How to live in France as an expat: your moving guide

gparastatis

Sep 18

14 min read

A British citizen entering France without a visa is limited to 90 days in any 180-day period. Beyond that, the choice of long-stay visa, made before departure at the French consulate, determines application, renewal, and any later claim to longer-term residency.

Visa routes for living in France

British citizens may enter France without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. If you intend to stay longer, you must identify the appropriate long-stay visa before moving; that choice affects your residence permit application, renewal paperwork and eventual route towards longer-term residency.

Choosing the right visa route

The VLS-TS, the Type D long-stay visa, and the VLS-T are three ways to reside in France beyond 90 days, and choosing between them before departure is not a formality: the wrong category affects every later application. The VLS-TS is the only visa in this category that can be validated without a trip to the préfecture; the validation step is what turns it into a residence permit for the first year.

VLS-TS (long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit) This route covers workers under contract, students enrolled at French institutions, spouses of French citizens and Talent card holders. It is valid for up to one year and must be validated online through ANEF within three months of arrival.
Type D long-stay visa This is required where the VLS-TS does not apply. Depending on the wording of the visa, you may have to apply for a separate residence permit at the préfecture within two months of arrival. The visa document states which procedure applies.
VLS-T (temporary long-stay visa) This is intended for applicants who are certain they will leave France when the authorised period ends. It does not provide a route to renewal or conversion into a longer-term status.
Visiteur route This route is for people who do not intend to work in France and can show sufficient income from outside France. The stated minimum gross monthly income is €1,766.92, and comprehensive insurance covering hospitalisation and medical repatriation must remain in force throughout the visa period.

What the consulate checks is not only the presence of these documents but their consistency with the category you have selected. Using paperwork prepared for one category in an application for another can cause delay and, in some cases, require the process to be restarted from the country of application. In practice, the rejection comes not from missing documents but from presenting a strong file built for the wrong status.

Visa type	Who it covers	Duration	Key post-arrival step
VLS-TS	Workers, students, spouses of French nationals, Talent card holders	Up to 1 year	Validate online via ANEF within 3 months
Type D long-stay	Other long-stay applicants not covered by VLS-TS	Varies	Apply for residence permit at préfecture within 2 months
VLS-T (temporary)	Those certain not to extend their stay	Visa duration only	No renewal or conversion permitted
Visiteur	Non-working residents with sufficient non-French income	Up to 1 year	Show proof of resources (min. €1,766.92/month gross)
Talent Passport	Highly qualified professionals, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs, performers	Up to 4 years	Multi-year permit; family members may apply separately

Requirements before moving from the UK

Since Brexit, British nationals no longer benefit from freedom of movement within the EU. France therefore treats UK passport holders as third-country nationals for immigration purposes. If you are deciding how to live in France as an expat from the UK, the practical consequence is clear: you must apply for a long-stay visa at the French consulate in the UK before departure, not after arriving in France. Processing times vary according to the category and the season.

Comprehensive healthcare insurance covering hospitalisation and medical repatriation is ordinarily required for a long-stay visa and must remain valid throughout the visa period. You will also need a British passport with at least six months'validity beyond the intended stay, evidence of accommodation in France and financial documents showing resources appropriate to the chosen route.

The distinction that matters is not between working and not working; it is between a visa that can be converted into a renewable status and one that cannot. The Visiteur route preserves the right to remain but not the right to work or to convert easily into a salaried status.

The French administration will ask for the same items repeatedly: passport, visa, insurance certificate, accommodation evidence, financial records. Keep them in one file from the day of departure, because each renewal application requires proof of continuous and lawful residence, not just current status.

Residence formalities after arrival

A French long-stay visa does not complete the immigration process. It starts it. The steps taken in the weeks after arrival determine whether your status remains regular, whether you may travel within the Schengen Area, and whether your qualifying period of residence continues towards long-term status. The applicable deadlines are set by regulation and are not extended simply because an applicant asks.

Validating a long-stay visa

For an American expat living in France, the procedure is the same as for any non-EU national holding a VLS-TS: you must validate the visa through the ANEF online portal within three months of arrival, before travelling outside France or making an application at the préfecture. An unvalidated VLS-TS may be treated as though it had not been used, leaving your séjour irregular.

