Helpful Glossary of Key Terms New Expats Will Encounter

Listed here are a number of terms you will need to understand as you embark on your new French Life. What they mean and what they are used for. I hope it will help with your transition into French culture and bureaucracy such that it does not seem overwhelming.

Carte Vitale

The Carte Vitale is your health insurance card issued by the French Social Security system. It proves your entitlement to healthcare coverage and allows doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals to process your reimbursements automatically.

It is free, personal, and secure.

🟦 What it’s used for

• Automatic reimbursement of medical expenses (usually within 5–7 days)

• Tiers payant: you don’t have to pay upfront for certain treatments

• Electronic medical forms instead of paper

• Access to your pharmacy records

• Use of online services on Ameli

Carte de séjour

the French residence permit. Here’s a clear, simple explanation in English so you know exactly what it is and how it works.

🟩 What the Carte de séjour is

The Carte de séjour is an official French residence permit that allows non‑EU citizens to live legally in France for more than 3 months.

It proves:

• your legal right to stay in France

• your right to work (depending on the type)

Contrôle Technique (CT)

The Contrôle Technique is France’s mandatory vehicle inspection, similar to an MOT (UK) or roadworthiness test. If you own a car in France, this is one of the most important things to stay on top of.

🟩 What the Contrôle Technique is

It’s a safety and emissions inspection required for most vehicles over 4 years old. It checks 133 points, including brakes, lights, pollution, tyres, suspension, steering, and more.

You can explore the essentials via Contrôle Technique basics.

Carte Grise

The Carte Grise is the French vehicle registration certificate — officially called the Certificat d’Immatriculation. It proves that your vehicle is legally registered in France.

🟩 What the Carte Grise is

It’s the official document that shows:

• your vehicle’s registration number

• your name and address

• technical details (power, emissions, weight)

• tax information

• the vehicle’s history

Taxe d'habitation

The Taxe d’habitation is a French local housing tax, but the rules have changed a lot in recent years — so here’s the clear, up‑to‑date version in English.

🟩 What the Taxe d’habitation is

It used to be a tax paid every year by people living in a property (owners or tenants). Today, it applies only to second homes and certain special cases.

Taxe Foncière

Taxe foncière is the French property ownership tax — the one you pay simply because you own a property, even if you don’t live in it.

It’s different from the Taxe d’habitation, which now applies only to second homes.

🟩 What the Taxe foncière is

It’s an annual tax paid by property owners (houses, apartments, land). It helps fund local services such as schools, roads, waste collection, and community infrastructure.

Préfecture

A préfecture in France is the main administrative authority of a département — the place that handles official paperwork, residency, driving licences, vehicles, and many state‑level procedures. Think of it as the “administrative headquarters” for your area.

🟩 What a Préfecture does

Here are the key services you’ll find there:

• Residence permits — applications, renewals, fingerprints

• Driving licences — exchanges, duplicates, suspensions

• Vehicle registration — Carte Grise issues, imported vehicles

• Identity documents — sometimes handled at town halls

• Citizenship applications

• Public safety, regulations, and local state administration

Mutuelle

A mutuelle in France is a private health insurance top‑up that covers the part of medical costs not reimbursed by the national health system (Assurance Maladie). Almost everyone in France has one because the state rarely reimburses 100%.

🟩 What a mutuelle does

A mutuelle pays for the remaining costs after the Sécurité sociale reimbursement, such as:

• Doctor fees — the part not covered by Ameli

• Dentist & orthodontics — often expensive without a mutuelle

• Optical care — glasses, lenses, eye exams

• Hospital stays — private rooms, daily fees

• Physio & specialists

• Alternative therapies — depending on the plan

It’s basically your top‑up insurance

Assurance Maladie

Assurance Maladie is the French national health insurance system — the foundation of healthcare in France. If you live here, this is the system that reimburses your doctor visits, prescriptions, hospital care, and more.

🟩 What Assurance Maladie is

It’s the public health insurance managed by the French government. It covers a large part of your medical costs and works together with a mutuelle (top‑up insurance).

You can explore the essentials via Assurance Maladie basics.

