14 recent and upcoming changes in France you may have missed in September
Including latest on Mont Blanc tunnel closure and changes to ch猫que 茅nergie
Clockwise from top left: La Poste pauses deliveries to the US, French bank cards declined abroad, the reopening of the Mont Blanc tunnel and this year's reforms in French schoolsBearFotos / Antonin Albert / MC MEDIASTUDIO/ Victoria 1 / Shutterstock
In changes to the brevet des coll猫ges, final exams will now count for 60% of the final grade, up from 50% and continuous assessment 40%, down from 50%.
Passing the brevet will no longer be mandatory for access to 濒测肠茅别.
Pupils in their first year of general and technological bacs will face an early mathematics exam, alongside French.
Results will be used in applications on the - the system that manages higher education applications.
The EVARS programme (茅ducation 脿 la vie affective, relationnelle et sexuelle) will cover all levels, teaching pupils about self-awareness, consent, emotions and gender identity. Lessons aim to prevent sexist and sexual violence.
Concerning mobile phones, the portable en pause policy will be extended to all coll猫ges, prohibiting phones during school hours. Lyc茅es may implement similar measures.
All pupils in 蝉颈虫颈猫尘别 will undergo tests in endurance, strength and speed during physical education classes.
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From 肠颈苍辩耻颈猫尘别 (age 12-13) onwards, pupils will receive four half-day sessions per year dedicated to career guidance.
Mont Blanc tunnel closed
The Mont Blanc tunnel between France and Italy has closed for 15 weeks for renovations and repairs, requiring drivers to take alternative routes through the mountain.
Homeowners will therefore see only modest increases, reflecting the nationwide 1.7% rise based on 2024 inflation.
Of the 34,797 communes, 12.6% opted for additional increases, mostly small communes with fewer than 3,500 residents, while no major city increased rates beyond inflation. Only 1.1% of communes reduced rates to partially or fully offset the national rise.
The rules, in force since August 7 as part of the wider 'Trump tariffs', remove exemptions on low-value imports from the EU.
Previously, parcels valued under $800 were duty-free, but now all items may be subject to at least 15% duties.
La Poste said the abrupt notice left no time to adapt its systems.
While it is working with US authorities and postal federations on solutions, no restart date has been given.
Only parcels classed as gifts between individuals and worth under 鈧�100 are exempt, while Chronopost continues operations due to its more flexible pricing model.
The value of the voucher remains unchanged, up to 鈧�277 depending on household income, and its primary use is still to offset household energy costs.
Recipients can now access an electronic version (e-Ch猫que 茅nergie) via their personal account on the official voucher website using their tax number and password.
The e-voucher provides a code to deduct directly from gas or electricity bills and can be divided across multiple payments.
Unused 2024 vouchers can also be converted into the digital format.
Eligibility calculations have also been refined after more than one million eligible households were missed last year due to changes in the taxe d鈥檋abitation system.
This year, authorities will cross-reference data directly with energy suppliers to improve accuracy.
Vouchers can no longer be used for eco-renovations.
Under the voluntary programme, doctors worked up to two days per month in 151 priority zones, mostly rural, and received a flat fee of 鈧�200 per day in addition to standard consultation fees.
Patients in these areas were able to book appointments through a dedicated tool, and no extra charges beyond the usual consultation fees applied.
Health Minister Yannick Neuder said the scheme was the first of several measures to tackle medical deserts.
New TV channel
A national free-to-air television channel, NOVO19, has launched on channel 19 of France鈥檚 TNT digital network.
It is the first national TNT channel created and managed outside Paris, with its main news studio in Rennes.
Operated by regional press group Ouest-France, it is also available via major internet operator boxes including Orange, SFR, Bouygues, and Free.
The new channel 19 arrives following the departure of C8 and NRJ12 and the arrival of T18 earlier this year as part of a broader reshuffle of France鈥檚 digital terrestrial television.
Programming mixes national and international news with regional perspectives, alongside documentaries, magazine shows, and films.
