Day 3130 (Friday) 2nd January 2026

What a beautiful blue sky

It was another lovely sunny day and we took the day off and had a lovely lazy day.

What changes in France in January 2026

Sud Rail union members on strike. (Photo by Geoffroy Van der Hasselt / AFP)

Not just a new month, but a whole new year - here's what's in store for everyone living in France from January.

Public holiday

January 1st is a public holiday in France. As it falls on a Thursday, it offers the first opportunity of 2026 to 'faire le pont', and take Friday off work to create a nice four-day weekend.

Civics exams

France’s new written civics test, which will be required of people applying for certain types of residency cards and citizenship, will come into effect from January 1st. 

Budget discussions

Although the social security budget has been passed in parliament (bringing with it important changes to pensions, benefits, sick leave and parental leave, the second part of the budget is still blocked in parliament. The most likely outcome is a rollover of the 2025 revenue budget and discussions continuing into the early part of 2026.

Minimum wage

The gross monthly minimum wage for full-time work will rise to €1,823.03 (compared to €1,801.80), representing an increase of €21.23 gross per month, with gross hourly rates up to €12.02 (up from €11.88 currently). 

Pensions and benefits

Pensions and certain benefits in France are set to go up 0.9 percent from January 1st, due to the implementation of the social security budget.

Declaring gifts

Any sizeable gifts of money or valuables between family members must be declared online to French tax authorities from January 1st.

Fuel prices

Electricity and gas bills are expected to rise in January as suppliers foot a larger bill for certain environmental and energy programmes, including the MaPrimeRénov’ grant for housing. Meanwhile, motorists will be hit in the pocket, too, as prices at the pumps could jump €0.05.

Birth leave

Parents of babies born from January 1st, 2026 onwards will benefit from up to two months’ birth leave provided for in the Social Security budget. This measure is in addition to existing maternity (sixteen weeks) and paternity (twenty-eight days) leave.

A decree will confirm the amount of compensation paid to parents, but during parliamentary debates, the government announced that it should be 70 percent of net salary for the first month, and 60 percent for the second.

Stamps

La Poste is making tariff adjustments to its service starting from January 1st. A green stamp, promising delivery to an address in France in three days will cost €1.52, La Poste has said, up from €1.39 currently.

Meanwhile, the prices of sending Colissimo parcels will increase by an average of 3.4 percent, to all destinations.

Stricter vehicle roadworthiness tests

From January 1st, mandatory vehicle inspections (the contrôle technique) will include a new section dedicated to vehicles subject to serious recall because it has Takata airbags, following difficulties encountered during recall campaigns.

Health insurance

The government succeeded in passing a special tax on supplementary health insurance — known as mutuelles — amounting to €1 billion. Although the tax is on the companies, the burden will probably end up being passed on to policyholders.

The French Mutual Insurance Federation has already announced that mutuelle insurance rates will, on average, increase by 4.7 percent for group contracts, and 4.3 percent for individual deals in 2026.

Sick leave 

Conditions for sick leave will become stricter from January 1st, with doctors able in most circumstances to issue a note for one month only in the first instance. In the event of a renewal, the maximum duration is set at two months. 

Pink car plates

Rules concerning temporary WW licence plates for newly imported vehicles or vehicles awaiting final registration, and W garage plates for professionals, change on January 1st with affected vehicles obliged to display registration plates with a pink background, and include information such as the expiry date (month/year) of the provisional WW registration certificate for WW registrations.

Property

As many as 850,000 homes in France that are currently considered F or G-rated for energy efficiency could move up at least one rating level on January 1st — and in some cases become eligible to rent out once again without any need to actually carry out any work to improve energy efficiency and cut bills, as new Diagnostic de Performance Energétique standards come into force.

Back to school

Children across the country head back to school after the Christmas holidays on Monday, January 5th. The staggered winter holidays begin after classes on February 6th, 13th, or 20th, depending on where you live.

Rail travel

French train operator SNCF will launch its new ‘Optimum Plus service’ in January.

Courts

The appeal trial in the embezzlement case of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is slated to start on January 12th, after she and other Rassemblement National officials were convicted in March 2025 over an EU parliament fake jobs scam worth up to €3 million.

She was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, two of which were suspended, and a fine of €100,000. The ruling also banned her from standing for office for five years, which would scupper her ambition of taking part in the 2027 vote unless it is overturned at this appeal. Earlier attempts to quash her ban on standing for office have failed.

Strike

A demonstration that you still live in France. The Sud Rail union has filed a strike notice, calling on drivers and staff nationwide to walk out on January 13th, the day new pay negotiations get underway. Their demands include a €400 per month increase for all rail workers. Cancellations and delays are possible.

Public transport

Fares in Ile de France will increase on January 1st to offset the cost of modernising the region’s busy public transport network — with the monthly cost of a Navigo pass rising €2. 

Census

Census representatives will start canvassing residents in towns and cities across France from January 15th.

University applications

The Parcoursup university application platform opened in December, allowing students planning to enter higher education in 2026 to take a closer look at courses they might be interested in. Registration formally opens on January 19th, allowing them to start putting their names forward for courses they would like to take at establishments they would like to attend.