Everything that changes in France from January 2018
The Local France - [email protected]
Published: 2 Jan, 2018 CET.
Updated: Tue 2 Jan 2018 11:37 CET
UPDATED: January is often a time for change and there are several new laws and price hikes coming into existence that will affect life in France.
Here are the main ones you need to know about.
Vaccinations:
The number of vaccinations that are compulsory for children rises from three to 11 in 2018.
Until now only three child vaccinations are obligatory by law in France: diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
But health minister Agnes Buzyn said this causes “a real public health problem”.
She has decided to extend the number of mandatory vaccinations to 11 to include immunizations against conditions such as measles, hepatitis B, meningitis C, rubella, mumps and whooping cough.
READ ALSO: France to make 11 vaccinations compulsory for children
Petrol and diesel price rises
Bad news for motorists as the price of petrol will rise by 7.6 cents per litre in France and the price of diesel by 3.84 cents.
Minimum wage rise
The minimum wage is set to go up in the new year but it's unlikely you'll notice the increase.
Even though the rise is an improvement on last year's -- 1.24 percent in 2018 compared to 0.93 percent at the beginning of 2017 -- it's not likely to greatly affect the lives of people who receive the minimum wage.
The hourly rate will rise by 12 cents from €9.76 to €9.88, which will equate to a rise of around €15 a month – enough for a burger avec frites.
The monthly minimum wage will be €1,498 for a regular 35-hour week.
Bonuses for trading in old cars
In a bid to tackle pollution levels the French government is offering car owners a bonus of between €1,000 and 2,000 if they trade in their old car for a new one. To qualify for the bonus you have to have an old petrol car from before 1997 or a diesel car from between 2001 and 2006. For anyone who buys an electric car the bonus will be up to €2,500.
Daily hospital charges rise
The amount patients must pay for staying in hospital (forfait hospitalier) will rise by 2 euros to 20 euros from January. This cost is normally covered by insurance (mutuelles).
Simplified payslips
Hoorah. Good news for workers in France who cannot understand their payslips. From now on companies will have to produce simplified versions. Although it's not quite clear how simple they will become.
Dentistry bills
From January 1st the amount you'll have to pay for an array of dentistry services will change.
The cost of false teeth and crowns will be steadily capped from next year although the amount reimbursed for a crown will drop in 2019.
But the costs of more regular treatment like a filling will go up from €41 to €67 in 2018.
On top of that the cost of dental surgeons performing check-ups on patients with severe mental or psychological disabilities, the sessions prices will change to €60 or €90 if it's necessary to use sedation.
Driving licences
Anyone who takes their driving test in France from now on will need to know basic first aid skills which will be taught by driving schools.
Photo: AFP
Back pain pills
Here's some not so great news for people who suffer from back pain.
Medicines generally used to treat back pain sufferers such as Coltramyl, Miorel, Myoplege will no longer be reimbursed from January 2nd 2018.
Funeral care
As of January 1st, people who have died of AIDS or viral hepatitis will be able to receive after death funeral care to help preserve the body.
However it will still be forbidden to preserve the bodies of people who died from other diseases including rabies, cholera and the plague.
Town Halls to set parking fees and fines
Motorists who do not pay for parking (or only pay in part) will be liable to pay a pay a "post-parking fee" from January 1st.
The amount will will vary from one municipality to another unlike today, with the fine is currently fixed at €17 for the whole of France.
Getting your driving license
Aspects of the practical exam for your driving licence are about to change. As well as the addition of technical and road safety elements, the exam will also include a test on the basic concepts of first aid.
Social housing
If you rent social housing and your resources exceed a certain amount you might want to be careful because from January 1st, the rules concerning your right to stay are changing.
And they're making it easier to kick tenants out, with a lowering on the limit someone can earn before they lose their right to live there and reducing the amount of time it takes to kick people out.
The new rules will also make it possible to terminate the tenant's lease in the absence of a response to the annual resources survey for two consecutive years when the dwelling is located in an area with a supply and demand issue.
Stamp prices
The price of stamps is set to increase by around 5 percent at the beginning of 2018.
