How Do I Apply for CAF Housing Aid (APL) in France as a Foreigner?
You apply online at caf.fr as soon as you move in, after your lease starts. CAF pays housing aid — APL, ALF, or ALS — to eligible tenants, including foreigners with a valid residence permit, and rights open from the first day of the month following your application, paid on the 5th of each month. Apply late and the lost months are never paid back.
What "CAF" actually means
When expats say "CAF," they usually mean the housing aid the CAF pays, not the CAF itself. The Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) is the public body that manages family and housing benefits. The housing aid it pays comes in three forms:
- APL (aide personnalisée au logement): for dwellings whose landlord has a convention (agreement) with the State. Most subsidized housing (logement social / HLM) is conventionné, so this is the most common case.
- ALS (allocation de logement sociale): the fallback for dwellings that are not conventionné — this is what most private-market tenants end up with.
- ALF (allocation de logement familiale): for households with children or certain family situations.
You do not pick which one applies; you apply for "aide au logement" and the CAF determines which one fits your situation.
Are foreigners eligible?
Yes. France's official public-service guide states it plainly: you can receive APL even as a foreigner, provided you hold a valid residence permit (titre de séjour). The dwelling must be your main residence (résidence principale) in France, and it must meet minimum standards of decency and size.
One important change to know: since July 1, 2026, non-EU students on a student residence permit only keep housing-aid eligibility if they hold a needs-based scholarship (bourse sur critères sociaux, e.g., Crous), are engaged in professional activity, or hold an apprenticeship or professionalization contract. If you are a non-EU student with no scholarship and no job, check your eligibility on caf.fr's simulator before counting on this money.
The timing trap that costs newcomers the most money
This is the single most-repeated piece of advice on every expat forum in France, and the single most common way newcomers lose money: APL is not retroactive.
- Your rights open on the first day of the month following your application — not the month you signed your lease, not the month you moved in.
- The move-in month itself is never paid (the mois de carence).
- The first payment typically lands about two months after your request. France's official guide gives the example: move in October 15, rights open in November, first payment on December 5.
- For a complete file, average processing time is 4 to 8 weeks according to service-public.gouv.fr.
So if you move in October and only get around to applying in December, you have permanently lost November's aid. Apply the same month you move in — "apply on moving day, or as close to it as possible" is how the university housing portals phrase it.
The documents CAF will ask for
Apply online at caf.fr ("faire une demande de prestation" → housing aid). CAF will ask for:
- ID: passport or national ID, plus your valid residence permit (titre de séjour), or your validated VLS-TS visa.
- Proof of housing: your signed lease, or an attestation de loyer — a rent certificate filled in and signed by your landlord stating the rent, the dwelling's surface and energy rating (DPE).
- A RIB with a French IBAN: this is where payments go, and for most tenants the APL is paid directly to the landlord, who deducts it from your rent. CAF does not pay into foreign bank accounts — you need a French one. This is why newcomers often have to sort out a French bank account (and sometimes the droit au compte procedure) before anything else works.
- Income information: your household's income over the last 12 months. Resources are recalculated automatically every 3 months, so you do not need to redeclare quarterly yourself.
- Social security number if you already have one; if not, CAF creates your account with a provisional identifier.
The form takes about 30 minutes if everything is ready. At the end you receive your numéro d'allocataire (beneficiary number) — keep it; you will use it for every future exchange with the CAF.
Common mistakes that stall or sink a claim
- Applying before the lease starts. CAF uses the lease start date; file after it begins.
- Using a foreign IBAN. Payments must go to a French-IBAN account — and since most APL is paid directly to the landlord, get your RIB sorted early.
- Sharing a flat on one lease. Only the named tenant can claim; co-tenants (colocataires) need separate clauses naming each of them.
- Not declaring everyone in the household. The income ceilings and the benefit amount depend on household composition.
- Forgetting to report changes. A move, a rent change, a new job, a departure — undeclared changes create overpayments (trop-perçus) that CAF will demand back. Report changes online in your CAF account as they happen. If you move, you must submit a new application for the new address.
- Renting from a close relative. Parents, grandparents, children as landlords — no APL.
- Losing the residence permit. If your titre de séjour lapses, payments can be suspended.
What to do if nothing happens
Track your dossier in your online account: statuses move from en cours d'instruction to pièce manquante (missing document — act fast) to validé to payé. If the status has not moved in 6 to 8 weeks and you have not received a document request, follow up — the most common causes of a stall are a document that failed to upload properly or an incomplete landlord attestation. If your application is refused, you have 2 months from the refusal notice to challenge it.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Can I apply for CAF housing aid before I arrive in France?
A: No — you apply after your lease starts, because the lease start date is what CAF uses to open your rights. Prepare your documents before moving, then file as soon as you are installed.
Q: Do I need a French bank account to get APL?
A: Effectively yes. Payments go to a French-IBAN RIB, and for tenants the aid is usually paid directly to the landlord. Sort your bank account out early in your installation.
Q: Is the CAF simulator reliable?
A: It is the official estimator on caf.fr and gives a solid indication, but it is not a decision. Treat it as a stress test of your budget, not a promise, until the first payment arrives.
Q: I am a non-EU student without a scholarship. Can I still get housing aid?
A: Since July 1, 2026, only if you are engaged in professional activity or an apprenticeship/professionalization contract. Run the official simulator for your exact situation.
Q: My landlord refuses to fill in the attestation de loyer. What now?
A: CAF needs it (or the lease with the same information). Ask CAF directly what substitute documents they accept for your case, and keep a written record of the landlord's refusal.
Sources
- Service-Public (French official public service), Aide personnalisée au logement (APL): https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F12006?lang=en
- Service-Public (French official public service), Can a student receive housing support (APL, ALS, ALF)?: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1563?lang=en
- CAF, Student, you're moving into an accommodation (application steps): https://www.caf.fr/allocataires/caf-de-la-gironde/offre-de-service/logement/etudiant-tu-emmenages-dans-un-logement/student-you-re-moving-accommodation
- Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Housing benefits (acc&ss portal): https://access.ciup.fr/en/housing-benefits/