Move to France: Expert Assistance from French Immigration Lawyer

Cost of Living and Housing

France has a relatively average overall cost of living compared to its European neighbours, with it ranking 29th overall in Numbeo’s 2026 cost of living index. This places it higher than countries such as Italy, Estonia and Cyprus, but lower than the UK, Belgium, Germany and Austria.

As with many countries, the cost of living is much higher in larger cities such as Paris and Marseille than in smaller towns or in rural areas. On average, however, the estimated monthly costs for a single person (not including rent) in France would be around €932.10.

Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom flat in a typical city will be around €772.67, while a similar flat outside of the city will cost around €604.45. The average monthly salary in France is around €2,455.37 after tax, which places it around the same bracket as comparable countries such as the UK and Belgium.

Education

France offers free, compulsory education for students between the ages of 3 and 16 and is typically divided into nursery, primary, middle and higher stages. Expat families can send their children to French state schools free of charge, although they also have the option of sending children to fee-paying private schools or international schools if desired. Enrolment in schools typically operates on a catchment area system.

French universities are well-regarded and offer a high quality of education for French residents and international students. University education is typically free for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens or permanent residents, with students who don’t fit this category normally paying around €3,000 to €4,000 per year for public universities.

Transportation

France is ideally situated in the heart of Europe and offers rail links to countries such as Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and more. The internal French rail network is also extensive, with most major cities being linked by rail and a significant network radiating out of the capital, Paris.

Tickets can typically be purchased for both domestic and international services throughout Europe using a single portal such as the SNCF Connect website, making it relatively easy to book transport for different journey types.

Many major cities also have their own rapid transit networks, whether in the form of underground networks or above-ground trams.

Paris Charles de Gaulle is one of the busiest airports in Europe in terms of air traffic and offers routes to most major international destinations. Smaller, more local airports throughout France also offer alternative routes to European and other destinations.

Tax

If you are a tax resident in France, all of your worldwide income will typically be taxed; non-tax residents will only have their French income taxed. However, tax treaties with certain countries can prevent double taxation.

You are considered a tax resident in France if you mostly live in France, most of your professional activity is in France or your primary economic interests are in France.

The tax year typically runs from 1 January to 31 December. Income tax rates normally start at around 11% for income under €30,000 and up to 45% for income over around €180,000.

Income tax is normally calculated per household rather than individuals.

EU Citizens

If you are from the EU/EEA or Switzerland, you don’t need to apply for a visa to move to France. You only need to show your national identity card or passport at the border to gain entry. However, you must register with the local authority and get a carte de séjour (residence permit).

Once you get your residence permit sorted, you can live, work, study, raise a family and do business in France without restrictions.

Non-EU Citizens

If you are not from the EU, you may need a short-stay visa to stay in France for 90 days or less. Some countries like Canada and the US have an agreement with the EU, and Schengen countries like France. This agreement permits their citizens to visit and stay for a maximum of 90 days.

If your country does not have this kind of agreement with France, you’ll need to apply for a short-stay or Schengen visa.

Anyone not from the EU/EEA/Switzerland who wants to stay longer than 90 days in France will apply for a visa.

Students

If you are a non-EU international student looking to undertake study that will last for less than 90 days in France, then you have to apply for the Schengen visa.

If your studies take longer than 90 days, you’ll have to apply for a student resident permit. The student resident permit allows you to work for some hours in France.

Retirees

You can also choose to retire in France. To do this, you’ll have to obtain a residence permit. You can only get a residence permit if you have a long-stay visa.

Family Members of French Citizens or Residents

A French family visa is also available for the family members of French citizens and residents. You can get your family to join you in France as a dependent if they are your:

• Spouse
• Child who is less than 21 years of age.
• Parents, if they are financially and physically dependent on you.

If you want your family to join you in France, you must prove you are financially buoyant to care for them.

Schengen or Tourist Visa

The most famous French visa is the Schengen visa, also known as the France tourist visa. This short-stay visa permits you to stay in France for a maximum of 30 days. With this visa, you can also visit other countries in the Schengen region.

The Schengen visa is up for application if you want to:

• Study a course in France that will not take more than 90 days to finish.
• Get medical treatment in a French hospital.
• Attend a business meeting or work-related conference.
• Attend a religious conference or meeting.
• Go on an official visit to France.
• Visit family or friends living in France.
• Tour or holiday in France.

The Schengen visa is not extendable and does not permit the holder to take up any form of employment, whether paid or unpaid.

Transit Visa

The transit visa is needed if you intend to land on French soil on your way to a country not part of the EU or Schengen.

Work Visa

Another kind of visa you can apply for is a work visa. The French work visa permits you to work temporarily or permanently in France. It is also a route towards French permanent residency.

There are various kinds of work visas, depending on the work you are coming to do.

There are visas for the self-employed, the investor, the professional assistant and the seasonal worker.

Student Visa

If you want to take up studies in France that will last more than 3 months, you must apply for a student visa.

Visa for Family Reunification

If you are already in France, your family can join you. They can stay with you in France for as long as your visa is valid.

Visa for Retirees

If you intend to retire in France, you can apply for a visa in that regard.

Spousal Visa

If your spouse is a French citizen or resident, you can apply for a spousal visa to join them in the country.

Overview

There are many employment opportunities in the French job market. The most common jobs are teaching, IT, marketing, hospitality and management.

