6 Things I Wish I'd Known Before Moving To France

I asked several other people and they said they didn’t need to have their documents translated for their visa application. What were you applying for that you needed them? Thanks!

Why couldn’t use your passport to travel?

Is resident training required? How do you sign up for it?

Great advice. My wife and I are considering moving to France next year and these are exactly the kinds of things we need to know.

Most interesting and helpful to one who is considering moving to France.

Very helpful video! Where can we find a list of certified translators? thanks

Surprising, you have to have a bank account and do taxes for US and France when you’re only there three months

I could open a French bank account with only a visa; what helped could be the fact that my brother has access to my account and that he has been their customer for many years so they know him. They did require a lot of documents though. I am waiting to get my residency card but I already have the health insurance card.

This translation tip is VERY helpful! Thank you.

The BIG PROBLEM is that French don't want for learn English.

Mais Comme l'anglais est la Langue de Communication Internationale les Français se retrouvent coupé du Monde !

Et ils Croient toujours qu'ils habitent dans le grand, le plus Beau Pays du Monde et qu'ils sont Ouverts d'Esprit ...

Fortunately, I will be coming from a state with an exchange agreement with France, so I just have to deal with the admin side within the first year.

Thank you, Karen, for very useful and succinct information! In regard to the documents submittal for visa extension in France, do we (US) need to apostille each of them and if yes, at which point - English copies before translation in French or translated in French copies? I would appreciate your response. Thank you!

half of your video is dedicated to just point #1 , out of 6 points in total ..

These are many of the same issues you will encounter if you move to Germany, e.g. the hurdles to banking & investing which are the result of complex EU / U.S. DoT/IRS regulations. PS Don't feel insulted, but your French can be a touch hard to understand at times... It would have helped if you'd have put the administrative / technical terms up on the screen in writing to make it easier to follow you and do online searches afterwards for further clarification.

You are an immigrant, no matter how many times you say “expat”.

This was the most informative video I have found to date on moving to France! Merci.

J ai trouvé vos informations utiles! I smiley when you mentioned the driver's license and the banks.... I am also a sworn in translator.

Would you share the name of the bank that opened an account for you? Also where do you reside in France ? Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed your info and your presentation.

Sorry but the French government no longer allows people to come to France except beautiful women

I am French and have lived in Missouri and in Texas and I had to take the driving licence exam again (theory and driving tests).

Typically American ignorance

Really enjoyed this, Karen! You’ve nailed some of the biggest surprises about moving to France – the bank account and driver’s license process can be such a headache. It’s great to hear how you’re navigating it all with flexibility and patience. As someone who works with expats, I know these tips will help a lot of people. Keep sharing your journey, it’s so relatable!

Excellent video.

Regarding the bank account for Americans: I moved to Paris for a couple of years in 1972. I took a cashier's check from my American bank and had a bank account established within an hour or so. No problem at all. Also, to me it seems that some of that information should have come from your husband, who you said is French.

Thank you

As a Frenchman, I offer you all my sympathy for your terrible discovery of French administration.
An English friend of mine once joked with me: “I've believed in the existence of the devil ever since I discovered French administration”.
And yet, in this “hell”, there are oases of humanity: when you click (when it's possible) on the “to be called back by an advisor” tab, you often come into contact with very friendly, empathetic advisors, who will help you sort out your file... provided you speak French.
I hope you don't have to discover a 7th “thing”: “having to settle a legal dispute” a dispute involving French law and the law of the country you come from. Kafkaesque!
Enjoy your stay in our country! As soon as you leave the administration, there's a lot to discover! I enjoyed your presentation. It helps me to maintain my English!

All those points just require doing your homework before you move to another country .there are no surprises its information you can find anywhere before you move.

Thanks for this it would be very helpful if you popped up little cards on the screen ever time you say something in French. For those of us that don't speak French, I have to little idea how to spell things based on how they're pronounced. Cheers

Oui ... Le permis de conduire ... Ce n'est pas quelque chose de simple ...😨😂😂

Fascinating

I would be interested in how you learned your French. Thanks Nicole

Wow. I did not know almost any of this. Thank you.

