First steps in Alsace
Alsace welcomes you warmly! For your move, you’ll find a range of organizations and services here to help with housing, socializing, and administrative tasks, ensuring a smooth transition to the region.
Summary
Welcome associations and networks
Accueil des Villes Françaises
AVF is a nationwide association that supports people relocating for work or personal reasons, helping them settle into their new surroundings. It offers opportunities to meet new people through social events and activities, including cultural, gastronomic, recreational, creative, and festive experiences.
There are several AVF branches in Alsace: Strasbourg, Saverne, and Colmar.
Bienvenue à Strasbourg
Bienvenue à Strasbourg (“Welcome to Strasbourg”) is an association created to organize events for newcomers to connect with Strasbourg residents while exploring Alsace and its unique features.
Fondation Alfred Kastler
The two main missions of the Alfred Kastler Foundation are to improve the reception conditions in France for foreign researchers and research professors, and to maintain contact with them after their return to their home countries.
Mums in Strasbourg
Mums In Strasbourg is a network for connected parents, offering tips, outing ideas, and more to simplify parenting. It serves as a local social network, making it easy to find nearby babysitters, top daycares, or great local shops. This comprehensive platform helps you save time so you can enjoy more moments with your family.
Support from a professional
“Relocation agencies” are experts in geographical mobility, assisting both national and international businesses. They handle all logistical and administrative details for employees moving to Alsace from abroad or other regions. Here are some examples. Here are some examples (non-exhaustive list):
The CCI Alsace Eurométropole also offers a support service to facilitate the relocation and integration of new employees.
Administrative procedures and daily life
Find information:
You can find varied and detailed information on the official Service Public website:
There, you can access practical guides and procedures to follow based on your situation or specific needs.
Find a bank :
Below are some useful links and bank comparison tools:
- Fédération Bancaire Française (French Banking Federation)
- Traditional and online French banks
Identify the public service suited to my needs:
Each “France Service” center provides access to nine national partners in one location: Family Benefits, ANTS, Retirement Insurance, Health Insurance, Public Finances, La Poste, MSA, Point-Justice, and France Travail. You will get assistance specific to your situation, all in one place.
To find the nearest center to you: France Services
Where to go for various procedures:
- Identity Card: Town Hall of your residence
- Passport: Town Hall of your residence
- Residence Permit: Prefecture of Bas-Rhin (67) / Prefecture of Haut-Rhin (68)
- Vehicle Registration Certification: ANTS website
First steps in France
Embassies and Consulates:
You can find the contact details for all foreign representations in France on this website.
Additionally, this website provides the contact details for all embassies and consulates in Strasbourg.
Getting information on procedures:
General information is available on the official Service Public website. It provides details on entering France, working in France, and more.
You can also find numerous details on the Prefectures’ websites:
Registering foreign vehicles:
For information on registering a vehicle for the first time in France, visit the ANTS website.
Changing the address on the vehicle registration certificate:
You can submit your request online on the ANTS website.
Applying for a work permit for a foreign employee in France:
You can submit your request online on the Service Public website.
The French school system and its equivalents
Alsatian specificities
The Alsace-Moselle system : the “régime local”
The Local Health Insurance System of Alsace-Moselle, rooted in the history of the Bas-Rhin, Haut-Rhin, and Moselle departments, is a unique health insurance scheme with the following characteristics:
- Mandatory: Established by the Social Security Code, it is not a supplementary insurance subject to market competition.
- Complementary: It offers additional benefits beyond the general Social Security coverage, within limits set by Social Security.
- Supportive: It supports the unemployed, retirees, low-income individuals, and families.
This system provides supplementary reimbursements to enhance health expense coverage beyond what is offered by the basic Social Security scheme.
For more information: Régime Local
Public holiday calendar
Alsace benefits from two additional public holidays compared to the rest of France:
- Good Friday
- St. Stephen’s Day (December 26)
Thus, the year includes 13 public holidays:
- January 1, New Year’s Day
- Good Friday
- Easter Monday
- May 1, Labor Day
- May 8, Victory in Europe Day
- Ascension Thursday
- Pentecost
- July 14, Bastille Day
- August 15, Assumption
- November 1, All Saints’ Day
- November 11, Armistice Day
- December 25, Christmas
- December 26, St. Stephen’s Day
Understanding local organization and authorities
Municipality and intermunicipal cooperation
- Local services
- Services to the public
Including: Management of nursery and elementary schools, urban planning, housing, environment
Department
- Social services (childcare, elderly care, disability support, RSA, etc.);
- Management of middle schools;
- Departmental roads
Region
- Economic development;
- Management of high schools;
- Non-urban transportation;
- Land use planning;
- Vocational training;
- Management of European funds
For more details: www.info.gouv.fr
Happy settling in!