25 Changes for 2025: What’s New in France This Year?

The New Year is a time for new beginnings, so here’s to hoping that France’s députés make good on their New Year’s Resolutions of compromise and collaboration as we move into 2025. 2024 was a turbulent year for French politics, culminating in the appointment of France’s fourth Prime Minster of the year, François Bayrou, just two weeks before Christmas.

2. 2025 Budget

Speaking of the new prime minister, Bayrou got straight to work, appointing a new government in time for Christmas, but the real test will be passing a new 2025 budget in the first months of the year. An emergency roll-over budget has been approved to see France into the new year, but passing a new 2025 Budget will be the top priority as soon as the government gets back to work on January 2nd. Watch this space.

3. New language requirements for residency & nationality

According to the new immigration law passed in 2024, new language requirements will apply for those applying for French Nationality or a French permanent residency card. The changes will see the current requirements increased from a B1 to a B2 level for citizenship applications and from an A1 to an A2 level for certain types of long-term residency cards. The changes must be brought in before January 1st, 2026, so this may come into action at some point later in 2025.

4.  Changes to short-term rental rules

The so-called “Airbnb law” is coming into action on January 1st, 2025, affecting all short-term rentals under the micro-enterprise regime. In 2025, you’ll also need to register your short-term rental property (including Airbnb) with your local mairie and register your property as a “meublé de tourisme” – even if you only rent it out a few months a year!

OPINION: France’s “Anti Airbnb Law” & How This Might Affect Gite Ownership

5. New laws for property sellers

If you’re selling a property in one of France’s wildfire-risk zones from January 1st onwards, you now have a legal obligation to inform prospective buyers of their legal responsibilities right from the start. The obligations légales de débroussaillement dictate that such property owners have legal obligations to carry out fire prevention work, such as clearing scrublands, pruning forests and garden maintenance on your property – find out more about which properties are affected here.  This is nothing new, but what is new is that it is now your responsibility to inform prospective buyers or tenants of the requirements during their first visit to the property.

6. EES Entry & Exit System

The EU’s long-awaited Entry & Exit System (EES) was originally planned for November 2024 but was postponed yet again at the last minute. However, the EU insists that the new system will still be coming into action “in the first half of the year”, although we don’t have an exact date. The system will require all travellers crossing an EU external border to pass through advanced passport scanners with fingerprint and facial scanners. The new rules do not apply to EU citizens or residents.

Everything You Need to Know About the EU’s New Entry/Exit System (EES)

7. Etias & €7 visa fees

The EU’s other major change set to come in in 2025 is the ETIAS visa waiver system. Similar to the ESTA system in the US, the visa waiver will require all non-EU nationals to apply online and pay a fee of €7 (free for under 18s and over 70s) prior to visiting the EU. The visa waiver will be valid for three years. As with the EES, the changes won’t affect non-EU citizens residing in the EU, providing that they have a valid visa or residency card.

What Changes for Travel to France in 2025: EES, ETIAS, €7 Visa fees?

8. UK visa waiver

The EU isn’t the only one introducing a visa waiver scheme: the UK is also set to bring in its own ETA system in 2025. While this won’t affect UK citizens who live or own a property in France, it will affect their French or other non-UK partners and family members, who will need to register online and pay the £10 entry fee. The ETA will apply to all non-EU citizens from January 8th and all EU citizens (except Irish passport holders) from April 2nd. You can apply online here.

9. Easyjet flights from Bordeaux

Budget airline Easyjet will take the place of rivals Ryanair, who famously pulled their base from Bordeaux airport this year after disputes over increased fees. Easyjet will be running new routes from Birmingham, UK, to Bordeaux-Merignac airport, providing a low-cost connection for Brits with southwest France. Additional Easyjet Bordeaux routes include Corfu, Faro, Budapest, and Dubrovnik.

10. New flights to France

There are a host of other new flight routes that will run to and from France from 2025. Air France will expand its US services between Paris to Denver and Phoenix, and from May, will offer a direct route from Paris to Orlando. Easyjet will start new routes from Lyon to Newcastle, UK, in January and from Rennes to Manchester in June. There’s also a new low-cost route from French Bee between Paris-Orly and Montreal, Canada, and a Wizz Air route from Paris-Orly to London Gatwick, both set to start in April.

