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- Updated: 29/03/2022
Postal services : La Poste (postal services) and La Banque Postale (post bank)
La Poste is the French postal services.
La Banque Postale is the bank inside postal services buildings.
COLISSIMO is their express parcels.
RECOMMANDE is registered mail. Proof of receipt is “ACCUSE DE RECEPTION”.
The post office also offers mobile phone plans and Western Union services.
Postal services to Ukraine
As at 17/03/2022:
- Letters : Service is available to/from unoccupied zones in Ukrain. Delivery is slower than usual due to transport by trucks and cannot be guaranteed.
- Parcels: Service resumed to/from unoccupied zones in Ukrain. Service was suspended earlier. Delivery is slower than usual due to transport by trucks and cannot be guaranteed.
- Urgent Parcels (COLISSIMO): Service is suspended.
Banque Postale
Their banking services are known to be cheap and available everywhere (indicative prices):
- 15 EUR per year for a basic account
- 50 EUR per year for a debit card
- 24 EUR to receive a transfer from Ukraine
- 10 EUR + 0.1% (min 10 EUR) to send a transfer to Ukraine by internet,
- 10 EUR + 0.1% (min 16 EUR) to send a transfer to Ukraine by internet,
Western Union transfers
EUR can be transfered to Western Union points in Ukraine. Service to Russia and Belarus are suspended.
Money Exchange
They no longer exchange bank notes.
Other
The “ADA” Aid payment card: The card cannot be used to withdraw money (cash machines or counter). It cannot be used to send money via Western Union. It can only be used for payments. Same rules applies for other banks and stores.
Free Wifi and video calls
- In many cities or stores (e.g. McDonalds), you can use public Wifi without the need for a SIM card.
- If you are hosted by a family, the easiest is to ask them to let you use their wifi network.
- You can then do video call with :
Phone
You will need a french phone number to receive SMS messages from the Prefecture. One number for the family is needed.
Free subscription with FREE until 05/31/2022
Available in FREE stores.
“Forfait Solidarité Ukraine” : The Ukraine Solidarity Package is non-binding and includes from mainland France:
- Unlimited calls to landlines and mobiles in Ukraine.
- 4 hours of calls per month to mobiles and landlines in mainland France and Poland
- Unlimited SMS in mainland France and to Poland and Ukraine.
- Unlimited MMS in mainland France.
- 10 GB of mobile internet per month in mainland France in 4G/4G+ (reduced speed beyond).
Buying a SIM card with a prepaid plan
You can buy prepaid SIM cards at ORANGE or SFR stores or in some supermarkets. Lebara is another popular choice.
SFR
SFR has the prepaid plans "Pass SFR La Carte" .
Current offers :
The SIM card cost around 10 EUR.
For calls and SMS, you can buy refills, but only the 20 EUR refill has internet data.
Otherwise you can refill online or on the phone with their passes :
- “Pass internet mobile” (mobile internet pass) : 5GB internet data, 8 days limit : 10 EUR.
- “Pass Monde” (world pass) : 200 minutes, 4 GB internet data, 30 days limit : 20 EUR.
Orange
ORANGE has the prepaid plans "Mobicarte" .
Current offers:
Max (Internet and calls/SMS) : calls and SMS in France unlimited, 2 GB internet data, 1 month limit : 20 EUR
Internet mobile (mobile internet only):
- 1 GB, 1 week : 5 EUR
- 5 GB, 2 weeks : 10 EUR
- 15 GB, 1 month : 25 EUR
- 35 GB, 1 month : 40 EUR
Lebara
Lebara prepaid plans can be purchased online or in some supermarkets (e.g. Auchan). It uses the Orange network.
Current offers :
- At Auchan : Unlimited calls and SMS in France, 12 GB internet data, 30 day limit: 15 EUR
- Online : several plans. Their most popular is unlimited calls and SMS in France, 40 GB internet data, 30 day limit: 10 EUR
Buying a subscription
It is necessary to have a bank account with a bank account number (IBAN) first.
A popular bank account choice among ukranians is Revolut.
France has four main cell phone companies :
Some companies are virtual operators. The most distributed is La Poste Mobile distributed in all post offices.
Calls to Ukraine
- These conditions are temporary. SFR is until 11 april.
- Calls and SMS to Ukrain are free until 31 MARCH. It may be renewed.