An anecdote about famous French bureaucracy straight from my life: I married Polish girl, in Poland, so the wedding was accessible for both our families and friends, French and Polish. It took us FIVE years to register the marriage in France, and eventually we had to hire a lawyer to finish the process 😂 Once all the paperwork had a stamp of the solicitor, the registration suddenly went through 🎉

This has nothing to do with FRANCE. Moving from one country to the other - getting married in a country in which you are not a resident - is "the exception" and not the rule. Therefore - every country has requirements that can be costly and time consuming. Linking that to France as a country or "The French Administrative System" is no fair to say it politely.
And no - France did not invite you. It was your decision to impose yourself on them. Don't be surprised that they ask you to comply - in your interest, not the interest of the French people.

Good reasons to renounce the American citizenship. Streamline your administrative overhead. The resident training is a classy service.

BRILLIANT points not always covered elsewhere! Especially the driver's license! ♥ THANK YOU!

Hello! I am planning a move to France, but am at the very beginning of the process. My thinking is to go for 90 days, or so, first, to see how it goes. Originally, I am from Ohio, too. I live in Alaska, now. My intention is to keep my remote job in the US.

I guess one thing that would be helpful to me would be identifying a good resource, or resources, that offer some step-by-step information, or whatever comes closest to that.

I'm working diligently on my French language acquisition, and my instructor tells me that I am well on my way. The tests tell me that I am at B2, but I believe that my apprehension is uneven, given that I used only DuoLingo for the first 16 months.

I appreciate the tip about the document translation and the need to use an approved translator!

This is a really useful video to get me thinking! Thank you!

Thank you for this. I wish I’d had access to this kind of info when I moved to Italy in the 90s. As a 60 YO considering retirement abroad, this is incredibly helpful!

Great advice! 🙌🏽✨

Thank you! Concise summery of what would be stumbling blocks! My husband and I are planning a move to France in the summer of 2025. We've listened to a few webinars, and have been introduced to a few consultants, but your simple video is very helpful!

I wish, I would have understood that there is no way around URSSAF. I thought, I can get myself a private international health insurance. Well you can, but the social security office still wants to have their now 26% of your gross revenue.
I didn’t get it. I would have left France if I would have got it. And I know that many expats are also not aware of that. This percentage can add up to nasty amounts of health insurance contributions. Plus an additional health insurance and now not even getting a md‘s app anymore.

This was interesting. The process seems to have changed a bit since I moved here to the south of France from California in 2007. 😊

Thanks for your info!

A lot depends on your prefecture! Some (especially in rural areas) are more gentle...truly.

Oh yes, the Permis de Conduire: 🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀🙀!

Regarding taxes: Lots of countries have reciprocal tax agreements, the purpose of which is to avoid double taxation.
I’m Canadian and I would have to file a Canadian tax return as well as a French tax return. Canada would collect the income tax on my government pensions, France would not. Canada would also collect taxes on a portion of my other income, I.e. I have an annuity in Canada, only a portion of which is taxable. The problem for me arose that France considers my worldwide income AND they would tax the portion of my annuity(or other income), and they will use my TOTAL INCOME to determine the rate at which I’m taxed. So,
you should not only consult an accountant before you leave your home country; you should consult a French accountant who understands the effects of the reciprocal tax agreements and how they affect your PERSONAL situation.

as your husband is french why don't you ask for obtain french nationality ? you are not forced to leave american nationality to obtain it and can have two passports. ... and be treated by administration like a french. (but don't dream it's also hell for us)

I recentlymoved from the UK to France, although l had owned a house here for over 10 years. It was a relatively straight forward process so it must be much easier for a UK person than a US citizen. Found the vudeo fascinating. Thank you.

Thank you!! Planning my move for August of this year❤

I needed to get a letter from my UK employer before a UK bank would accept me as an account holder. I needed to use the main bank used by my employer as well.