It’s been delayed several times but from January 1st. Paris’ low emission zone is raising its threshold to prevent even more vehicles from entering the capital. From now on, vehicles with Crit’Air 3 stickers, which includes diesel cars older than 2011 and petrol cars from before 2006, will no longer be allowed to drive into central Paris and the inner suburbs on weekdays from 8am-8pm. Find out more here.

12. Paris transport hikes

On the subject of Paris, tickets for public transport in the capital are also expected to rise on January 2nd, including the introduction of a single-price ticket for all journeys. The most cost-effective way to travel around Paris is to purchase a Navigo Liberté + card.

13. Motorway fees and free-flow tollbooths

France’s new free-flow tollbooths are set to be expanded throughout the year, meaning that you’ll need to pay péagefees online or at your local tabac rather than stopping at the tollbooths at the entrance and exit to the autoroute (motorway). Motorway tolls are also likely to rise, but we won’t know by how much until the fees are subject to their annual review in February.

14. ID required on public transport

Starting in January, anyone using public transport within France will need to carry an ID with proof of address as officials tighten regulations in an attempt to combat ticket fraud. As a foreigner in France, you can use your titre de sejour or French driving licence to show that the address matches the one on your ticket.

15. USB-C Chargers

Good news for those who often forget their phone charger (guilty!). The much-talked-about new law that makes it mandatory for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras to be sold with a USB-C port for charging came into action on December 28th, 2024. From 2025 onwards, all such items sold in France, including iPhones, will need to work with a universal, single charger.

16. Postage increases

Postage prices will increase in France by almost 7% from January 1st. In practice, this means a standard letter will now cost €1.39, 10 cents more than it did in 2025, while an international letter will cost €2.10, up from the 2024 price of €1.96.

17. Prescriptions required

In 2025, certain over-the-counter cold and flu medicines – notably those containing pseudoephedrine – will now only be available via prescription. This includes top brands like Humex, Dolirhume, Actifed, and Rhindvil. From March 2024, medications containing tramadol and codeine will require secure prescriptions (ordonnance sécurisée), the kind that is already required for opioid, narcotic, and psychotropic drugs.

18. Rise in Doctor’s fees

From December 22nd, 2024, the fee for a standard consultation with your GP doctor (médecin) in France is now €30 instead of the current €26.50, the majority of which will be reimbursed to patients as before. Additional fee increases apply to paediatrician (pédiatre), psychiatrist (psychiatre), gynaecologist (gynécologue), physical therapists (kinésithérapeute), and other specialists.

19. Mutuelle top-up insurance fees

As healthcare fees go up along the board, charges for top-up health insurance, known as mutuelles in France, are also expected to rise. Estimated increases are about 10%, but this will depend upon your mutuelle provider, your mutuelle plan, and the 2025 budget, so we may not know more until this is announced. Contact your mutuelle for more information.

20. Focus on mental health

France’s health ministry has announced that its main national focus for 2025 will be “mental health” and has laid out its four main objectives: destigmatisation of mental health care in France, development of early detection and prevention strategies, improved access to mental health care, and the continued support of individuals concerned by mental health issues. You can read more about the pledge here

21. Bank holidays

It’s a good year for bank holidays in France, with almost all of the national holidays falling on weekdays, meaning that French workers will enjoy a day off work. Even better, four jour fériés fall on a Thursday in 2025, providing the opportunity to “faire le pont” (make a bridge) and enjoy a four-day weekend.

Bank Holidays or Les Jours fériés in France

22.  Withdrawal Agreement cards up for renewal

The first post-Brexit Withdrawal Agreement cards issued to Brits resident in France prior to Brexit will be up for renewal this year. Depending on how long they had been living in France, 5-year or 10-year titre de séjours were issued to Brits covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. If you continue to be resident in France, make sure that you apply to renew your card about six months from its expiry date. Those initially issued a 5-year card will now be able to exchange this for a 10-year one.

23. Pompidou Centre closing

The Pompidou Centre in Paris will be closing down for major refurbishments in September and won’t be reopening until 2030, so now’s the time to visit! Find out about the latest exhibitions and events here.

24. Interest-free loans for first-time buyers

France’s prêt à taux zéro (PTZ or PTZ+) is being extended to all first-time buyers, not just those in certain areas. Find out more here.