To work in France, you’ll need to obtain a work permit that authorises you to stay in France for up to 1 year.

There are various work permits, and the type you’ll apply for depends on what you are coming to do.

Here are the various types of work permits:

• Work permit for salaried employees.
• Work permit to create or run a business.
• Work permit for independent and professional workers.
• Work permit for sportspeople.
• Work permit for volunteer work.
• Work permit for people working in international organisations in France.

Eligibility 

Before applying for a work permit, you must submit these documents to prove your eligibility:

• Work visa application form.
• Valid passport.
• Two passport photographs.
• Proof of funds, e.g. bank statements.
• Employment contract authorised by the DIRECCTE.
• Criminal record certificate from your country and every other country you have spent at least 3 months in the past 5 years.
• Receipt of application fee payment.
• OFII (the French Office for Immigration and Integration)form for residence permits longer than 3 months.
• Tax clearance.
• Certificate of business registration.
• Business plan.
• Evidence of your professional status.

It is important to note that to perform well in the French job market, you’ll need some basic knowledge of the French language.

How to Apply

To apply for a work visa, follow these steps:

1. Get your documents ready.
2. Complete the visa application form.
3. Pay the application fee of €99 and include the receipt with your other supporting documents.
4. Set up an appointment with the French Embassy or Consulate and go with your supporting documents.
5. Attend your interview.

Overview

France boasts of many institutions of learning. Some of the most popular ones include the University of Paris-Saclay, University of Paris, Nantes University, University Montpellier, University of Bordeaux and University of Rennes. Some of these schools partner with NGOs to give scholarships to outstanding international students. This is how to move to France with no money.

Eligibility

To apply for a study visa, submit these documents to prove your eligibility:

• Signed and completed French study visa application form.
• Two recent digital passport photographs.
• Valid passport.
• Copies of former visas.
• Bank statement showing you have enough money to cater to your stay.
• Evidence that you have enrolled in a French institution.
• Evidence you have somewhere to stay.
• Criminal record certificate from your country.
• Evidence that you have paid the visa fee.
• Medical insurance policy certificate.
• Cover letter outlining your study project.
• Certificate of previously attended institutions.

To apply for the study visa, take the following steps:

1. Gather your documents.
2. Complete the application form.
3. Pay the visa application fee of €50–€99, depending on your country.
4. Schedule and attend an interview with the French Embassy with your supporting documents.
5. Pick up your visa.
6. Apply for a residence permit at the OFII within 2 months of entering France.

If you want to study in France, you have to know that some courses are taught in French. Hence, you’ll need to prove you can understand French before you are admitted into a French school. Some schools teach some courses entirely in English. You may apply for these schools instead.

Family Visa for the Family Members of French Citizens

As a citizen, your family members that can join you are:

• Your spouse.
• Your child below 21.
• Your older sibling or older sibling of your spouse.
• Your parents or grandparents.
• Your spouse’s parents or grandparents.

Family Visa for the Family Members of EU Citizens

The family members that can apply to join you are:

• Your spouse.
• Your child or dependent under 21.
• Your siblings.
• Your spouse’s siblings.

Family Visa for family members of non-EU Citizens

Here are the family members that can join you in France if you are a non-EU member:

• Your spouse.
• Your child that is younger than 21.

There are 2 primary criteria that you or your family member must meet to get this visa. First, you have to prove that there is a genuine relationship between you. You do this by submitting a marriage or birth certificate.

Secondly, you must show you can financially fend for them in France.

Here are the documents you have to present to the Embassy:

• Visa application form.
• Two passport photographs.
• Valid passport.
• Copies of former visas.
• Criminal record certificate.
• Marriage or birth certificate to prove a relationship with the French resident or citizen.
• Receipt of application fee payment.

To apply for the family reunification visa, take the following steps:

1. Complete and sign the visa application form.
2. Gather your supporting documents.
3. Pay the application fee of €99.
4. Schedule and attend an interview with the French Embassy

French Citizenship by Descent

If you have at least one parent who is a French citizen at the time of your birth, then you can claim citizenship by descent. Note, your French parent must recognise you as their child for this to be possible.

French Citizenship by Marriage

To acquire citizenship by marriage, you must have been the spouse of a French citizen for at least 4 years.

You must have also lived in France for at least 3 years since you married the French citizen and have lived in France for 1 uninterrupted year.

French Citizenship by Naturalisation

You can acquire citizenship if you have lived in France for at least 5 years.

French Citizenship by Birth or Adoption

You can claim French citizenship by adoption if you were born to or adopted in France by a French parent.

Eligibility Criteria for French Citizenship

You have to use the documents below to prove you are eligible to get French citizenship:

• Apart from citizenship by birth or adoption, you can only claim citizenship if you are at least 18.
• Birth certificate of parents.
• Proof of residence in France.
• Proof of proficiency in French.
• Certificate of higher education in France.
• Adoption/birth certificates
• Evidence of identity like the passport.
• Two passport photographs.
• Evidence of residence in France like rental contract, property deed, utility bills.
• Criminal record certificate from your country and any other country you have spent at least 3 months in the past 5 years.

Application Process to Obtain French Citizenship

To obtain French citizenship, do the following:

1. Prepare your documents
2. Submit the documents to the Embassy or French government near you.
3. Schedule your interview with the Embassy.
4. Take the French proficiency class.
5. After approval, attend your citizenship ceremony and swear to be loyal to the French government.
6. Get a French passport.