Taxes, bank holidays, Olympics: Key dates to note in April in France

April 1

Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques) falls on the first of the month. It is a public holiday in France.

Many changes affecting everyday life also come into force on this date, including rises in benefit payouts, changes to energy renovation schemes, car insurance stickers, medicine costs and more.

Read more: Changes in April in France for drivers, health patients and homeowners

Read more: Stay up-to-date: 14 recent or upcoming changes in France

April 1 is also April Fool's Day, known as poisson d’avril in France.

Read more: How does France’s April Fools’ Day differ from that in UK or US?

April 2

Energy vouchers (chèque énergie) will be sent out from this date.

They will arrive between April 2 and April 25, depending on which department you live in. You can find a map showing the timelines for each department here.

Between five and six million people are due to receive the new vouchers - however some households may need to manually apply this year.

Read more: New energy cheque in France: you may need to apply this year

The 2023 version of the vouchers must be used by March 31, however you have until the end of April to ask for a replacement if lost or damaged.

Read more: What can I do if I have lost my French energy voucher?

April 3

Students applying for university have until April 3 to list their course preferences on the Parcoursup website. Offers will begin to be given to potential students from May 30.

April 6

The first spring school holidays begin on this date. Regions are split into three school ‘zones’ – and Corsica follows its own schedule – to prevent overcrowding at popular holiday destinations during school breaks.

The holidays for each section are:

Zone A: April 13 to April 29

Zone B: April 20 to May 6

Zone C: April 6 to April 22

Corsica: April 27 to May 13

April 7

The Paris Marathon, the world’s biggest in terms of finishers after New York, is held this Sunday.

April 10

Aïd el-Fitr, Muslim celebration marking the end of the Ramadan fasting month.

April 11

The official website for declaring your 2023 income is expected to open.

Paper declaration forms are also sent out around this time. All French residents, and non-residents with French-sourced income, must make a declaration.

You can read more about this declaration in our 2024 Income Tax Guide (for 2023 income), which you can find here.

April 15

Obligatory roadworthiness tests for motorbikes, mopeds and licence-free cars begin from this date.

Compulsory testing will be staggered at first, then every three years. Older motorbikes and licence-free cars are first on the timeline, and must have a test before the end of 2024.

Read more: Start date set for motorbike roadworthiness tests in France

This is also the deadline for local councils to finalise property tax raises for the 2024 year.

April 16

The Olympic torch will be lit in Greece in preparation for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Frenchman Stéfanos Doúskos, the 2020 Olympic rowing champion, will be the first of 600 bearers to take it across Greece before it is brought to France by sea on May 8.

10,000 torch-bearers will then carry it across the country from Marseille, arriving in Paris on July 26 during the Opening Ceremony of the Games.

Read more: Paris 2024: Olympic flame’s route through France is revealed

April 30

Cameras inside AirBnb properties are banned from this date. Previously, internal cameras were allowed if they were clearly stated in the advertisement for the property.

Externally-facing cameras, such as on electronic doorbells, are not affected.

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