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Moving to France from the US
By Susan Doktor MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
The heady aroma of freshly-baked croissants on every street corner. Window shopping in Paris’ first arrondissement. Four hundred-plus locally-produced cheeses. The Louvre, the Pompidou Center and Toulouse Lautrec’s iconic posters. Boat watching at the Old Port of Marseille — a city that dates back to 600 BC. We could go on. The reasons you might want to move to France are endless — and personal.
But moving to France is a big step, full of legal, logistical and cultural challenges. That’s why we’ve put together a list of must-dos for anyone considering resettling in this charming, historic and beautiful country. Follow our tips to make your European transition smooth and stress-free.
Table of Contents
- Can Americans move to France?
- Main things to know before moving to France
- How to move to France from the US
- Make a budget for living in France
- Best international moving companies
- Moving to France FAQs
- How we chose our top tips on moving to France from the U.S.
- Summary of our guide to moving to France from the US
Can Americans move to France?
Absolutely! To wit, there are about 200,000 US citizens living in France today. About 17,000 US students move to France to spend a semester or year abroad. Doubtless, a fair number of them never return!
Here are a few reasons why:
- The country offers a very high standard of living. Rents are cheaper and the cost of healthcare is about half of what it is in the US.
- Working in France offers a very positive work/life balance. Lengthy paid holidays abound. New moms are eligible for paid maternity leave for up to 16 weeks. Dads get 25 days of paid leave, too.
- The public transit system in France is superb. The nation’s exceptional rail system gives residents the opportunity to travel widely, both within the confines of the country’s borders and abroad to other European Union countries.
- The food and wine in France are unparalleled. Many consider France to be the culinary capital of the world. The nation boasts over 630 Michelin-rated restaurants. Food is not only considered an art, but also a topic worthy of philosophical discussion.
- France offers a stunning variety of landscapes, from the French Alps to over 5,500 kilometers of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel. Acres and acres of vineyards dot the country, as well.
Main things to know before moving to France
If you’re thinking about moving to France, you’ll need to get your arms around many details before you depart. Some of these tasks must be done on the ground in the US, while others are immediate steps to take when you arrive in France. If you intend to become a French citizen, you’ll have lots of other considerations, too. Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to help you check off all of the legal and logistical boxes en route to your new destination.
How to move to France from the US
Step 1: Check your legal documents for migration
To immigrate to France, you’ll need to meet some basic document requirements. You’ll need a valid passport, of course, and an additional three passport photos. You’ll need to file a OFII (Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration) form. Once you arrive in France, you’ll take this to an OFII office for validation. A health check is required within three months of arriving on French soil as an immigrant.
Step 2: Apply for a visa
What do I need?
Basically, you need the same documents for a long-term visa as you would for any other visa.
How do I do it?
If you’re simply planning a brief vacation in France, you needn’t apply for a visa. But if you plan on staying in France for longer than three months, you’ll need to acquire a long-term visa. You can apply for one through the French consulate. Once you’ve applied, it will take about 3 weeks for the agency to process your request.
Within a year of moving to France, you’ll be required to apply for a carte de séjour, which means resident permit in French.
Step 3: Check your vaccinations list
In the late 19th century, it was a Frenchman, Louis Pasteur, who first put forth the germ theory of disease and introduced the modern concept of vaccination. He’s credited for his early work in creating vaccines against such health emergencies as anthrax, fowl cholera and rabies. Today France makes getting vaccinated easy and affordable. Most are covered by health insurance and the nation does a great job of educating French residents on the benefits of getting vaccinated.
There are no rules for visitors around vaccination. But as an expat, you’ll be required to get a medical exam within three months of moving to France. Your healthcare provider will discuss both legally-required and optional vaccinations with you at that time. Each year the French Ministry of Health updates its list of mandatory and recommended vaccines. They vary by age.
Mirroring the US, when children register for school in France, parents will be asked to provide, among other health records, proof that they have been vaccinated against Diptheria, tetanus polio vaccinations whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, influenza, pneumonia and meningitis C. Other recommended vaccines for adults include COVID-19, Hepatitis A and B, chicken pox, tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis, influenza, rabies, pneumonia and shingles. If at all possible, bring your vaccination records with you when you move to France so you can discuss your vaccine needs with your doctor.
Other important documents you should take with you to France include your birth certificate, marriage certificate, health records, business information, back tax returns if you’re self-employed, your driver’s license and your bank account information.
Step 4: Make a budget for living in France
With any luck, you’ll have developed good budgeting skills by the time you make the decision to move to France. But moving to a new country makes researching the cost of living in your new home all the more essential.
