🇫🇷 Living in France: Expat Guides
Practical guides for navigating French administration, healthcare (CAF, Ameli), housing, work, and daily life as an expat in France.
Essential Guides
Security deposit (dépôt de garantie) for French rentals: landlord rules, deductions, return deadlines and disputes
Few moments in a tenancy generate as much friction as the day the keys come back and the tenant asks for their deposit. In France the **dépôt de garantie** is tightly regulated: how much you may hold, what you may deduct, and — crucially — how fast you must return it are all fixed by statute, not by the lease. Get the deadline or the paperwork wrong and you don't merely refund the money; you can owe a legal penalty on top. This guide is written for landlords who want deductions that are lawful and defensible. It covers the legal cap, the make-or-break role of the *état des lieux*, the one- versus two-month return clock, which deductions actually hold up, the special *copropriété* rule for service charges, the late-return penalty, and what happens when a tenant contests. The framework comes from [loi n°89-462 du 6 juillet 1989 (art. 22), summarised on service-public.fr](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31269). Treat this as information, not personalised legal advice — verify any figure at the official source before you act.
IRL Rent Revision in France: When and How a Landlord Can Raise the Rent (and the F/G Energy Freeze)
Revising a rent in France looks simple — apply the IRL index once a year — but the rules around it trip up landlords constantly. Miss the one-year window and the increase is gone for good. Pick the wrong reference quarter and your tenant can contest it. And if the property is a DPE-rated F or G "passoire thermique", the rent is frozen outright, whatever the index says. This guide explains, with the current 2026 figures, when a landlord may legally raise a residential rent, how to calculate the increase to the cent, and where the energy freeze and rent-control zones override the index. It is grounded in article 17-1 of the [loi n°89-462 of 6 July 1989](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1311?lang=fr) and the loi Climat et Résilience, with links to the official texts throughout. Read it before you send a revision notice — a mistake here usually costs you the whole year's increase.
Recoverable rental charges (charges récupérables) in France: what a landlord can bill the tenant
If you rent out a home in France, you cannot bill your tenant for whatever you like. The law draws a hard line between the rent — which you set freely, subject to rent-control zones — and the *charges récupérables*, the running costs of the building you are allowed to pass on. That list is closed: it was fixed by decree in 1987, and only what appears on it can be recovered. Get it wrong and a tenant can reclaim years of overcharges. This guide explains, for landlords and tenants alike, exactly what is recoverable, how the yearly *régularisation* works, your right to see the invoices behind the numbers, the three-year window that limits claims in both directions, and why a furnished (*meublé*) or mobility lease follows different rules. Figures and references are drawn from [service-public.fr](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F947) and the underlying legal texts. Treat this as information, not personalised advice — verify any figure against the source before acting.
Ending a French Tenancy as a Landlord: Congé for Sale, Personal Use (Reprise), or Legitimate Cause
Ending a tenancy in France is not something a landlord can do freely. Unlike in many countries, French law lets an owner reclaim a rented home only at the natural term of the lease, and only for three tightly defined reasons: to sell it (*congé pour vente*), to move in or house a close relative (*congé pour reprise*), or for a legitimate and serious cause (*motif légitime et sérieux*), such as a tenant's repeated breaches. Miss the notice period, use the wrong wording, or pick a ground you cannot justify, and the congé is void — the lease simply renews for another term. This guide covers the rules for unfurnished and furnished lets under the [loi n°89-462 of 6 July 1989](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000000509310), the six- and three-month notice windows, the exact content a valid congé must contain, the tenant's right of first refusal on a sale, and the extra protection the law gives elderly and low-income tenants. This is general information, not personalised legal advice — verify current figures at the official source before acting.