ANEF portal validation The application is completed online using the information shown on the visa, your date of entry into France, your French residential address, and payment of the relevant tax by bank card or electronic stamp purchased from a tobacconist.
Préfecture application (Type D visa) If the visa states that you must apply for a residence permit, you must attend the préfecture for your place of residence, or the police préfecture if you live in Paris, within two months of arrival.
Schengen travel rights During its validity, a French long-stay visa also operates as a Schengen visa. It permits travel in other Schengen states for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, provided the applicable conditions are satisfied.
Séjour documentation Once validation or préfecture registration has taken place, you hold evidence of a regular titre de séjour. This document proves lawful residence to employers, landlords and public services throughout France.

Validation requires a payment card linked to a bank account that can process online transactions, or an electronic stamp, known as a timbre fiscal, bought from an authorised tobacconist. The tax varies according to the permit category. It must be paid during the online application; you cannot defer it or pay it later at a public office.

Where the visa requires an application for a residence permit at the préfecture, the two-month period runs from your first entry into France, not from the date on which the visa becomes valid. Missing it may affect the regularity of your stay and complicate a later renewal. Keep dated proof of arrival, such as a boarding pass, passport stamp, ferry ticket or Eurostar ticket. The record establishes the start of the two-month period and prevents a challenge to the timing of the application.

Renewing your residency status

For an expat seeking to understand how to live in France as an expat without a lapse in lawful status, the renewal application must be prepared before the existing permit expires. French administrative offices usually require an appointment, and a busy préfecture may take several months to process an application. A renewal filed while the current permit remains valid will generally protect the holder’s position during the interim, but the precise effect must be checked for the relevant category.

The permit sought on renewal must reflect your actual circumstances. If you have moved from salaried employment to self-employment, for example, you should apply for the appropriate entrepreneur or profession libérale permit rather than renew a salarié permit. Documents that no longer match your employment, income or accommodation are a frequent reason for refusal. Your bank records, employment evidence and proof of where you live should tell the same factual story.

Paths to long-term residence

EU long-term resident status may be granted after at least five years of lawful and continuous residence in France. The requirements include stable financial resources at least equivalent to the full-time monthly gross minimum wage, comprehensive health coverage, suitable accommodation and a signed Contrat d'Intégration Républicaine. Adequate knowledge of French is also required and is assessed before a multi-year or resident card is issued.

A ten-year resident card, the carte de résident, may be available to applicants who have completed the qualifying period and satisfy the integration and resource requirements. The EU long-term residence permit is renewable and gives access to employment and vocational training across the Union on equal terms with French nationals.

An application for the carte de résident longue durée–UE also requires evidence of integration into French life: language ability, civic knowledge and, in some cases, completion of integration training. Insufficient evidence of language ability is a stated ground for refusal. Preparation should therefore begin when you move to France, rather than at the five-year point. Keep your passport, visa, residence documents and tax records together, because the application depends on a coherent history of lawful living in France.

Work and family life in France

Permission to reside in France does not automatically give you the right to work there. Employment and self-employment follow separate authorisation routes, with different procedures, timeframes and permit categories depending on the nature and duration of the activity. Starting work before authorisation is granted can have consequences for both the employer and the employee under French labour law.

Getting permission to work

Expat forums, including Reddit discussions about how to live in France as an expat, often describe work authorisation as a single procedure. It is not. The route depends on the contract, your qualifications and the steps taken by the employer. A French employer generally begins the employment-authorisation process before a non-EU national starts work. For contracts lasting more than three months, the competent authority responsible for foreign labour must approve the contract before the visa application can proceed.

The authority, formerly known as the DIRECCTE, assesses three matters: your qualifications and experience in relation to the proposed role; the employer's compliance with French labour rules, including equal treatment and pay; and whether the employer has genuinely sought a suitable French or EU candidate. Where the labour market shows a shortage, the employer's search obligation may be reduced, but it is not removed. The authority retains discretion.

Employed worker (salarié) This category is issued for an indefinite-term employment contract. The applicable permit fee is €269. During the first 12 months, the long-stay visa for permanent workers exempts the holder from making a separate residence permit application.
Temporary worker (travailleur temporaire) This category covers fixed-term contracts and seconded employees. The applicable fee is €19, and the permit is linked to the length of the contract rather than to a long-term residence plan.
Entrepreneur / profession libérale This route is available to self-employed applicants and regulated liberal professionals establishing an activity in France. The application must show that the activity is viable and that the applicant has sufficient resources to live without relying on social assistance.
Talent Passport This multi-year permit covers highly qualified professionals, EU Blue Card holders, employees of innovative companies, employees on assignment, and artistic or cultural professionals. Eligible family members may apply for Talent famille status and join the permit holder in France.

