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LIVING IN FRANCE

Bikes, gig tickets and holidays: 7 things the French government might pay for

Living in France does have its drawbacks, among them a hefty tax bill for most people. But there are also plenty of perks, including the free stuff that the French government give you. Here's a roundup of just some of the things that you may be entitled to claim.

Bikes, gig tickets and holidays: 7 things the French government might pay for
The French government might pay for both your bike and your cycling holiday. Photo: Guillaume Souvant/AFP

Culture

If you’re a teenager, the government could be funding your books, films, music or video games, thanks to the new culture pass.

France launched the pass culture in 2021, which gives teenagers living in France a credit of €300 when they turn 18 to spend on as they like on cultural products such as books, video games or festival tickets. Those aged 15-18 can also benefit from smaller sums.

Holiday vouchers

Based on the notion that holidays are essential, the French holiday voucher system – known as chèques vacances – was launched in 1982 by then-President Francois Mitterrand. Millions have benefited from the scheme ever since.

Run by the Agence nationale des chèques-vacances (ANCV) the scheme offers help with paying for holidays for four main groups; young adults, people with disabilities, older people and families, especially single-parent families.

One such scheme, Départ 18:25 was launched in 2014 to help 18-25-year-olds have a summer vacation, providing vouchers that cover up to 80 percent of reservation costs (capped at €250, as of 2024).

Beneficiaries can choose between 10,000 destinations across France and internationally, with reservations made through the Les Stations sites. The site allows visitors to test their eligibility and simulate the total cost of trips taking the ANVC voucher into account.  

This particular scheme scheme is open to French residents aged 18-25 making a net salary of less than €17,280 per year.

It’s also open to students working on apprenticeships, civic service volunteers, those benefiting from special aid contracts (often given to handicapped people, for example), “second-chance” schools that offer another shot to those that had difficulties in school, beneficiaries of the Youth Guarantee initiative and those receiving social aid within their families. 

ANCV also offers a holiday voucher scheme for small businesses

Spa treatments

Yep, really. If you’re registered in the French health system and hold a carte vitale you might be able to get a cure thermale (treatment at a spa) on prescription – and have all or part of the cost of the stay reimbursed by l’Assurance Maladie.

The health system has tightened up the rules on this a bit recently so unfortunately it’s no longer possible to argue that you’re tired and stressed and really fancy a spa day. There are now 12 eligible categories listed by the health service, which includes digestive disorders, skin conditions, gynecological issues and rheumatism. 

It must also be prescribed by a GP or specialist.

READ ALSO Five surprising things available on your French health insurance

Language classes or driving lessons

If you’re an employee in France the government has earmarked hundreds of euro a year for you to spend on training. This is for your further professional development so can include vocational training or language classes or driving lessons.

However, the French finance minister announced in early 2024 that the government would be ‘tightening its belt’. One of the changes will be the way the €500 annual budget for classes for employees is distributed. That being said, the Mon CPF scheme still offers great opportunities for cut-price classes, including French lessons.

READ MORE: Mon CPF: What changes with France’s €500-a-year training budget

The self-employed, too, can access the compte personnel de formation (CPF) by paying into the scheme via their social charges.

The money is available by setting up and accessing a personal online account and can be used to finance any approved training relevant to your work, including:

  • Additional qualifications
  • Skills training
  • Skills assessment
  • Driver’s licence
  • Setting up a business
  • Training needed for people volunteering or working in civil service
  • French language courses are accepted for foreign employees and if you need to drive for your work you can claim the cost of driving lessons and tests.

Home improvements

If you’re planning some building work then think about energy efficiency – if the work will make your home more energy efficient then the government might help you with the costs.

There are several government grants and help available through the MaPrimeRénov website. You may also be able to qualify for interest-free loans if you are a first-time home buyer.

For seniors and people with mobility issues, there are plenty of targeted schemes to help make your home more accessible.

READ MORE: GUIDE: French property grants you might be eligible for

Buying a bicycle

The French government has extended the grant (bonus vélo) available to those looking to purchase bicycles to 2027, in an effort to encourage non-polluting transport options.

Previously, the aid was only available to those buying new bikes, but in 2024 authorities opened it up to second-hand bicycles under certain conditions. To qualify government assistance for the purchase of a used bicycle, it must be sold from a ‘professional seller’ not from an individual.

Standard bikes, electric bikes, cargo bikes and those adapted for people with a disability are all covered by the scheme. You may be eligible for a grant of up to €2,000, depending on your situation.

READ MORE: Explained: The financial aid to buy a bike in France

Leasing or purchasing an electric car

In 2023, the French government announced an electric car leasing scheme that would allow households to lease an electric car for a maximum of €150 monthly, excluding insurance and other optional services. 

