A Comprehensive Guide on Moving to France

Jump right in:

• Visa types & work permit requirements
• Finding housing in France
• Relocating your household goods & pets
• Working & finding a job in France
• Opening a bank account & managing your taxes
• Health Insurance & the healthcare system in France
• Education & international schools in France
• Cost of living & helpful facts about life in France

Whether you're heading there for work, going freelance, launching a startup, or relocating with your family, understanding French visa and residence rules is your most important first step.    If you're an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen you can work in France without any permit at all. For everyone else, a work permit is generally required, regardless of how long your contract is. This guide will touch on some of the different work permits and visas that are most applicable for professional workers.

Self-employed workers are issued a long-stay visa labeled "entrepreneur/profession libérale", which is valid for one year and renewable. This visa must be validated within 15 days of your arrival into France.

Any non-Europeans wishing to settle in France must sign the CIR or Contrat d’Intégration Républicaine. One time formal step that happens before you receive any residence permit. During a short interview at the OFII office, your language level, professional background, and social needs are assessed. This is a mutual contract to ensure the best possible integration of foreigners into French society.

In relation to the permanent residency permit, the CR is also available for spouses of French citizens or parents of a French-born child. It allows family members to work, is valid for 10 years, and renewable.

Read our complete guide about visa and work permit processes in France

If you decided not to move your household goods with you, it is possible to find furnished houses and apartments for rent in France.

Unfurnished places provide greater legal protection and a longer minimum lease, typically three years.

You will also learn from this section about the average rent across the country and how to organize your utilities. There are also plenty of tips and tricks for how to rent in bigger cities, such as Paris, where it can take many months to find your new home. This means booking a short-term rental before you make the move is a good idea, so you have time to find your ideal property.

You should also read this guide to learn how to buy a house France as a foreigner, including a look at the average housing prices across the country. May to July is the best time of year for house hunting in France as many real estate agents are on vacation in August. September to October is not a good time to look for a place in a university town, and the French housing market is also particularly slow around the Christmas season.

Read our complete guide on housing in France

We provide essential information and stress the importance of having the right paperwork, when it comes to dealing eith the customs. For instance, EU citizens will be able to pass customs duty-free as long as you can provide detailed records proving you have paid VAT on the items you are transporting. If you are moving to France from outside the EU, you should expect to pay VAT and duty tax on all items. This process will require authorization before arrival and can take up to a month so be sure to give yourself plenty of time to take care of this before your move.

Additionally, we cover everything you need to prepare for your pet to move with you, including you have proof of their current rabies vaccination and that they are microchipped. You may also need to provide a pet passport or a non-commercial EU health certificate from a vet, and you should be aware that regulations regarding pet immigration change depending on which country you are coming from and what type of animal you are bringing with you.

Staffordshire terriers, Pitbulls, Mastiffs, and Tosas without a pedigree are banned in France.

This section also covers important information relating to the vaccinations required to enter France. Depending on the country you are arriving from, you may need to have specific vaccinations. Be sure to consult a medical professional well in advance to ensure that you are up to date with Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Yellow Fever, and Rabies. Some of these may need to be administered in multiple doses or within a particular timeframe, so make sure you know what you will need well in advance.

Read our complete guide on relocating to France

Finding work in France can be a challenge if you are not prepared, but our guide ensures you have all the necessary information on how to get a job here. For example, when you apply for a job, it is a good idea to send a translation of your CV in French. Once employed, you can look forward to France’s social security benefits, which are among the highest in the EU.

In this section, you can also learn about French business culture, which tends to be formal and conservative with an emphasis on hierarchy. If you are more interested in self-employment in France, we also cover how to set up a micro-enterprise to make sure that your income is recognized by the state, including registering at the social security office to get your tax ID number.

Read our complete guide on jobs in France

Opening a bank account in France can be relatively easy thanks to the popularity of online-only banks and international banks. A non-resident bank account in France is available for expats who do not have residency, while expats with residency will have a broader range of banking options available to them.

If you are under 26, the best bank account to open is a no-fee account which is sometimes available in some branches.

Most expats in France are required to pay income tax. Our Banks and Taxes section can help you master the ins and outs of France’s banking and tax system.

Read our complete guide on banking & taxes in France

This section of our guide explains the healthcare system in France. It is important to understand as all legal residents and non-residents are eligible to join, regardless of employment status. However, it may take several months to meet the residency requirements to benefit from public healthcare, so plan to purchase private health insurance in France to cover this gap. Once you are part of the French healthcare system, you will also be eligible for a European Health Insurance Card that reduces hospital costs across the European Union.

You will learn that both the state and the individual pay for the French healthcare system. Importantly, this section also covers how to find a doctor in France and giving birth in the country. Did you know that all medical costs during pregnancy are covered in France? New moms are also guaranteed a minimum of eight weeks of maternity leave.

Read our complete guide on insurance & healthcare in France

This overview outlines the key facts—from how the school system works to what options are available for expat families. Education is compulsory from age 3 to 16, and families can choose between public, private, and international schools.

Public schools are state-funded and generally offer a good quality of education, but classes are taught in French, which can be a challenge for non-French-speaking children. Private schools include both secular and religious institutions, while international schools—mainly in major cities like Paris, Lyon, and Marseille—offer foreign curricula and instruction in English or other languages, often with higher tuition fees. French universities are well-respected and increasingly offer programs in English, particularly at the master’s level. The guide will explain the structure, costs, and enrollment process in more detail.

Read our complete guide on education & international schools in France

This guide walks you through everything an expat needs to know budgeting for rent, food, healthcare, and education, alongside practical information on culture, social etiquette, driving, and public transportation to help you settle in with confidence.

Costs vary significantly depending on where you choose to settle. Careful budgeting and choosing the right region can make living in France very manageable. As a general rule, budget at least 30% of your monthly income for rent. Furthermore, if you decide to drive in France, although it is not necessary in bigger cities, you can use a valid foreign license for up to one year after establishing residency. After that, you must exchange it for a French license. 

If you prefer not to drive and avoid heavy traffic, France’s public transportation system is a great alternative. For example, in Paris, the metro runs every 3–5 minutes and covers virtually every neighborhood. 

Read our complete guide about life in France