Why the SIM card is the first real problem
You step off the plane, suitcase in hand, and before you've even found a place to sleep, you realize that without a French number, nothing moves forward. The bank asks for a number to validate account creation. The CAF asks for a number to send you the connection code. The apartment owner asks for a number to call you back. And of course, your Moroccan, Chinese, Senegalese, or Portuguese SIM is roaming at €0.30 per minute.
The problem: most French plans require a French RIB (bank account details) for direct debit. However, you don't have a French RIB yet — you need an open account, which itself requires proof of residence, which requires a lease, which requires... well, the classic vicious circle.
Fortunately, there are prepaid or no RIB plans that activate within 24 hours with just a passport. This guide compares the five major options in 2026: Lyca, Lebara, Free Mobile, Bouygues, and Prixtel. It is aimed at all newcomers — Chinese, Moroccans, Vietnamese, Senegalese, Portuguese, or others — and takes into account the languages spoken in the customer service of each operator.
1. Lycamobile: the Maghreb and African reflex
Lyca is the most visible prepaid operator in France, particularly in the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) and sub-Saharan (Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast) communities. You can find Lyca SIMs in almost every tobacco shop in Barbès, Belsunce in Marseille, or Saint-Denis, as well as in Portuguese grocery stores in Champigny.
Flagship plan 2026: €6.99/month, 200 GB in France + 12 GB in EU/Maghreb roaming, unlimited calls and SMS to France and 60 international destinations (including landlines in Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Portugal).
Activation: SIM purchased for €5 in a tobacco shop, then recharge online or at a tobacconist. No RIB required, no commitment. You pay in advance each month, by credit card (even foreign, Visa/Mastercard) or in cash via Cofinoga / Nickel terminals.
Documents: passport only. Registration is done on the site lycamobile.fr in 5 minutes.
Customer service: available in French, English, Arabic, Portuguese, and Romanian. It is one of the few operators to offer multilingual customer service.
Weakness: the network uses Bouygues antennas, so quality may vary outside major cities. In rural areas (countryside of the Massif Central, Cantal), expect delays.
2. Lebara: deeply rooted among Portuguese and South Asians
Lebara operates in the same space as Lyca, with a slightly different clientele: very established in the Portuguese diaspora (from the Portuguese neighborhood of Champigny to homes in the 19th), but also among Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, and Bangladeshis in La Chapelle / Gare du Nord. More recently, Lebara has opened up to the Vietnamese clientele in the 13th, who appreciate its rates to Southeast Asia.
Flagship plan 2026: €7.99/month, 220 GB in France + 16 GB EU roaming, unlimited calls to France + 50 countries including Portugal, India, Vietnam, Philippines, Senegal.
Activation: SIM €5, purchase at kiosks, tobacco shops, or ordered for free at home via lebara.fr within 48 hours. No RIB required, you pay by credit card or recharge in-store.
Documents: passport. If you want to activate online without visiting a store, they accept a scanned passport (no need for accommodation proof).
Customer service: multilingual — French, English, Portuguese, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish. Especially useful the first week when your French is still shaky.
Weakness: promotions like "first month at €1" that turn into full-price subscriptions in the second month — read the billing carefully. The network uses Bouygues like Lyca.
3. Free Mobile: the €2 plan that turns students' heads
Free Mobile invented the €2/month plan in 2012 — legendary among Chinese, Vietnamese, African students who only use their French number occasionally and prefer to stay on WhatsApp / WeChat / Zalo over Wi-Fi.
€2/month plan: 2 hours of calls + unlimited SMS + 50 MB of data. Yes, 50 MB, not 50 GB. At this price, it's just enough to receive verification SMS (bank, CAF, Doctolib) and make the occasional call. You get data over Wi-Fi at the university, library, or at home.
€19.99/month plan: 350 GB in France, 35 GB in EU/DOM/Switzerland/UK roaming, unlimited calls to 100 destinations (Morocco, China landline, Vietnam landline, Senegal landline, Portugal landline and mobile).
Activation: 100% online at free.fr, SIM delivery by La Poste in 3-5 working days. The catch: Free requires a French RIB or a French credit card to validate the subscription. Foreign cards: rejected. Solution: first open a Revolut or N26 account (15 minutes via app, IBAN FR issued immediately since 2024), then use this RIB for Free.
Student tip: the €2 plan is reserved for Freebox subscribers or customers already on another Free plan. Otherwise, the entry mobile plan is €9.99.