The choice of permit determines which documents you need, how long processing may take and what rights you retain during renewal. If you are moving to France under a work contract, treat the approved employer and role as fixed elements of the authorisation. A significant change of employer or function before renewal normally requires fresh authorisation, not a simple amendment to the existing permit.

Employment and talent routes

For an employed worker, the employer's authorisation request to the competent authority sets the timetable for the rest of the process. If that request is delayed or incomplete, the visa application cannot proceed and the employment start date may have to change. This sequencing is a frequent source of delay, and the relevant work is controlled by the employer rather than by the applicant.

The Talent Passport route generally provides greater flexibility for senior professionals and entrepreneurs. The proposed salary must meet the threshold set by the competent authority for the category relied upon. For a corporate move, the intra-corporate transfer route, salarié détaché ICT, offers a separate option: it preserves the employee's existing employment relationship while authorising residence and work in France for the assignment's duration.

Bringing family members

An employee who is lawfully and permanently resident in France may apply for family reunification after at least 18 months of regular residence, provided they can show adequate financial resources and suitable accommodation for the family unit. Children under 18 are admitted through family reunification without a separate residence permit. An au pair route is also available to applicants aged 18 to 30 who meet the French-language requirement; it lasts for up to one year and may be renewed once, so it is a structured short-term route rather than a direct path to permanent residence.

Families moving or planning to live in France should also distinguish immigration questions from disputes about parental responsibility, where the location of a child's habitual residence and the applicable international rules may determine the court with jurisdiction. The guidance on international family law in France for expats addresses those jurisdictional and procedural issues when family life spans more than one country.

In practice, your passport, visa, residence documents, employment contract and accommodation evidence should be read together before any application is filed. The central question is not simply whether you may stay in France, but whether the specific permit authorises the work you intend to do and allows your family to join you. A move can therefore affect work, residence and family life at the same time, and the permit route should be selected before travel arrangements are fixed.

Housing costs and everyday life

The cost of moving to France depends heavily on where you settle. National averages provide a starting point, but they do not show the difference between living in a regional city and renting in central Paris. Before you move, prepare a budget covering rent, visa costs, health insurance, transport, utilities and the funds required for your chosen immigration route.

Renting or buying a home

Renting is often difficult for new arrivals because French landlords request substantial documentation: payslips, tax returns, proof of employment and, commonly, a guarantor resident in France. The rental application can therefore become a significant practical obstacle, particularly if you have no French employment record or bank account in France to demonstrate your financial stability.

National average rent (one-bedroom) Approximately €778 per month. A city-centre equivalent is cited at around £656 per month, compared with £1,005 for the same property in the UK, creating a meaningful cost advantage outside the Paris metropolitan area.
Paris metropolitan area Costs are markedly higher: a one-bedroom home averages €1,350 per month and a three-bedroom home averages €3,119. That level of housing requires a substantially higher income to remain affordable.
Buying property Foreign nationals may purchase French property under the same conditions as French and EU citizens. The process includes a preliminary Compromis de Vente and a deposit before completion, with a notary involved at each stage.

Buying property does not, by itself, give you the right to reside in France. If you are not an EU national, you still need the appropriate visa and residence permit for your stay to be lawful. Housing and immigration status are separate legal questions; treating ownership as a substitute for the correct status can create difficulties during an administrative review.

Budgeting for daily living

Beyond rent or a mortgage, everyday costs are broadly comparable with the UK in most categories, though some differences are material. The figures below show where.

Public transport A monthly pass costs approximately £48 in France. In major cities such as Paris, an extensive and reliable network can reduce the need for a car for daily commuting.
Utilities Typical apartment costs are around £166 per month. Energy prices vary according to the supplier and contract, so include connection or transfer charges in your moving budget.
Groceries UK groceries are cited as approximately 11% more affordable than in France.
Moving costs A realistic relocation budget should include rent or a purchase deposit, visa application fees, health insurance premiums, driving licence exchange costs, initial utility set-up and enough liquid funds to satisfy the resources threshold for your immigration route.