So a green stamp will rise from 73 cents to 80 cents and red stamps (for priority letters) will rise from 0.85 cents to 0.95 cents.
Comments
See Also
Here are the main ones you need to know about.
Vaccinations:
The number of vaccinations that are compulsory for children rises from three to 11 in 2018.
Until now only three child vaccinations are obligatory by law in France: diphtheria, tetanus and polio.
But health minister Agnes Buzyn said this causes “a real public health problem”.
She has decided to extend the number of mandatory vaccinations to 11 to include immunizations against conditions such as measles, hepatitis B, meningitis C, rubella, mumps and whooping cough.
READ ALSO: France to make 11 vaccinations compulsory for children
Petrol and diesel price rises
Bad news for motorists as the price of petrol will rise by 7.6 cents per litre in France and the price of diesel by 3.84 cents.
Minimum wage rise
The minimum wage is set to go up in the new year but it's unlikely you'll notice the increase.
Even though the rise is an improvement on last year's -- 1.24 percent in 2018 compared to 0.93 percent at the beginning of 2017 -- it's not likely to greatly affect the lives of people who receive the minimum wage.
The hourly rate will rise by 12 cents from €9.76 to €9.88, which will equate to a rise of around €15 a month – enough for a burger avec frites.
The monthly minimum wage will be €1,498 for a regular 35-hour week.
Bonuses for trading in old cars
In a bid to tackle pollution levels the French government is offering car owners a bonus of between €1,000 and 2,000 if they trade in their old car for a new one. To qualify for the bonus you have to have an old petrol car from before 1997 or a diesel car from between 2001 and 2006. For anyone who buys an electric car the bonus will be up to €2,500.
Daily hospital charges rise
The amount patients must pay for staying in hospital (forfait hospitalier) will rise by 2 euros to 20 euros from January. This cost is normally covered by insurance (mutuelles).
Simplified payslips
Hoorah. Good news for workers in France who cannot understand their payslips. From now on companies will have to produce simplified versions. Although it's not quite clear how simple they will become.
Dentistry bills
From January 1st the amount you'll have to pay for an array of dentistry services will change.
The cost of false teeth and crowns will be steadily capped from next year although the amount reimbursed for a crown will drop in 2019.
But the costs of more regular treatment like a filling will go up from €41 to €67 in 2018.
On top of that the cost of dental surgeons performing check-ups on patients with severe mental or psychological disabilities, the sessions prices will change to €60 or €90 if it's necessary to use sedation.
Driving licences
Anyone who takes their driving test in France from now on will need to know basic first aid skills which will be taught by driving schools.
Photo: AFP
Back pain pills
Here's some not so great news for people who suffer from back pain.
Medicines generally used to treat back pain sufferers such as Coltramyl, Miorel, Myoplege will no longer be reimbursed from January 2nd 2018.
Funeral care
As of January 1st, people who have died of AIDS or viral hepatitis will be able to receive after death funeral care to help preserve the body.
However it will still be forbidden to preserve the bodies of people who died from other diseases including rabies, cholera and the plague.
Town Halls to set parking fees and fines
Motorists who do not pay for parking (or only pay in part) will be liable to pay a pay a "post-parking fee" from January 1st.
The amount will will vary from one municipality to another unlike today, with the fine is currently fixed at €17 for the whole of France.
Getting your driving license
Aspects of the practical exam for your driving licence are about to change. As well as the addition of technical and road safety elements, the exam will also include a test on the basic concepts of first aid.
Social housing
If you rent social housing and your resources exceed a certain amount you might want to be careful because from January 1st, the rules concerning your right to stay are changing.
And they're making it easier to kick tenants out, with a lowering on the limit someone can earn before they lose their right to live there and reducing the amount of time it takes to kick people out.
The new rules will also make it possible to terminate the tenant's lease in the absence of a response to the annual resources survey for two consecutive years when the dwelling is located in an area with a supply and demand issue.
Stamp prices
The price of stamps is set to increase by around 5 percent at the beginning of 2018.
So a green stamp will rise from 73 cents to 80 cents and red stamps (for priority letters) will rise from 0.85 cents to 0.95 cents.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.