Before you start

A French postal address (for a Navigo Annuel/Mois subscription and as proof of domicile for a licence exchange)
For driving on a non-EU licence: a valid foreign licence plus an official French translation, and proof you established residency under 1 year ago
For a licence exchange: a French address and legal residence status (visa/titre de séjour or EU right of residence)

Step-by-step

1
Get a Navigo card and pick your fare
Buy a reloadable Navigo Easy card (~€2, one-off) at any métro machine or the Île-de-France Mobilités app, or apply online for a personalised Navigo (Mois/Annuel) with a photo. Load it: pay-as-you-go single tickets at the flat €2.50 (métro/train/RER, anywhere in Île-de-France) / €2.00 (bus & tram); a carnet of 10 (~€17-18 dematerialised on Navigo Easy); Navigo Liberté+ (auto-monthly billing per trip, capped daily); or the all-zones Navigo Mois (~€92.80/mo from Jan 2026). Employers reimburse 50%+ of a Navigo pass.
Mobile appWho: YouSame day (Easy card instant; personalised Navigo ~1-2 weeks for the named card)Easy card ~€2 + fares; Navigo Mois ~€92.80/mo (2026)
2
Use bikes, taxis and the airport links
Vélib' bike-share is everywhere: basic subscription ~€4.30/mo (classic bikes near-free per ride, e-bikes ~€0.20/min). NOTE: free-floating rental e-scooters (Lime/Dott/Tier) were BANNED in Paris from Sept 2023 — only private scooters remain. Uber, Bolt and taxis operate normally. To/from the airports, buy the flat 'Paris ↔ Aéroports' ticket (~€14) valid on RER B (CDG) and Orlyval/RER + Line 14 (Orly); a taxi CDG↔Paris is a flat ~€56-62.
Mobile appWho: YouImmediateVélib' ~€4.30/mo basic; airport ticket ~€14; taxi CDG↔Paris flat ~€56-62
3
Drive on your foreign licence (the 1-year grace window)
EU/EEA licences are valid in France with no action. Non-EU holders may drive on a valid home licence for up to 1 year after establishing 'résidence normale' in France — but you must carry an official French translation (or an International Driving Permit) alongside it. The clock starts at residency, NOT arrival as a tourist. Use this year to determine your exchange eligibility before it expires.
In personWho: YouValid for 12 months from establishing residency€0 (sworn translation ~€30-60 if needed)
4
Exchange your licence (échange de permis) or take the French test
Before the 1-year deadline (apply from the 6th month online via ANTS / France Titres), check the official service-public.fr simulator. If your country, or your specific US state, has a reciprocity agreement, you exchange your licence for a French one fully online: upload colour scans of the licence, official translation, ID, proof of domicile (<6 months), residence permit, ANTS photo/signature code, and a recent 'attestation of driving rights' from the issuing authority. The fee is a €40 e-fiscal stamp. You surrender the original and get an attestation to keep driving while it's processed. If there is NO reciprocity, you must pass the full French permit — the code (theory) and conduite (practical), often €1,500+.
OnlineWho: You (via ANTS / France Titres)Apply months 6-12 of residency; processing weeks to several months€40 fiscal stamp (exchange); €1,500+ if you must sit the French test

Documents you’ll need

Navigo card (Easy or personalised with photo)
Passport / national ID
Titre de séjour / visa or EU proof of residence
Valid foreign driving licence (original, front & back)
Official French translation of the licence (sworn/assermenté translator) or International Driving Permit
Proof of domicile under 6 months old (justificatif de domicile)
Recent 'attestation of driving rights' (relevé d'information) from the issuing licence authority
ANTS digital photo & signature code and €40 timbre fiscal for the exchange
Crit'Air vignette on the windscreen if you drive in Paris

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Jan 2025 fare reform abolished zones for single tickets: one flat €2.50 ticket now takes you anywhere on métro/train/RER in Île-de-France — even out to Versailles or Disneyland — and lets you mix métro+RER+train on one ticket within 2 hours.

Newcomers overpay or stress about zones that no longer exist for single journeys; the old paper t+ ticket and zone tables are obsolete. Bus/tram is a separate €2 fare and you can't transfer for free between the rail ticket and a bus ticket.

Source: Île-de-France Mobilités (tarifs 2025/2026)

Your residency 'clock' for the licence is what catches people out: you must exchange a non-EU licence within 1 year of establishing residence, and you can only START the ANTS application from the 6th month.

There's a narrow valid window, and if your home country/US state has no reciprocity, exchange is impossible — you'd need the French code + conduite (often €1,500+, months of lessons). Check the service-public.fr simulator in your first weeks, not your eleventh month.

Source: service-public.fr (F1460) / ANTS

Paris is engineered against cars: 30 km/h citywide since 2021, a Crit'Air ZFE (older diesels restricted), and since Oct 2024 visitor parking for heavy 'SUV' cars is tripled to €18/hour in the centre.

Owning or even visiting by car is costly and restricted; an older diesel may be barred from the city entirely. For almost all residents, Navigo + Vélib' + occasional taxi is cheaper and faster than a car — factor this into where you choose to live.

Source: Ville de Paris / Métropole du Grand Paris (ZFE, stationnement 2024)

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming the old zone system still applies to single tickets — it doesn't since Jan 2025; a single trip is a flat €2.50 anywhere in Île-de-France
Driving on a non-EU licence without carrying an official French translation or IDP — the licence alone is not enough if stopped
Counting your 1-year licence-exchange window from arrival as a tourist instead of from when you established residency, and missing the month 6-12 application window
Assuming all US states qualify for exchange — many do (state-by-state reciprocity) but several do NOT, forcing the full French driving test
Expecting rental e-scooters — free-floating scooters have been banned in Paris since Sept 2023; only Vélib' bikes and private scooters remain

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.