Here are a few of the estimated costs of essential products and services. But bear in mind that your expenses will vary, depending on where you live and the lifestyle you choose. Living in Lyon or a city in Provence will cost less than living in Paris, though the city is hardly the most expensive city in Europe.
The costs quoted below are national averages for a one-bedroom apartment.
How much does it cost to live in France?
| Expenses | Prices (American USD) |
| Rent | $800-$1,000 |
| Groceries | $600 |
| Electricity | $48 |
| Gas for heating or stove | $59 |
| Landline rental fees | $21 |
| Car Maintenance | $175 |
| Cell Phone Plans | $20 |
| Entertainment | $300 |
| Healthcare | $29 |
| TOTAL | $2,052 – $2,252 |
Step 5: Learn about the health care system in France
The French healthcare system is known as one of the best in the world, ranking number one by some measures. It typically ranks in the top ten for overall quality.
Health benefits are part of France’s Social Security System — commonly referred to as La Secu — which also provides support for the elderly, families with young children, occupational illnesses, disability, unemployment and more.
The French healthcare system is based on a combination of public and private healthcare providers, with the majority of healthcare funding coming from the government. Patients are free to choose their doctors, and they can seek medical care from any healthcare provider they wish, regardless of whether they are public or private. The government reimburses a large portion of healthcare costs, and patients are responsible for the remaining portion, which may be covered by supplementary insurance.
Step 6: Open your bank account
Nowadays, most of us are accustomed to banking online, at any time and from anywhere. But having a local bank account will make your life easier and may be essential under some circumstances — for example if you’re going to receive paychecks from a French employer. It’s also a lot simpler to pay your rent, utilities and other routine expenses in France.
To open a French bank account, you’ll be required to furnish some basic identification and residency documents, including a driver’s license or passport and proof of your permanent French address. Other banks may ask to see proof of income and a local tax ID number.
The next question becomes, should you maintain a US bank account? The main advantages of keeping a US bank account is that doing so allows you to easily pay any US bills you’re still paying once you move to France, without paying currency conversion fees. Having a US account also allows you to maintain your credit profile and credit score. You’ll have to start from scratch in France on building your credit. So most expats wind up benefiting from having both US and French bank accounts.
Step 7: Understand France’s educational system
The French education system is widely recognized as one of the world’s best. Public education is free, co-educational and entirely secular in France. Children begin attending school as young as three years of age. The school years in France are divided into four sections:
- Preschool (écoles maternelles) – ages three to six
- Primary school (école élémentaire) – ages six to 11
- Middle school (confusingly called collège) – ages 11 to 15
- High school (lycée) – ages 15 to 18
Preschool is mandatory for children at age three because it helps kids become more accustomed to being in school and prepares them for the rigors of French study. Schools are assigned according to location so you can be confident that your kids will attend school close to home. However some expats may find the notion of sending their toddlers off to school a little scary. But bear in mind that universal preschool supports families that rely on two incomes and helps fuel the French economy.
Before your children turn three, you can enroll them in daycare. In French, the word for daycare is creche. Or if you’d like your little one to stay at home before entering preschool, you can hire an assistante maternelle to care for your child. The au pair tradition is also alive and well in France. Au pairs live with their host families — indeed, they become family members — in exchange for room, board and a stipend. Au pair programs are privately managed and have strict requirements for families and childcare workers. Many families take in au pairs even if their children are already school-aged.
At the other end of the continuum is the French university system. There are more than 3,500 public and private institutions of higher education in the country. To attend university, high school students must pass a series of baccalaureate exams. From there they can go on to pursue a Licence and Licence Professionnelle (bachelor’s degree) and/or a Master or Doctorat degree. Public higher education in France is heavily subsidized by the government and costs far less than in the US. That’s a great benefit for expat permanent residents who want to continue their education once they move abroad.
Step 8: Find a place to live
If you’re accustomed to the roominess of a US home or apartment — say, in a mid-western suburb — be prepared to downsize. France is a much smaller country than the US and its residents have to share its limited space. In the US, the average one-bedroom apartment takes up 757 square feet. A one-bedroom apartment in Paris, by contrast, may only take up 300 square feet. And some people live in even smaller apartments.
Like the US, France suffers from a lack of affordable housing. As an expat, finding a place to live can be challenging. Some French cities, including Paris, are attacking the problem head-on. But the issue persists and you should consider that it may take you a while to find a place you can sustain financially.
