January
New Year’s Day
The first public holiday of the year takes place on the first day of 2026. It’s a pretty decent year for employees in France in terms of additional days off, with four days off in the month of May. However, two national public holidays in 2026 are lost to a weekend (Assomption on Saturday, August 15th and Toussaint on Sunday, November 1st).
Language tests
Starting on January 1st, France will bring in stricter language level requirements for people applying for certain types of multi-year residency cards, the 10-year carte de résident, and French citizenship.
Applicants for multi-year cards will need to show an A2 (upper beginner level), a B1 level for the 10-year carte de résident, and a B2 level for citizenship (both applications by residency and marriage).
READ MORE: GUIDE: The changes to the rules around French citizenship you need to know
Civics tests
In addition to language tests, France will also require foreigners requesting certain types of 'multi-year' residency cards, the 10-year carte de résident or French citizenship to pass a civics test.
There will be separate tests for each of these statuses: the carte de séjour pluriannuelle, the carte de résident, and naturalisation. However, there are several exemptions.
READ MORE: Explained: Who has to take France's new civics test?
Energy rating change
Starting in 2026, France will change a part of the formula for calculating the DPE (Diagnostic de Performance Energétique). The DPE is a rating that classifies a property on a scale of A to G, based on its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
From 2026, the value of the conversion factor for electricity will be lowered, bringing it into line with the rest of Europe. Basically, this means that homes heated by electricity will be rated as more efficient.
CT changes
The long-running Takata airbag safety alert has prompted new Contrôle Technique rules in France from January 1st, 2026. Any car still equipped with them will automatically be subject to a critical fault, and barred from use until repairs have been carried out and a reinspection completed.
READ ALSO Airbag safety alert prompts new Contrôle Technique rules in France in 2026
Marine Le Pen trial
The appeal hearing in the embezzlement case of French far-right leader Marine Le Pen will take place from January 12th to February 13th, 2026. Le Pen has already been convicted of embezzlement and, as part of her punishment, barred from standing for election for five years - if she manages to get the conviction overturned, it would mean she could be a candidate in the 2027 presidential election.
Electricity prices
Electricity prices in France may increase from January 1st, as France brings in new methods for calculating tariffs. The main change is that EDF (Électricité de France) had previously been required to sell a portion of its annual nuclear production at a significantly reduced price to comply with EU competition rules.
However, from January, EDF will have more power to sell its electricity at market prices. It remains to be seen exactly what impact this would have on consumers.
The 2026 census
France's census data collection is done between January and March. Smaller communities have the whole population counted, but on a rolling programme over five years, larger places get a count every year, but only eight percent of the population is surveyed.
This year, municipalities selected for the census with fewer than 10,000 inhabitants will be counted from January 15th to February 14th, while those with more than 10,000 inhabitants will be counted from January 15th to February 21st.
Winter sales
The winter sales begin across almost all of France on Wednesday, January 7th, and last until Tuesday, February 3rd. Except – as always – in the border departments of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, et Vosges – the sales begin on January 2nd and run to January 29th.
Ticket prices at French museums
Several French museums and monuments have announced plans to charge non-EU visitors higher entry fees starting in January 2026. So far, tourist attractions like the Arc de Triomphe, Château de Versailles, Château de Chambord, and the Opéra Garnier are reported to have plans to hike entry rates for non-EU foreigners.
For example, the Château de Chambord will increase entry prices from €19 to €29 for non-EU visitors, according to France régions. The information is not yet listed on the Chambord website.
French President Emmanuel Macron also mentioned plans to increase Louvre entry tickets for non-EU foreigners from January 2026.
Waste law
Starting in January 2026, the latest part of France's phased anti-waste law, the Loi relative à la lutte contre le gaspillage et à l'économie circulaire, will come into effect.
This will ban the practice of adding microplastics to cosmetic products, and follows a long list of measures that have been introduced since the law came into effect in 2021, including outlawing single-use plastics such as straws, coffee cups and takeaway containers and requiring supermarkets to drastically reduce plastic packaging.
New flights to and from France
Airlines like easyJet, Air France, Ryanair and Volotea have announced new flight schedules for 2026 full list here.
Road changes
Several urban areas across France ought to extend their bans on polluting vehicles in 2026, but the Crit'Air legislation has undergone many changes in recent years. The city of Montpellier has announced it would extend its existing Crit'Air rules to all communes in the urban area from July 2026.
READ MORE: Crit'Air: What fines could you face in France's low-emission zones?
On top of that, France will impose stricter rules for its 'malus' system, which determines the taxes on polluting vehicles, starting in January 2026. This means it might be more expensive to buy an older, second-hand car.
Brexit WARP card renewals
Many of the post-Brexit residency cards issued at the end of 2020 and the start of 2021 will come up to their renewal time in 2026.
READ MORE: How préfectures around France will deal with Brexit card renewals
February
Road tolls
As they do each year, prices are expected to increase for tolls on French autoroutes. In 2025, prices went up on average by 0.9 percent.
March
Municipal elections
From big cities to small towns, French citizens will vote for new municipal leadership on March 15th, followed by a second round of voting on March 22nd. Several cities, including Paris where current mayor Anne Hidalgo is standing down, are preparing for hard-fought battles, the year before the presidential election.
This year, there will be a few changes, such as the enforcement of gender parity rules in municipalities with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants.
