France is a beautiful country, full of history, culture and entertainment. Many people wish to emigrate to France, either temporarily or for a long period of time or permanently. With a few simple and practical steps, as well as the right preparation, making a move to France will be easier than you think.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Moving to France for Work
Step 1. Contact the French Consulate or French Embassy in your area
You must submit an application document according to the type of visa you want. You should first browse the French Embassy website for some detailed information before making an appointment with embassy officials.
- Almost all countries have a French embassy that you can go to for information. If you live in a larger country like the United States, each region has its own embassy. For example, the French Embassy in Atlanta, Georgia includes residents from the following states: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
- If you are not a citizen of a member state of the European Union, the first step to moving to France is to apply for a tourist visa. This type of visa will allow you to stay in France for one full year.
- When your tourist visa expires, you will be allowed to apply for a one-year residence permit and renew it annually. After one year, you are required to pay income tax and must have a driver's license (Permis de conduire) if you want to drive a motor vehicle there.
- If you are a citizen of a member state of the European Union, you do not need a visa to move to France. Citizens of member states of the European Union have the right to live and work in any country that is part of the European Union.
Step 2. Submit your visa application form
If allowed, please send a complete application with all supporting documents to the nearest French Consulate in your city of residence by post. If you are not allowed to send files by post, you will have to make an appointment at the embassy and have to come in person.
- Documents required for visa application include one or more passport size photographs, visa application fee, complete and signed visa application form, proof of health insurance, proof of finance and other required supporting documents, as well as your original passport.
- Keep at least one copy of all the documents you have filled in regarding your move to France, as you may need them later for identification.
Step 3. Wait for your visa to be approved
The embassy will notify you when your visa is ready to be collected, or if you include a prepaid postal envelope, they will send it to your address.
Your visa will be an official sticker affixed to the passport sheet
Step 4. Look for job openings
When you arrive in France, you should have started work. This means that you should look for work before moving there, or look for work as soon as you arrive in France. Either way, you should include a curriculum vitae and a cover letter in French for your potential employer. These files must be adapted according to local standards, which may differ from those in your home country.
- Start browsing the internet for professional resume examples. It doesn't matter whether you're doing it yourself or using a professional, you can consider a variety of different examples online.
- If you don't speak French, you might consider seeking work as a tutor in your native language or as an au pair for a French family.
Method 2 of 4: Moving to France to Study
Step 1. Find a study program in France
One of the easiest ways to get a visa to France is through academic education. You can apply directly to an educational institution in France for a degree program, or look for a program affiliated with a university in your home country.
Most schools offer study abroad or student exchange programs, which send students to universities in France for one or two semesters
Step 2. Apply to study in France
Complete the process for submitting your education application. This means you must apply directly to an educational institution in France as a foreign student, or apply for a study abroad/student exchange program through an affiliated foreign university.
You may have to pay an application fee, write an application request essay, include official transcripts, and submit one or more letters of recommendation
Step 3. Apply for a visa
Contact the nearest French Embassy to submit your visa application. Students who have been accepted into French educational institutions are eligible for visas such as the Long Stay Visa for Students, which is required for students planning to stay in France for more than three months.
You must make an appointment with the nearest French embassy, submit your application and all required documents, and if your application is approved, wait for your visa to be completed
Method 3 of 4: Making Preparations Before Departure
Step 1. Start learning the language
If you're moving to France, it's a good idea to take the time to learn at least a little French. You should be able to speak French when renting property, looking for work, ordering food at restaurants, and in almost every aspect of your life in France. Learning the language is crucial.
- Try hiring a French tutor, taking language classes at university, using an online program like Rosetta Stone, or using a fun learning app like Duolingo.
- If you're moving to a major metropolitan area like Paris, there's a good chance you'll meet people who speak English on a regular basis. However, if you move to a rural area, you will have to speak French in order to live your daily life.
Step 2. Decide where you are going to move
The location you are moving to in France will probably depend on your job, or it may be on your own terms. If you could choose, think about where you'd like to go in France.
- If you want to live in a city that has great job opportunities and perhaps where it's easier for foreigners to mingle, consider Paris, Toulouse, or Lyon.
- If you want a feel for the old French countryside, consider moving to a more rural location with a smaller population.
Step 3. Find a place to live
You may wish to live in a fully furnished residence, or if you ship some items using a freight forwarder, you may prefer an empty residence. There are many accommodation options in France, so consider the one that's best for you.
