Settling in Paris as a family: the resources that truly matter

Moving to Paris with children means falling in love with an extraordinary city while navigating a dense administrative and logistical landscape. Residence permits, healthcare enrollment, school searches, building a social network from scratch — the first few weeks come with a considerable mental load. Yet Paris offers a wealth of organizations, associations, and programs specifically designed to support international families. This guide gathers the most reliable resources, tried and recommended by families who have been through it before you.

Posted on 02/06/2026

Navigating French administration with confidence

For most families arriving in Paris, the first challenge is administrative. The government portal service-public.fr centralizes all official procedures: residence permit applications, social security enrollment, and tax declarations. It is updated daily by the French government and serves as the essential starting point for any newcomer. For healthcare coverage, ameli.fr walks new residents through their CPAM (primary health insurance fund) affiliation and reimbursement process step by step. Registration can be completed online, and a provisional social security number is typically issued within weeks. Eligible families can also open a file with the CAF (caf.fr) to receive family allowances and housing benefits, regardless of nationality, provided they meet stable and effective residency conditions in France. On the housing front, the Visale program (visale.fr), managed by Action Logement, offers a free rental guarantee for those who lack a French guarantor — a particularly valuable tool for families arriving from abroad. The City of Paris also maintains a comprehensive information desk at paris.fr, with practical details organized by arrondissement covering daycare, public schools, after-school programs, and local services. Taking the time to explore these platforms during your very first days can save you countless detours down the road.

Finding your community, between two languages

Beyond paperwork, what transforms a stay into a real home is human connection. Paris is home to a rich network of associations specifically geared toward international families. Networks such as Message Paris, founded in 1984, bring together nearly two thousand English-speaking parents from over sixty countries through regular meetups, children’s playgroups, and online support forums. The American Women’s Group, established in 1949, WICE (a continuing education institute for anglophones), AAWE (Association of American Wives of Europeans), and InterNations host cultural events, workshops, and social gatherings open to all nationalities. These spaces quickly become anchors — and sometimes the beginning of lasting friendships.

Navigating school enrollment

Enrolling a child in a Paris school requires planning ahead. For public schools, the local mairie assigns a school based on your home address. Bilingual and international schools follow their own admissions calendars, often opening as early as the previous fall. The website france-education-international.fr assists with foreign diploma recognition when needed. Families seeking a French-English education have a range of options, from international sections within the public system to small bilingual schools with personalized attention. Starting the process several months in advance gives families the widest range of choices.

Everyday health and well-being

The AP-HP network (aphp.fr) encompasses all public hospitals in Paris and the Île-de-France region, with pediatric emergency rooms accessible throughout the city. To find a general practitioner or pediatrician, annuairesante.ameli.fr offers a geolocated search tool. Many international families also seek out English-speaking medical practices, which are listed through embassy and consulate resources in Paris. Subscribing to a supplementary health insurance plan (mutuelle) is strongly recommended to cover costs not reimbursed by the national system.

Getting your bearings in the 7th arrondissement

The 7th arrondissement offers a family-friendly setting: accessible parks like the Champ-de-Mars or the Jardins de l’Intendant, neighborhood libraries, and the lively rue Cler market. The local mairie regularly publishes information on after-school activities and recreation centers. It is a neighborhood where families can quickly build routines and familiar landmarks, on foot, with their children, between the banks of the Seine and the esplanade of the Invalides.

Online resources worth bookmarking

A few websites consistently come up in recommendations from established families: paris.fr for municipal services, chooseparisregion.org for welcoming information aimed at international families, and expatica.com or angloinfo.com for comprehensive practical directories. Facebook groups like English Speaking Mums Living in Paris have several thousand active and responsive members, capable of answering a practical question within hours. The FIAFE association, recognized as serving the public interest, runs a welcoming network for French-speaking families worldwide.