We recommend that you start your search for an apartment as early as is feasible — several months in advance of your arrival date is ideal. There are many ways to find available rental properties and properties for sale online. Some sites are in French, but if you use Google Chrome to browse, there’s a handy translation feature. Hiring a real estate agent — or agences immobilieres in French — can be very helpful, as well.
Step 9: Find a job
If you’re moving to France and don’t have a job waiting for you, it’s critical to take some financial precautions. Unemployment is higher in France than in the US currently: it’s hovering around 7%. Financial experts recommend that you have an emergency savings fund equal to six months of your expenses no matter where you live. But that advice is especially important when you’re moving to a foreign country and you don’t have a job lined up.
In order to work in France as an expat, you’ll need a work visa. Applications for work visas are typically filed by employers. Your employer will have to file various documents to apply for a work visa on your behalf. Your employer will also file an application for membership in the French Social Security system for you.
And what if you’re self-employed? It gets a little more complicated because you’ll have to manage the work visa application yourself. Here are the documents you’ll need to provide if you apply for a work visa as a self-employed individual:
- Passport
- Complete application form
- Copy of your business license
- Company bank statements (last six months)
- Income Tax Return
- Proof of residence
- Proof of medical insurance
If you own an existing US business, you’ll need to apply for a local business license to ply your trade in France. Opening a new business from the ground up requires you to take a number of steps. You’ll need a valid ID and residency permit, of course. You’ll also need a valid French social security card. You’ll be asked to provide your articles of incorporation — the same is true when you register a business in the US. Articles of incorporation include the legal, fiscal and social regulations that govern your business. Be prepared to submit previous tax returns and other financial statements along with your registration application, as well.
Step 10: Sign up for social security
In exchange for such government benefits as healthcare and unemployment insurance, expats living and working in France must register and pay into the French social security system. French social security taxes will be deducted from your paycheck each pay period. That sounds familiar, right?
Under some circumstances, US citizens may be able to keep their US social security benefits so long as they continue paying into the system while living abroad. The US has what’s known as a Totalization Agreement with the French government, which protects expats from having to pay into the social security systems of both countries.
According to the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), if you’re already collecting social security, you will receive a questionnaire every year or two to confirm that you remain eligible. Failing to respond to the questionnaire will halt your benefits.
In addition, if you receive a foreign pension, your social security payments may be subject to the Windfall Elimination Provision (WPE) and reduced.
Best international moving companies
Moving internationally is more complex than moving from one US state to another. A moving company that’s well-versed in the intricacies of moving abroad can be your best ally when you relocate. It’s impossible to give you specific costs of hiring a professional moving company because expenses vary widely depending on how much you are moving and whether you take advantage of air freight or ocean freight. That being said, there are a few of the best-known international movers headquartered in the US. We recommend getting a free quote from several companies before choosing one to find your best deal.
Companies
Trustpilot rating: 2.2
BBB rating: A+
Auto Transport: Y
Years in Business : 41
Trustpilot rating: Not Rated
BBB rating: A+
Auto Transport: N
Years in Business : 44
Trustpilot rating: 2.4
BBB rating: A+
Auto Transport: Y
Years in Business : 29
Trustpilot rating: 2.9
BBB rating: A+
Auto Transport: N
Years in Business : 75
Moving to France FAQs
How we chose our top tips on moving to France from the U.S.
To provide our readers with the best advice on relocating to France from the US, we referred to a variety of resources. We researched specifics on official government websites, including those devoted to rules around social security, the French education system, moving pets internationally and more. We also consulted various well-respected expat journals for tips on how to move to and live in France as an American.
Summary of our guide to moving to France from the US
Here are the key points you should take away from our guide:
- Moving to France can be the adventure of a lifetime. But it’s also a complicated process. To become an official resident of France, you’ll have to complete quite a bit of paperwork, including a long-term visa application before you depart. Be prepared to submit various identification and financial documents when you apply. If you have a job waiting for you, your employer will apply for a work visa on your behalf.
- Moving to France can be expensive. You’ll spend thousands of dollars on moving your belongings alone if you decide to take an apartment or a home full of stuff. Compare several international moving companies to find the cheapest way to move.
- Be sure you’ve amassed a considerable emergency savings fund before attempting to move to France.
- Moving to France is easier if you already have a job lined up.
- The cost of living in France varies widely depending on which city or town you move to. You may want to enlist a real estate agent to help you find a new home.
- The French educational system is widely considered to be superb, but it differs from the American school system quite a bit. Most notably, children in France begin school at age 3.
- The French social security system provides excellent benefits, including healthcare, unemployment insurance, parental leave and more. You can apply for benefits if you are working and paying taxes into the French system.