- The Internet can be a reliable source of information for accommodation, especially sites that cater to people who have emigrated to France. Try searching on sites like SeLoger, PAP, or Lodgis.
- If you're looking for a traditional apartment in France, there are a few things to keep in mind. For example, if you don't have an income of three times the rental price of an apartment, you will need to have a guarantor (such as a co-signer to apply for a loan) who will be legally liable to make rent payments if you can't pay them. This guarantor is a person who has a job in France – so you can't offer your parents who live back home as guarantors – which can cause problems for people who have recently moved to another country.
- If you're planning to live in France for a while (for example, just a few months instead of years), you might consider renting a place like the one on the AirBnb site. find your own apartment when you arrive in France, get a guarantor, sign renters insurance, activate electronics in the house, buy furniture, etc.
Step 4. Book a flight ticket to France
Look up flight schedules on the Internet and try to find the airline with the best offer. Spend some time searching and considering all the options. You can also use the services of a travel agent if you are not sure about making your own booking.
- When booking flight tickets, consider things like transit times/stops and travel times. If you carry a lot of baggage, the more times the flight transits, the more likely it is that it won't arrive with you. If you bring your pet on board, you may have to pay a little more for a direct flight to save travel time.
- Keep in mind that round-trip airfare is almost always cheaper than a one-way ticket. So even if you don't plan to return to your home country, you may want to consider purchasing a return ticket.
Step 5. Send your goods to France
Send valuables that you can't take on board using a freight forwarder long before you fly. There are a variety of freight forwarding services you can choose from, but keep in mind that the French government has a policy of restricting the delivery of personal items.
- These restrictions may vary, but as of 2010, policies cover: firearms, ammunition, meat, dairy products, plants, narcotics, psychotropic substances, pets, drugs, precious metals, cash, counterfeit goods, and animals wild.
- If you wish to bring a family pet to France, you must ensure that your pet has received the latest vaccinations (especially rabies), has a certificate from a veterinarian stating that your pet is healthy (and has been stamped by your country's Customs and Excise officer).), and make sure the microchip is installed in the pet. France may have additional regulations to comply with specifically for pets imported from certain countries.
- Before shipping any items to France, we recommend that you check with the French Consulate again to ensure that you are up-to-date on restrictions on shipping goods.
Method 4 of 4: How to Adapt When Arriving in France
Step 1. Arrive in France
When traveling to France, you must pass through border and customs control officers to enter the country. These officers will definitely check your passport and visa. They also reserve the right to request other additional documents before you are allowed in.
- If you arrive in France with a previous visa, this may make your entry process easier as customs officials will not thoroughly check your documents (you are considered to have gone through a rigorous process at the Embassy).
- If your travel visa is obtained upon arrival, the staff may ask you several questions regarding the purpose of your trip, request proof that you will be leaving the country within a certain period of time, or ask you to present various documents. Therefore, you must prepare yourself for things like this.
Step 2. Apply for a residence permit
When you arrive in France, you will need to start applying for a resident identity card, even if your visa is still valid. To do this, you must send the OFII form (Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration) that you received with your visa to the French immigration office. Wait for further information. Then you will be asked to come personally to the office in your area to carry out a simple health check and complete your residence permit application.
- When this procedure is complete, you will receive a residence permit (carte de séjour) which will be valid for a year, regardless of the validity period of your visa.
- You may have to bring additional documents to the OFII office, but they will inform you in advance.
- You cannot submit OFII documents before arriving in France.
Step 3. Create a bank account
If you want to stay in France permanently, you should consider opening an account with a French institution. This will save you from large international transaction fees if you continue to use foreign bank accounts and cards even though you have settled in France.
- To open an account in France, you must bring your passport and proof of residency. This proof is in the form of a copy of the rental agreement or a certificate from the school if you study in France.
- You may have to wait a week or more for your bank card to arrive in the mail.
- Some of the common banks in France include LCL, BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Banque Populaire, and La Banque Postale.
Step 4. Enroll your children in a French school
If you live in France, you (and your child) are entitled to free education. You are required to register your child because the compulsory school age is 6 to 16 years.
- To register your child for the first time, you must contact the service des écoles at the nearest court (or what is called a mairie in French). They will help you find the nearest school in your area of residence.
- Consider enrolling your child in an international school, especially if they do not speak French. This will ease their transition in the new country. However, international schools usually cost a lot of money.