The programme was so popular that French government announced in mid-February that it was suspending the scheme, one month after subsidising more than double the number of vehicles planned for 2024.

However, the French government expects to relaunch it at the end of 2024 for 2025.

This is not the only programme intended to encourage motorists in France to shift toward electric vehicles.

Households can also benefit from the bonus écologique, which gives up to €7,000 in assistance when purchasing an electric vehicle costing less than €47,000. 

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LIVING IN FRANCE

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

The scheme 'Sortir Plus' (Get out more) is available for some over-75s in France providing support and company for outings. Here is what you need to know and how to qualify

How older people in France can get free assistance for outings

What is it?

The programme is called Sortir Plus which translates roughly to ‘Get around more’. It aims to connect older people with a trusted person to accompany them on outings, whether that be going out on a walk, or heading to an appointment with the doctor or hairdresser, or simply going out for a meal.

The companion will be a professional, usually a home-help, and they cannot offer medical services but can provide aid, company and support on trips out.

Who can benefit?

The programme is intended for people over 75 years old who are in a ‘fragile situation’, whether that be due to isolation, age, or mobility challenges.

However, it is only available to those who worked in France in the private sector – in order to qualify, you must receive the supplementary ‘Agirc-Arrco’ pension.

You only need to have worked in France for a minimum period of three months in order to qualify, but it does not apply for former public sector employees, or to people who worked in another country and then retired to France.

What’s the Agirc-Arrco complementary pension?

Basically, France’s pension system offers a ‘base’ regime, which is what most people think of when discussing pensions. It is calculated based on the number of trimestres (quarters) you worked. 

Then there is also the ‘complementary’ regime, which works on a points system and depends on your sector. You are automatically signed up to a complementary regime when you start working in France.

READ MORE: Ask the experts: What foreigners living in France need to know about French pensions

The Agirc-Arrco complementary pension represents the vast majority of people who worked in the private sector – public sector employees have a different plan.

Similar to the ‘base’ pension system, you can qualify even if you only worked for a short period of time in France, but the amount paid out would be smaller.

If you worked in France, but you are not sure what type of ‘complementary’ pension you fall under, you can check out the website info-retraite.fr and log in using your social security number (or France Connect).

If you have worked and paid contributions for more than one trimestre in France, you will find an account set up ready for you which shows your years of contributions in France, and what pension you can expect.

The advantage of the French system is that your pension contributions are deducted automatically, even when you change jobs, and the government keeps track of it all via your social security number.

So how do I sign up for ‘Sortir Plus’?

You can start by getting in contact with an adviser by calling the phone number 0 971 090 971. You can call anytime from Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm, excluding public holidays.

Try to call at least two days ahead of the activity you want to be accompanied to.

Then, a professional will take stock of your situation and determine whether you qualify for assistance. They will also inform you of the amount of aid you are eligible for. 

If you qualify, they will connect you with an approved professional who will come to pick you up at the date and time you requested for your activity. Depending on the situation, they may stay with you or come back to collect you afterwards.

You can also request to have the same person accompany you for future outings. The person you will be matched with is a professional – they will either be an employee of a home help or transport organisation. 

If you prefer not to call, you can also do the request online from your personal space on the Agirc-Arrco website. 

In terms of cost, you will not need to pay anything out of pocket during your outing (aside from the activity you are doing of course). The transport and accompaniment costs are covered by Agirc-Arrco and are limited to a certain amount each year.

This means that when you call to organise an outing, they will look at the amount available to you and determine if it falls under the yearly maximum.

What if I don’t qualify? Are there alternatives?

France has plenty of services to help older people, and there is a government website dedicated to the various forms of assistance available.

You can also visit your nearest point d’information local to find out about elderly care in your area. Find one in your area by entering your postcode here.

READ MORE: Explained: The help available for older people in France

If you need someone to help with daily tasks, such as meals, personal care and housework you can seek out an aide à domicile (home-help aid).

Depending on where you live, organisations that offer auxiliaires de vie (carer) services may be provided by the mairie, the centre communal d’action sociale (CCAS) or private businesses. 

Regardless of who’s providing the services, they have to be accredited by the départemental authorities.

The cost of using these services can be at least partially offset by applying for the means-tested Allocation personnalisée d’autonomie APA à domicile (APA), which is intended to help cover expenses faced by people with reduced autonomy who want to maintain an independent lifestyle, or who live with and are cared for by family members.

APA, available to over-60s, is managed and paid for by the each conseil départemental, which considers each case on its merits, with personalised care plans adapted to individual needs.

If you only need temporary help – for example if you’re recovering after an operation – you may be eligible for aide sociale, although you’ll need a doctor’s prescription. Any required short or long-term care in this case will be paid for via assurance maladie.

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