Customer service: French only. If your French is weak, plan to use online chat with a translator.
4. Bouygues / B&You: the mainstream that works everywhere
Bouygues Telecom (and its no-commitment brand B&You) is the "mainstream" operator: not the cheapest, but a solid network even in the countryside, and present in all Fnac and shops. Many established families (second-generation Moroccans, Portuguese settled for 20 years, Senegalese with stable jobs) remain loyal for network quality.
B&You plan 2026: €11.99/month, 130 GB in France, 25 GB EU roaming, unlimited calls. No commitment.
Activation: in-store with passport + RIB, or online. RIB required for direct debit.
Documents: passport + French RIB + proof of residence (bill, accommodation certificate with host's ID).
Customer service: French, English on some premium numbers. No customer service in Arabic / Chinese / Portuguese.
When to choose it: when you have been settled for a few months, have a stable bank account, and are looking for network quality rather than price.
5. Prixtel: the adjustable low-cost option
Prixtel is less known but clever: a tiered plan that automatically adjusts to your consumption. If you use 30 GB this month, you pay the 30 GB tier; the next month at 80 GB, you pay the 80 GB tier. No surprises, no out-of-bundle charges at €5/GB like some others.
Le Petit plan 2026: €4.99 to €9.99/month depending on tier (5 / 50 / 100 GB).
Documents: French RIB required. Passport accepted as ID.
Customer service: French only. Strong online community (forums, Reddit r/forfaits).
For whom? Profile of digital nomads or traveling students — we consume a lot in Paris, little during returns home. Prixtel adapts.
Quick comparison 2026
| Operator | Minimum Price | Data | RIB Required | Multilingual Customer Service | Activation Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lycamobile | €6.99 | 200 GB | No | FR/EN/AR/PT/RO | < 1 hour |
| Lebara | €7.99 | 220 GB | No | FR/EN/PT/HI/ES | < 1 hour |
| Free Mobile | €2.00 | 50 MB | Yes (FR) | FR | 3-5 days |
| Free Mobile | €19.99 | 350 GB | Yes (FR) | FR | 3-5 days |
| Bouygues B&You | €11.99 | 130 GB | Yes (FR) | FR/EN | < 1 hour in-store |
| Prixtel Le Petit | €4.99 | 5-100 GB | Yes (FR) | FR | 2-3 days |
Recommended strategy by profile
You arrive without any French bank account: Lyca or Lebara, purchased on day 1 in a tobacco shop. You will have a French number in less than an hour, and you can change later if you want.
You are a student and mainly use Wi-Fi: Free €2 after opening a Revolut account. Unbeatable combo.
You have a stable job and want network quality: Bouygues B&You or Free €19.99.
You want the maximum data for the minimum effort: Lyca €6.99, end of story.
On Pionra
On Pionra, the communities Chinese, Moroccan, Portuguese, and Senegalese exchange their operator promo codes and report scams (fake customer service by phone, fake Lyca SIMs sold for €20 at kiosks). You can also find independent community mobile shops in the telecom directory.
FAQ
Can I keep my foreign number alongside my French number?
Yes, with a dual SIM phone or an eSIM. Many smartphones since 2022 support a physical SIM + an eSIM. You keep your original WhatsApp number and activate the French number in parallel. Convenient for the first few weeks.
How long does it take to port my number from Lyca to Free?
With a RIO code (to be requested at 3179, free), the portability takes 3 working days. You keep the same number, and the old plan is automatically canceled. No risk of cutting the line for more than 4 hours.
Do Lyca / Lebara work in the provinces?
Yes, the network used is Bouygues, which covers 99% of French territory in 4G and 80% in 5G. There are still white zones in some villages in the Massif Central and Lubéron, but major cities (Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lille, Nantes, Strasbourg) are fully covered.
What to do if the Lyca SIM purchased at a tobacco shop does not activate?
First, check that you have properly registered the SIM on lycamobile.fr (mandatory step in France since 2017). Otherwise, call 3535 (free from Lyca) or write to multilingual support. As a last resort, return the SIM to the tobacco shop (most will refund within 7 days).
Free Mobile at €2: is it really €2 or is there a catch?
Really €2/month, but reserved for holders of a Freebox (fixed internet Free) at home. Without Freebox, the equivalent plan is €9.99. Many students in shared housing take advantage of the main leaseholder's Freebox to benefit from the €2 rate.