🟦 What it covers

Assurance Maladie reimburses a percentage of:

• Doctor consultations

• Specialists

• Hospital care

• Pharmacy medications

• Lab tests & X‑rays

• Maternity care

• Chronic illness treatment (100% cover for certain conditions)

The remaining amount is usually covered by a mutuelle.

Mairie

A mairie is the town hall — the local heart of French administration. It’s where you go for everyday paperwork, local services, and community life. Since you’re in Eymet, your mairie is the first place for most local procedures.

🟩 What the mairie does

Here are the main services handled by a mairie:

• Birth, marriage & death certificates — request copies or register events

• Marriage applications — book your wedding at the town hall

• Electoral registration — sign up for local and EU elections

• Local permits — building permits, planning permission, declarations of work

• School registration — enrol children in local schools

• Community services — events, associations, local support

• Attestation d’accueil — required if hosting a foreign visitor

ANTS

ANTS stands for Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés — the official French government platform where you complete most identity, driving, and vehicle procedures online. It’s one of the sites you’ll use the most when living in France.

🟩 What ANTS is

It’s the national portal for all secure official documents, including:

• Driving licences — exchanges, renewals, duplicates

• Vehicle registration — Carte Grise, change of owner, change of address

• Passports & ID cards — applications and tracking

• Residence permits tracking — follow the progress of your titre de séjour

• Pre‑requests for citizenship documents

It’s the digital counterpart to the préfecture.

🟦 What you can do on ANTS

Here are the most common tasks:

• Apply for a new driving licence

• Exchange a foreign licence

• Declare the sale of a vehicle

• Register a used or imported car

• Change your address on your Carte Grise

• Track your passport or ID card

Digital Identity

Digital identity in France refers to a secure way of proving who you are online, especially for government services. It’s becoming increasingly important because more and more procedures (ANTS, Ameli, taxes, banking) require strong identity verification.

Here’s the clear breakdown so you know exactly what it is and how it works.

🟩 What “digital identity” means in France

A digital identity is a secure, verified online profile that proves your identity when you log in to official services.

It allows you to:

• access government portals safely

• sign documents electronically

• track official applications

• avoid in‑person identity checks

🟦 The main digital identity systems in France

1. FranceConnect / FranceConnect+

This is the most widely used system. You log in using trusted accounts like:

• Ameli

• Impots.gouv

• La Poste

• Mobile ID (for FranceConnect+)

FranceConnect+ is required for sensitive procedures like:

• Driving licence exchanges

• Vehicle registration

• Residence permit applications

  
  

2. La Poste Digital Identity (Identité Numérique La Poste)

A very common option because it’s easy to set up.

It lets you:

• log in to ANTS

• sign documents

• verify your identity online

You can explore it via La Poste digital identity.

3. Mobile ID (France Identité)

This is the new official government digital identity app linked to your national ID card.

It allows:

• ultra‑secure login

• digital signing

• identity verification for online services

You can explore it via Mobile ID France.

🟨 Why you need a digital identity

You’ll use it for:

• ANTS (driving licence, Carte Grise)

• Ameli (health insurance)

• Tax website

• Prefecture appointments

• Banking and insurance

• Signing official documents

Siret Number

A SIRET number is the unique business identification number for any company, micro‑entrepreneur, or association operating in France. If you plan to run a business — even a small one — this number is essential.

🟩 What a SIRET is

A SIRET (Système d’Identification du Répertoire des Établissements) is a 14‑digit number that identifies a specific business location.

It contains:

• SIREN (first 9 digits) → identifies the business

• NIC (last 5 digits) → identifies the establishment or branch

  
  

Conclusion of Key Terms

Listed above are a number of key terms you will need to understand as you embark on your new French Life. What they mean and what they are used for. I hope it will help with your transition into French culture and bureaucracy such that it does not seem overwhelming.

If all of this is overwhelming, there is an out.... Administration Services (most of which are bilingual) are there to help you through it all. You will pay fees to them for their help, but hiring one an be a 'lifesaver'. Bear in mind that these services are not qualified accountants or lawyers and so carry little accountability. You will find Administration Services on the Biz Où? platform for English-speaking services in France.