Getting a French number and tips for tackling spam calls

Getting a French number

France has some of the lowest phone contract charges in the world, driven largely by the arrival of Free Mobile on the market in 2012 with bold, no-contract offers at sub-€20/month prices. Its success sparked a rush by telecoms operators Orange, SFR and Bouygues to introduce similar low-cost spin-offs to compete with Sosh, Red and B&You.

Many other operators make up what are called Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) including La Poste Mobile, NRJ Mobile, and Auchan Telecom among others. These lease capacity from the networks of big operators to offer competitively priced no-contract deals with SIM-only plans and no ID-heavy sign-up. 

Most still use physical SIMs, though eSIMs are available from some tech-savvy providers. Several MVNOs (Lebara Mobile and Lycamobile among them) specifically target expats and international users by offering low-cost calls and affordable roaming alongside English-speaking customer support, though may not offer premium services such as integration with smart devices.

To access SIM-only deals you need a factory-unlocked phone – if you are bringing your device from the US, make sure it is unlocked and compatible with the GSM networks used in France (most modern phones will be). SIM-only deals are mostly sold through tabacs or supermarkets, or you can buy them online.

Whichever option you choose, you can keep your number when you switch to a contract or different operator (the process is called ‘portabilité du numéro’), but make sure they are aware you want to do this.

Network coverage in France

Telecoms regulator Arcep’s map of network coverage – clickable here – shows what is available, though the body has urged telecoms companies to reflect more accurately the reality of their quality of coverage.

Arcep says ‘very good’ (the top quality level) 4G coverage in August 2025 stood at 94% for Bouygues, 91% for Orange, 86% for SFR, and 77% for Free.

All operators have 100% 3G and 2G coverage, while 5G is mostly available in urban and mid-sized cities.

UFC-Que Choisir has long highlighted disparities in speed within coverage brackets and geographical areas – be aware that some carriers rely on roaming agreements with other networks in areas where they may lack coverage, which can lead to difficulties with bandwidth-heavy tasks such as streaming.

Where UFC-Que Choisir previously had the now-defunct Queldébit app as an independent and operator-neutral means of measuring mobile internet quality, there are now other apps available which draw on a range of sources including user experience and crowdsourced coverage maps, including the nPerf, 5GMark, and OpenSignal among others.

Can I still use my US number?

If you are bringing your device from the US and want to continue using your US number, know that most major US carriers will offer international roaming deals to enable you to do so, though you may want to check network coverage for the reciprocal carrier in France.

Dependent on your phone model, it may be possible to have a French number on a SIM-only deal (whether a physical SIM card or an eSIM) operating from the same device. Many of the latest smartphones now support multiple eSIMs, with options as to how many you can store and use simultaneously.

‘Ping call’ scams and surcharged numbers

Phone scams are just as common in France as elsewhere and ‘ping calls’ – where the phone rings once then stops, or text messages ask you to call a certain number, which is most often a high-cost call – can cause concern.

Two ways to tackle the issue have been set up, with a telecoms industry alert centre for users to signal the number; and by the industry regulator limiting tariffs for surcharged numbers with simplified costs.

Anyone who receives a ‘ping call’ inciting them to call a 10-figure number starting 08, a six-figure number starting 118, or a four-figure number starting with 3 or 10, can send a text with the word ‘spamvocal’ and the number to 33700, to the industry alert centre, or note the details on 33700.fr. 

Telecoms regulator Arcep has made all calls to 0800 numbers free but its color code system makes it easier to understand costs on special 08 or 3 numbers, as it separates out the cost of the call and the cost of the service. Here are the color codes:

GREEN (numéros verts) – for free calls to free services (from both landlines and cell phones, on any contract) on numbers starting 0800 up to 0805.

GRAY (numéros gris) – for calls where the ‘service’ is free and the call charged at landline tariff – for numbers starting 0806, 0807, 0808 and 0809.

PURPLE (numéros violets) – for paid-for services to numbers starting 081, 082, 089 where the call is charged at landline rate while the caller is told the cost of the ‘service’ if they continue the call. Phone operators can charge for the cost of the call or the duration, not both. Charges per call should not exceed €3 and those by duration should not be at more than €0.80/min (except for directory service numbers starting 118).

To find the cost of a special number, you can type it into the site to get more details.

Connexion Tips

France has a national number – 33700 – to help tackle spam calls, messages and SMS to your cell phone. if you receive a spam SMS you can forward it to this number. You will get a response text asking for the number that the SMS came from. It costs the same as a normal text message.

If you receive an unwanted message, usually asking you to call a premium rate number, you can notify authorities via SMS, again to 33700. This time send the message ‘spamvocal’ followed by the number that left the message eg. spamvocal 0899123456.