The channel鈥檚 name combines its TNT number 19 with nous and vous, reflecting its espoused ethos of a viewer-focused approach.
Payments may also be blocked if they do not fit a customer鈥檚 usual spending pattern, involve repeated rapid transactions, or request unusually high sums.
While the UK is not affected due to its membership of the Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA), destinations such as the US, Canada, or Australia are more problematic.
To avoid disruptions, banks recommend informing them of travel plans before departure via smartphone apps, online banking platforms, or in-person appointments.
Travellers should specify dates and destinations, and request authorisation for international transactions.
Some banks allow non-SEPA payments through digital authorisation, but advance notice remains best practice.
Customers may also wish to temporarily increase daily limits for ATM withdrawals and card payments, as well as overall rolling limits, to cover larger purchases.
If a card is blocked while abroad, it can often be reactivated by contacting customer service.
Assurance Maladie scam
An alert has been raised about a sophisticated scam letter falsely claiming to be from the social security service, Assurance Maladie.
The letter informs recipients that their Ameli account and carte Vitale are at risk of suspension unless they 鈥渁uthenticate鈥� their account within 72 hours by scanning a QR code.
The letter is designed to appear authentic, even warning against other scams.
However, key details reveal its illegitimacy: it is not addressed to a specific person, lacks personal information such as the recipient鈥檚 social security number, and threatens account suspension 鈥� something official authorities do not do.
The Assurance Maladie confirms the letter is fraudulent and urges recipients to verify any suspicious communication via their website, phone, email, or in person.
Judges can now order a separate mediation step in divorce cases to help couples reach agreements on disputes such as alimony or access to children.
Mediators can only suggest solutions 鈥� final decisions remain with the judge 鈥� but the presence of agreements is expected to speed up court proceedings.
Mediators must be paid after an initial free consultation.
Fees are estimated to range from 鈧�600 to 鈧�1,500. Approved mediators are attached to all appeal courts.
Although the upfront cost increases, couples may save money in the long run, as cases that previously lasted years could be resolved more quickly.
Traffic fines to be digitalised
Traffic fines are set to go digital under government proposals, allowing drivers to receive, pay, and/or contest penalties through a secure online platform.
The plans were confirmed by the Public Accounts Ministry and reflect a wider push towards cutting paper waste.
While there is no confirmation that this will fully replace paper fines, the ministry said the DGFiP (central tax authority) is carrying out a review "aiming to offer users a secure space dedicated to fines".
It aims to ensure fines are sent to a person's current address.
While all residents should make an annual tax declaration, in which they confirm their address, some people forget to promptly notify a change of address to the vehicle registration authorities, the records of which inform current fine destinations.
If the fine is sent to the wrong address, recipients may receive it late, thus missing a chance to pay at a lower rate.
Criminals are now inserting these genuine IBANs into fraudulent emails to make them appear authentic.
The fake emails, styled with Free鈥檚 branding, often urge clients to 鈥渧erify their bank details鈥� quickly, citing supposed new European regulations.
Free customers are advised to remain vigilant: suspicious messages should be deleted without replying or clicking on links.
Clients affected by the 2024 leak should already have been notified by email.
Air France rolls out WiFi
Passengers on several Air France flights can now use WiFi when in the air due to an agreement between the airline and Elon Musk鈥檚 Starlink satellite internet service.
So far five planes have been equipped, with the airline aiming to have 30% of its fleet set up by the end of 2025.
All planes should have the technology in place by the end of next year.
The service will be free, but require users to sign up to the Flying Blue membership programme (the basic level comes with no charge).
The measures involved spraying insecticide in the affected areas.
There have been more than 300 native cases of tropical mosquito-borne diseases in France generally this summer, according to Public Health France, the highest number on record.
Some 301 cases of chikungunya were recorded, alongside 19 cases of dengue fever.
The 2025 total is significantly higher than in 2024, when 127 native cases were recorded.
