🇫🇷 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
France's New Lease Template From 1 October 2026: What Changes for Landlords and Tenants
From 1 October 2026, every residential lease signed or renewed in France must follow an updated official template. The change comes from Décret n° 2026-596 of 6 July 2026. It is a short text, and most of a lease stays exactly as it was. But one clause is now written by the State word for word, and a lease drafted from an old model will no longer match. This guide explains what changed, what did not, and what to check before you sign.
What a nanny or childminder really costs in France (2026)
Hiring someone to look after your children at home — or entrusting them to an **assistante maternelle** — makes you an employer under the **convention collective IDCC 3239**. That convention, not the market, sets the floor: a minimum hourly rate, a formula that turns it into the same salary every month, and a set of allowances that are not salary at all. Here is what each piece costs, with the article it comes from, as it stands since **1 June 2026**.
Ending a nanny or cleaner contract in France: the 13 documents, who writes which, and what CESU still does for you
A household contract in France ends on paper. Between the first registered letter and the last payslip, a nanny, cleaner or home carer and the family that employs them exchange a dozen written documents, each attached to an article of the collective agreement for household employers (**CCN IDCC 3239**), and four more come out of the **CESU or Pajemploi** account. This walkthrough lists the 13 documents now available on AdminLanding's home-employment page, states which party writes each one, when, and who receives it, and separates them from the URSSAF documents that the platform deliberately leaves to CESU and Pajemploi.
Ending your nanny's or cleaner's contract in France: notice, indemnity and the CESU documents (CCN 3239)
**Updated 27/08/2026** — the 13 end-of-contract documents and the shared calendar are live on AdminLanding (since 04/10/2026 the documents come with the AdminLanding membership); the trial-period and notice-waiver rules were added. You are moving back, the children have started school, or the household budget has changed: the contract with your nanny, cleaner or home carer is coming to an end. In France, a household employer paying through **CESU or Pajemploi is a real employer**, and the end of the contract follows a written procedure with its own deadlines, notice periods and an indemnity. The rules come from the collective agreement for household employers (**IDCC 3239**), not from the general dismissal chapter of the Labour Code. Here is the sequence, article by article, and the documents both parties will hold at the end.
Working for a family in France: your rights when the contract ends (nanny, carer, cleaner, assistant maternel)
**Updated 27/08/2026** — the 13 end-of-contract documents and the shared calendar are live on AdminLanding (since 04/10/2026 the documents come with the AdminLanding membership, which covers both parties); the trial-period and notice-waiver rules were added. You look after a family's children, clean their home or care for a relative, and the contract is ending, whether the family is moving, the need has changed, or you are the one leaving. In France the family that declares you through **CESU or Pajemploi is your employer** in the full legal sense, and the end of the contract comes with a written procedure, a notice period, in most cases an indemnity, and four documents you are entitled to receive. The rules are in the collective agreement for household employment (**IDCC 3239**). Here is what they say, article by article, in both directions.
Can Your AI Assistant Handle French Admin? MCP, Explained for Expats
Ask a chatbot whether Lyon is in a zone tendue, or what notice period applies to your tenant, and you will get a confident answer — **which may be quietly wrong**. French administrative rules change by decree, by quarter and by commune, faster than any AI model's training data. In 2026 there is a better way: the Model Context Protocol (MCP) lets your assistant call real, maintained legal calculators instead of guessing. Here is what that means in practice, what you can already do free of charge, and where the limits are.
How to Count Your Telework Days as a Frontalier: the 40% Tax Rule vs the 49.9% Social-Security Rule
Every France–Switzerland frontalier who works from home now lives with two numbers: 40% and 49.9%. They look interchangeable. They are not. The 40% ceiling comes from the Franco-Swiss tax avenant signed on 27 June 2023 (and, for the eight 1983-accord cantons, from the amicable agreement of 22 December 2022) and decides which country taxes your salary — its text applies the rule to pay from 1 January 2023. The 49.9% ceiling comes from the EU/EFTA social-security framework agreement in force since 1 July 2023 and decides which country's social system you contribute to. Two legal instruments, two reference bases, two sets of consequences — and one shared practical problem: you can only show you are under either line if you actually count your days. This guide is the counting how-to: what goes into each count, how mission days are treated, and a simple monthly method that holds up if anyone asks. It is general information drawn from official French, Swiss and EU sources — not personalised tax or legal advice — and for anything specific to your canton or contract it points you to the competent bodies.
Renting Out Your French Property in 2026: The Rules That Changed (Le Meur, DPE, Registry)
If you own a French property and rent it out — or planned to start this summer — three sets of rules moved under your feet, and July 2026 is when they all become visible at once. The **loi Le Meur** tax split showed up for the first time in this spring's income declaration (it applies to 2025 income). The **national registration teleservice** for short-term lets came into force on **20 May 2026**. And the **DPE letting-ban calendar** keeps tightening, now reaching tourist rentals too. This guide walks a non-resident or expat owner through what actually changed, what it costs to ignore, and what to check before the next tenant or guest arrives. It is general information, not legal or tax advice.
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.