Unlike presidential and parliamentary elections, where only French citizens can vote, citizens of any EU country can vote in municipal elections (this of course no longer includes Brits), and can also stand to be local councillors.
Other elections?
It's possible that the municipal elections won't be the only ones that happen in 2026.
Normally in France local, national and presidential elections happen on a fixed cycle. However because of the chaotic political system and the deadlocked parliament, it's possible that there will be fresh parliamentary elections (législatives) in 2026. The next presidential election is not scheduled until 2027 - there could theoretically be an early election if Emmanuel Macron resigns, but he has repeatedly ruled out doing this.
Trêve
The annual winter ‘truce’, when tenants cannot be evicted from their rented homes for non-payment of rent ends, as it does every year, on March 31st.
Berlin-Paris sleeper train
The recently-revived Paris to Berlin night train will be scrapped in December after SNCF withdrew funding. However a Belgian-Dutch co-operative has unveiled plans to relaunch the service, with trains due to restart on March 26th, 2026.
April
EES deadline
The EU's new Entry & Exit System - EES - officially came into effect in October 2025 (after many delays).
It will be gradually phased in until April 2026, at which point the EU expects countries to have it fully operational in all border points, whether they are land, air or sea crossings.
That said, there have been a number of delays, and it is possible that more could be on the horizon.
READ ALSO: EES calendar: The key dates when France will enforce new EU border checks✎
Taxes
France's online platform for income tax declarations in France opens in April, with tax declarations usually due in late May and early June.
Catacombs reopening
The Paris catacombs closed in November for a six-month renovation project. They are due to reopen to visitors sometime in the spring of 2026.
May
Public holidays
May has four of them. This year May Day (May 1st) and VE Day (May 8th) both fall on a Friday, while Ascension is on Thursday, May 14th and Pentecost Monday is on May 25th.
READ MORE: Reader question: Why does secular France have so many Catholic holidays?
June
Fête de la musique
Streets across France will be alive with the sound of it on the Fête de la musique on Sunday, June 21st.
Summer sales
France’s summer sales period runs from Wednesday, June 24th, until Tuesday, July 21st.
Property tax declaration
France, in 2023, introduced a new property tax declaration. In French, it's called déclaration d'occupation, also known as the déclaration de biens immobiliers.
The deadline is typically set to the last day of June. The declaration must be completed by anyone who owns residential property in France, whether or not they are French residents (meaning it includes foreign second-home owners).
However, this is not an annual task - if you filled out the declaration last year and nothing has changed, there is no need to do it again.
France's Cour des Comptes announced that 2026 property declaration forms will need to include the amount property owners charge for rent, if the property is rented out.
Salary equality
The EU adopted a directive in 2023 requiring greater pay transparency to reduce pay inequalities between men and women. This rule must be transposed into French law by June 7th, 2026.
July
Summer holidays
The summer holidays officially begin for all students in France on Saturday, July 4th – or, more accurately, for most pupils at the end of classes on Friday, July 3rd.
For those in Paris, it is likely that the city will bring back swimming in the Seine, in addition to the annual 'Paris Plage' festivities. Dates TBD.
Tour de France
The 21-day race will start from Barcelona on July 4th and cover 3,333 kilometres before finishing beneath the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on July 26th after three climbs of the cobbled rue Lepic in Montmartre.
August
Don't expect a whole lot to be happening, the country will largely be on holiday.
September
Rentrée
Pupils return for the new school year on Tuesday, September 1st. In France, ‘la rentrée’ is more than ‘back to school’, it’s also ‘back to work’ for many high-level government officials after their summer holidays.
Bayeux tapestry
The historic Bayeux tapestry is expected to go on display at the British Museum in London from September 2026 to July 2027. There are, however, significant concerns about whether the fragile 1,000-year-old embroidery can withstand the journey.
October
Property tax bills
If you own property, tax bills will start to arrive in October for the taxe foncière. If your property is a second home you will get a second bill, for taxe d'habitation, in November.
ETIAS introduction
The European Travel Authorisation and Information System (ETIAS) is due to be introduced in the final quarter of 2026. The exact date is still to be confirmed. ETIAS will also be rolled out in a phased introduction over six months.
READ MORE: Travel to France: Your questions answered about EES and ETIAS
November
Winter truce
The trêve hivernale starts on November 1st. During this time, landlords cannot evict tenants who are in rent arrears; likewise, utility companies cannot cut off gas or electricity.
Snow tyres
France's winter mountain law (Loi Montagne) applies to motorists driving in 34 of the country's 96 mainland départements.
Motorists driving on the roads affected by the Loi Montagne must have their vehicle fitted with either snow tyres, chains, 'snow socks' or all-weather tyres which meet the legal standard in France.
Stricter overdraft rules
Starting in November 2026, France will bring in new, stricter rules to regulate loans and overdrafts. The goal is to reduce 'over-indebtedness' (surendettement) and to improve consumer protection, as well as bring France in line with a European directive from 2023.
December
Grand Paris Express?
The Paris region's ambitious 'Grand Paris Express' Metro network expansion was expected to have the new Line 15 up and running by 'the end of 2026'. However, recent reporting suggests that this may be delayed until April 2027.
Christmas holidays
In 2026, Christmas will fall on a Friday. Happy holidays!
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