuinely changes how interactions go
- Pace yourself at one admin task per day; jet lag and French forms mix badly
You landed, the suitcase made it, and France is waiting outside the door. The first week is not about finishing your setup. It is about collecting the keys that open everything else: a French phone number, a validated visa, a way to get around and the first steps toward a bank account.
Think of this guide as the orchestration layer. Every big task here has its own deep dive, linked as you go, so you can skim now and dig in when each day comes. Your two real enemies this week are jet lag and the urge to do everything at once, and both lose to a list.
The first-week list
One admin task per day is the sustainable pace. Jet lag makes everyone a little dumber than expected for several days, and French forms punish typos.
Checklist
Day one: a French number and a long walk
Your US phone technically works here, but French life wants a French number: banks, delivery drivers, doctor bookings and half the country's web forms expect one. A prepaid SIM or an eSIM is a same-day job, and the phone guide compares the options.
Then go outside. A long afternoon walk beats a nap for jet lag and doubles as a scouting mission: find your boulangerie (bakery), your pharmacy, your supermarket and the nearest metro or bus stop.
The one with a deadline: validate your visa
Your VLS-TSvisa long séjour valant titre de séjour: the long-stay visa that doubles as a residence permit only becomes a residence permit once you validate it on the official ANEF portal, the government's online window for foreign residents, and the 3-month countdown started the day you landed. Three months sounds roomy; it also evaporates while you settle in. Do it this week, while the motivation is fresh and before any side trips.
Getting around and stocking the fridge
Sort the transit card early. In Paris that means Navigo; every other big city runs its own equivalent, and a weekly or monthly pass usually beats a pocketful of single tickets. Your feet plus transit will carry you through the whole week, so get it working on day two or three.
Grocery culture has house rules. Many stores close Sunday afternoon or all day Sunday, smaller shops may pause at lunch, and everything shuts earlier than you are used to. Bring a tote and bag your own groceries; the cashier will not, and the line behind you values speed. Keep around 50 euros in cash for open-air markets, where cards remain hit or miss.
The bonjour rule: say bonjour before any request, to anyone, every single time. A question without a greeting reads as rude in France, and the change in how you are treated after a proper bonjour is real. Greeting first, then your question. It is the cheapest upgrade available to your new life.
The apps that run French life
Download these while jet lag holds you hostage on the couch.
| App | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Doctolib | The standard way to book doctors, dentists and vaccinations |
| Citymapper or your city's transit app | Metro, bus and tram routes that match reality |
| Your bank's app | Payments, transfers and the bank details slip (RIB) everyone asks for |
| DeepL | Translating letters, forms and confusing signage |
| SNCF Connect | Train tickets, for when the rest of France starts tempting you |
Start the bank hunt now
French banks love appointments, and appointments take days to materialize, so start before you feel ready. The fast half is a neobank: with any proof of address, even a temporary attestation from your host, N26 or Revolut opens from your phone within days and hands you a working card. In parallel, email or walk into two or three traditional branches and ask. The bank account guide covers the documents, the FATCAthe US tax-reporting law that makes some French banks wary of American clients quirks and which banks welcome Americans.
The prize is the RIB, the bank details slip that connects you to salaries, rent and phone plans. The sooner the appointment happens, the sooner the rest of your setup stops waiting on it.
Do I need cash in France?
Cards work almost everywhere, contactless is the default, and your US cards will carry you fine at first. Keep around 50 euros in cash anyway: open-air markets, some bakeries and small-town cafés still prefer it, and a market haul makes an excellent first-week errand.
When should the apartment hunt start?
Immediately, if you are in short-term housing. Good listings get viewings within days and decisions move fast, so set up search alerts in week one even if you cannot sign yet. The renting guide explains the dossier you will need and how the game is played.
How do I meet people?
Faster than you fear. Expat and Franco-American groups run regular meetups in every big city, language exchanges are welcoming by design, and saying yes to early invitations does the rest. The community page lists the groups worth joining before you have even unpacked.