Wondering how to apply for CAF benefits in France? Our 2025 guide covers the full process for non-EU residents, eligibility, documents, and key tips.
CAF benefits for families
CAF housing benefits
Other types of CAF benefits
How to apply for CAF in France
FAQ – CAF benefits
CAF benefits for families
CAF offers at least five French social benefits for children. We’ll briefly cover all of them and highlight who is eligible for CAF in France in each case.
Note: When you see the income requirements, know that the data from two years ago is requested in most cases. For example, to calculate the benefit amount in 2026, you should share your 2024 earnings. But always check the requirements to verify.
Family allowance (AF)
The benefit amount depends on your income and ranges from 37.77 EUR to 151.05 EUR per month for the second child. The amount should be updated on the 31st March, 2026.
Eligibility: All parents with two children under 20 years old who legally reside in France for at least nine months.
The early childhood care allowance (Paje)
Consists of four special benefits:
1) Birth bonus
Paid once during the seventh month of pregnancy. Until the 31st March, 2026, the amount will be equal to 1,084.43 EUR.
Eligibility:
- Residing legally in France for at least nine months.
- Having declared the pregnancy within the first 14 weeks to the CAF and primary health insurance fund (Cpam).
- Earning less than the amount set by CAF.
2) Basic allowance (AB)
This benefit is paid starting from the month after the birth until the month before a child turns three (from the 1st month to 2 years 11th months). In the case of adoption, the payment period is 12 to 35 months, or until the child's 20th birthday.
The full rate allowance is 196.60 EUR as of the beginning of 2026.
Eligibility:
- Residing legally in France for at least nine months.
- Having a child younger than 3 years old or having adopted a child under 20 years old.
- Earning less than set limits.
3) The shared childcare benefit (PreParE)
The paid amount depends on your professional activity:
- Stopped working fully = 456.05 EUR
- 50%> of activity remained = 294.81 EUR
- 51-80% of activity remained = 170.07 EUR.
It’ll most likely be calculated based on your working hours.
Eligibility:
Residing legally in France for at least nine months.
Having a child under 3 years old or having adopted a child under 20 years old.
Not working or having reduced your activity.
Having worked for 2 years in the last 2 years (for the first child), 4 years (for the second child), and 5 years (for the third child).
Not receiving maternity/paternity/retirement/etc.
4) Supplement for free choice of childcare method (CMG)
This allowance is for those who hire a professional to look after their child. It partially covers salary, meals and social contributions. You can't receive CMG if you're already getting PreParE and vice versa.
The size of the benefit changes each month based on a caregiver's working hours and care-related expenses.
Eligibility:
- Residing legally in France for at least nine months.
- Working at least 1 hour in the month of your application, or being a beneficiary of unemployment benefits, the active solidarity income (RSA), the disabled adult allowance (AAH), the specific solidarity allowance (ASS), or being a student or signatory of a civic service contract.
- Using the help of a childminder/caregiver/micro-nursey.
Back-to-school allowance (ARS)
Paid once in August with an opportunity to reapply each year. It covers the school-related expenses and equals:
- 423.48 EUR for children aged 6-10 years old,
- 446.85 EUR for children aged 11 to 14 years old,
- 462.33 EUR for children aged 15 to 18 years old.
Eligibility:
- Legally staying in France for at least nine months.
- Having a child aged 6-18.
- Fitting the income requirements.
The family supplement (CF)
Paid monthly (294.91 EUR) from the youngest’s 3rd birthday until:
you have fewer than three dependent children; you start receiving the basic allowance or the shared child education benefit for the Paje for a new child.
Eligibility:
- Having three or more children between 3 and 21 years old.
- Legally staying in France for at least nine months.
The family support allowance (ASF)
If either or both parents are not supporting a child financially, you may be eligible for government support. The monthly benefit is 199.18 EUR per dependent child and 265.50 EUR per child taken in.
Eligibility:
- Legally staying in France for at least nine months.
- Living alone with a child.
- One or both parents don't pay child support or pay less than 199.18 EUR.
That's it for the main highlights. There are other types of support available: the Large Family Card, the Pass'colo, emergency aid, and others. Explore them all in detail on the official CAF website.
As an expat, you may also need to financially support people back home. If that's the case, join Profee to deliver money quickly, at beneficial rates and safely. Over 800,000 customers trust this online service, so it's worth trying.
CAF housing benefits
CAF can pay your rent, which sounds tempting for every expat in Europe. Students, families, elderly people and everyone else eligible can benefit from this opportunity. So, let’s find out more about the CAF housing allowance in France.
Personal housing allowance (APL)
Paid directly to your landlord or bank, this allowance is perfect for students and people with low incomes. Your status, rent price, place of residence, and other factors determine the amount to be paid.
Eligibility:
- Living in accommodation that meets health, safety and comfort standards.
- Residing legally in France.
- Staying in the same accommodation for at least eight months in a year.
- Not being related to the owner.
The full list can be accessed on the CAF special page.
If you don’t fit into the programme, try family housing allowance (ALF) or social housing allowance (ALS). Their principles are similar, just directed towards various groups of people.
Explore: How to rent an apartment in France.
Moving allowance
This type of CAF housing benefit is designed for families with at least three dependent children. You can receive up to 1,138.49 EUR based on your actual expenses. Plus, 94.87 EUR per additional child.
Eligibility:
- Having three dependent children.
- Moving houses after the 3rd month of pregnancy with your youngest child and before they turn 2 years old (the period ends on the last day of the month preceding the birthday.
- Being entitled to APL or ALF for the new accommodation.
Other types of CAF benefits
You thought we were finished? Nope, there are even more opportunities for you:
Personal: Apply for the activity bonus and minimum income.
Disabilities: Support for disabled children and adults, as well as elderly people.
Accidents: Health insurance, solidarity and integration.
It’s a gem for expats who still feel vulnerable in another country and need some support. If you have a stable and decent income, most of the programmes won’t be available, but we still recommend exploring the CAF website and their guide if you know French.
How to apply for CAF in France
The CAF application process in France is not complicated. The key challenge is to collect the required documents, but other than that, the steps are clear:
- Check if you can apply.
- Create an account on the caf.fr website.
- Run a simulation to verify whether you’re eligible or not. If yes, the CAF calculator will show the approximate allowance amount.
- Collect all the documents.
- Submit them online on the caf.fr website.
- Track the status of your application online.
The list of documents will vary depending on which allowance you’d like to receive. Create your own checklist and make sure to submit each piece.
More for expats in France:
FAQ – CAF benefits
What is CAF in France?
CAF stands for the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales. It's a public organisation which supports French and foreign long-term stay residents financially.
How much does CAF pay in France?
The amount of aid is calculated separately for each allowance and individual. Your income, relationship status and the number of children often determine it.
Do you have to pay back CAF?
If the benefit was paid wrongly, you may be requested to return it.
Do I need a French bank account for CAF?
Yes, you must open a French bank account.
Tips: Opening a bank account in France as a foreigner, all you need to know.
Are CAF benefits taxed?
In most cases, you don’t have to declare CAF benefits as your taxable income.