Quasi-resident tax status for France-Switzerland cross-border workers: who benefits and how to claim
Every year, tens of thousands of French residents who work in Geneva or Vaud watch a flat impôt à la source (withholding tax) come off their Swiss payslip, with none of the real deductions a Swiss resident enjoys. The quasi-resident status (statut de quasi-résident) is the legal route that closes that gap: it lets a non-resident who earns almost all of their income in Switzerland be taxed like an ordinary resident, deducting pension buy-ins, childcare, alimony and more. It is not automatic, it must be requested every year by 31 March, and, crucially, it does not help everyone. This guide decodes the 90% rule that gates eligibility, the deductions a taxation ordinaire ultérieure (TOU) unlocks, why Geneva and Vaud frontaliers are not in the same boat, and how to file with the AFC or ACI. Start from the official [impots.gouv.fr frontalier pages](https://www.impots.gouv.fr/international-particulier/salaries-en-suisse); this is information, not personalised advice, so verify every figure at the source before acting.
Unemployment benefits for France–Switzerland cross-border workers: who pays and how much
When a France-resident cross-border worker loses a job in Switzerland, the first question is rarely emotional — it is administrative: who pays my unemployment, Switzerland or France? The Swiss salary was high, the contributions went to a Swiss fund, yet for a genuine daily commuter the answer is France. That rule flows from [EU Regulation (EC) No 883/2004](https://www.cleiss.fr/docs/textes/883-04/t3-6.html), Article 65, which sends a *wholly* unemployed frontier worker to the unemployment system of the country of residence. This guide walks the whole path: why France pays, the make-or-break line between full and partial unemployment, how to register with France Travail and obtain the Swiss PD U1 attestation, how your former Swiss salary becomes a French benefit (and where the ceiling bites), the 3-to-5-month reimbursement Switzerland owes France, and the 2026 reform that could shift the bill to the country of work. Every figure below is information, not personalised advice — verify the current numbers at the official source before acting.
Family Allowances for France-Switzerland Cross-Border Workers: Swiss Allocations, the French Differential and CAF
If you live in France and work in Switzerland, your children's family allowances are governed not by one country but by a European coordination rule that decides who pays first and who tops up. The result surprises many frontaliers: Swiss allowances are usually higher than French ones, so the money often flows the opposite way to what people expect. This guide explains the priority rule under [Article 68 of Regulation (EC) No 883/2004](https://www.cleiss.fr/docs/textes/883-04/t3-8.html), the Swiss allowance amounts canton by canton, when the French *complément différentiel* is actually paid by the CAF, what happens when both parents work in different countries, and the exact paperwork — your Swiss employer's caisse plus the CAF and the E411 form. Figures are 2026 values; treat them as information, not personalised advice, and confirm the current amounts with your canton's caisse and your CAF before you rely on them.
Teleworking rules for France–Switzerland cross-border workers: the 40% telework tax agreement
If you live in France and work for a Swiss employer, the days you spend working from your kitchen table are no longer a legal grey zone. Since 1 January 2026 a permanent framework governs how much you can telework from France before your tax situation moves. The headline number is 40%: up to 40% of your annual working time can be performed as telework from your home in France without changing the country that taxes your salary or costing you your frontalier status. This guide explains the 40% tax rule from the avenant signed on 27 June 2023 (published in France by [décret n° 2025-838](https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000052129841)), the separate 49.9% social-security threshold that people constantly confuse with it, what happens if you cross either line, the new employer reporting duties, and how to plan a realistic telework week. Figures and dates are drawn from official French and Swiss sources — this is information, not personalised tax advice, so verify your own case before acting.
Frequently Asked Questions
▸What administrative steps do I need to take when moving to France?
Key steps include registering with CAF (family allowances), Ameli (healthcare), obtaining a residence permit if non-EU, opening a French bank account, and registering for taxes. Our guides cover each step in detail.
▸How do I access healthcare in France as an expat?
Register with Ameli (French social security) to get your Carte Vitale. EU citizens can use their EHIC initially. Our healthcare guides explain the registration process and how to find a family doctor.
▸Can I work across the France-Switzerland border?
Yes, cross-border work between France and Switzerland is common, especially in regions like Geneva. You'll need to understand tax treaties, social security obligations, and residence requirements. See our dedicated guide on France-Switzerland cross-border work.
▸How does renting work in France?
French rentals require a dossier (application file) with proof of income, ID, and often a French guarantor. CAF can provide housing assistance (APL). Our housing guides cover the rental process, tenant rights, and energy costs.