French banks generally require proof of address, a valid residence document and a passport before opening a personal bank account in France. Without a rental contract, new arrivals can face a practical loop: the landlord wants a bank account, while the bank wants an address. Some banks and online financial institutions accept a passport and visa document alone, which can break that cycle. Arranging this before or immediately after arrival is sensible because administrative procedures, including ANEF visa validation, may require a functioning payment method.

Healthcare, driving and expat tax

Healthcare access, driving licence validity and tax obligations in France are governed by different deadlines and thresholds. Missing one can create a problem that is harder to correct later than to prevent at the outset.

Joining French healthcare

France’s universal healthcare system, known as PUMA, generally becomes available after three months of stable and lawful residence. You then register with your local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM), which processes your enrolment and assigns a social security number. Your passport, visa and proof of address are the core documents required to establish your identity, residence and immigration status.

Standard GP consultation reimbursement A GP consultation costs €30 at the official tariff. Assurance Maladie reimburses approximately 70% of that fee, or roughly €19 after the mandatory €2 copayment; a mutuelle may cover some or all of the balance.
Hospital treatment Hospital stays are generally reimbursed at 80% of the official tariff. A complementary private mutuelle policy frequently covers part or all of the remaining eligible cost.
Mutuelle (top-up insurance) A mutuelle covers amounts not fully reimbursed by social security. Choosing cover that reflects your healthcare needs and budget is an early financial decision after CPAM registration.

During the first three months, before PUMA eligibility applies, comprehensive private health insurance covering hospitalisation and medical repatriation is both a visa requirement and a practical safeguard. Many expats retain private insurance beyond the three-month threshold and coordinate it with their mutuelle after CPAM enrolment, avoiding a gap in healthcare cover.

Driving in France after your move

The rules for driving in France with a UK-issued licence changed after Brexit. The decisive date is 1 January 2021: a licence issued before that date may generally be used until it expires, but cannot be renewed or replaced through the UK system while its holder is resident in France. A licence issued after that date must be exchanged for a French licence within 12 months of arrival.

Pre-2021 UK licence (valid) It may be used in France until expiry. If it has expired or will expire within 12 months, the holder must apply for an exchange; renewal through the UK system is not available while the holder lives in France.
Post-2021 UK licence It must be exchanged for a French licence within 12 months of arrival in France, regardless of its remaining validity under UK rules. The same deadline applies to Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man licences issued after that date.
Attestation de dépôt sécurisée Once an exchange application is accepted, the applicant receives this secure deposit receipt. It authorises legal driving in France while the French licence is processed and should be carried until the replacement licence arrives.

For Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man licences, the exchange application may require a certificate of entitlement from the relevant licensing authority. Starting the exchange promptly after arrival is preferable to waiting until a pre-2021 licence approaches expiry.

Tax advice for international residents

French tax residency generally applies if your primary home is in France, you spend more than 183 days per year there, or you carry out your principal professional activity there. A French tax resident must declare and pay tax on worldwide income in France. Before moving, verify how the Franco-British double-taxation treaty allocates each category of income, including pensions and property, for the first year of residence.

American nationals face an additional obligation because the United States taxes citizens on worldwide income regardless of residence. An American expat living in France therefore has dual filing obligations. For tax year 2024, the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion allows qualifying expats to exclude up to $126,500 of income, while the Foreign Tax Credit provides dollar-for-dollar credits for foreign income taxes paid and often removes double taxation at federal level. The Foreign Bank Account Report is mandatory where the combined balance across foreign accounts exceeds $10,000 at any point during the year, including balances held in French bank accounts. These taxes and reporting duties apply whether the income arises in France or elsewhere.

Where relocation involves divorce, international custody or succession, the legal analysis extends beyond tax. The expat divorce guide in France addresses the jurisdictional and financial issues that arise when a marriage or family structure crosses borders. An English-speaking lawyer in France admitted to the Paris Bar and experienced in cross-border matters can assess your position precisely rather than treating it as a standard domestic case.

Where employment involves working as an employed worker in France, your employer may need to complete specific authorisation steps before you arrive. Where family circumstances become legally complex after a move, including custody, divorce or child relocation, the expat divorce guide in France explains what French courts examine and why the choice of forum can determine the case before any argument on the merits begins.

Where a healthcare application, licence exchange or tax filing forms part of a criminal investigation or family dispute, Cabinet Georges Parastatis coordinates the procedural and documentary steps so that a residence or employment decision does not weaken the legal position that follows.