After your baby is born in France: what to do
The 5 days after the birth carry the only hard legal deadline in the whole process — the déclaration de naissance at the mairie. Everything else follows from the birth certificate it produces, so it is worth knowing that many maternity units have a registrar on site and will do it without you leaving the building. Checked 23 September 2026.
Declare the birth at the mairie (déclaration de naissance)
The birth is declared at the mairie of the place the baby was born. Many maternity units have a registrar on site and will do it for you — ask, because it is the easiest version of this. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this within 5 days of the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Get your carte Vitale, and check the baby is on it
The carte Vitale is what makes reimbursement automatic: it attests your registration and your rights, and it works anywhere in metropolitan France and the overseas departments and regions (Drom). Checked against ameli.fr on 23 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this between 7 days and 6 weeks after the birth. What this step involves · ameli.fr
Check the CAF knows the baby has arrived
The CAF asks you to declare the birth yourself, and promptly: that is what opens your entitlements — the PAJE basic allowance, the childcare supplement, family allowances. Do it from your CAF account rather than assuming the mairie has passed it on. Checked against caf.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this between 7 days and 8 weeks after the birth. What this step involves · caf.fr
Partner's leave (congé paternité et d'accueil de l'enfant)
3 days of birth leave from the employer, then 25 calendar days of paternity leave — 28 in all for a single birth, and more for multiples. The first part is compulsory: the 3 days of birth leave, plus 4 calendar days of paternity leave straight after them. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Applies to people who have a partner going through it with them and are employed (salarié). Paperbump schedules this within 6 months of the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
Claim help with childcare costs (CMG)
The complément de libre choix du mode de garde is the CAF's contribution to what childcare costs you, whether that is an assistante maternelle, a micro-crèche or care at home. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
Paperbump schedules this between 4 weeks and 6 months after the birth. What this step involves · service-public.gouv.fr
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