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LIVING IN FRANCE

Marriage rights and ketchup laws: 6 essential articles for life in France

From the step-by-step process to getting a visa to the financial benefits of getting married via some of the more bizarre laws in the French statute books, here's our pick of six articles that will help you to better understand life in France.

Published: 23 January 2022 09:23 CET
A newlywed couple pose on the Alexander III bridge in Paris.
A newlywed couple pose on the Alexander III bridge in Paris. If getting married abroad, there's an extra step to having it recognized in Germany. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

France is a country shrouded in romance – its capital, Paris, is even dubbed the City of Love. 

So it may suck the life out of things to think about the financial consequences of getting married here, but before you pop the question or decide to accept a proposal, it is worth knowing about the ramifications on everything from income tax to inheritance if you plan to settle in France. 

We have been investigating this so that you don’t have to, Casanova. 

Does it make financial sense to get married in France?

Relations between the United States and France go back a long way. Without French military intervention, it is possible that the United States would never have gained independence from Great Britain and may never have existed at all. 

Over the course of centuries, there has been massive migration between the two countries but with the passage of time, moving has become a little more complicated on the administrative side.

We have looked into the steps necessary for Americans to retire and move to Paris and crucially, the paperwork needed to bring your pet to France from the USA. 

We have also put together a more general guide on how US citizens can apply to get a visa to come to France. 

How to apply for a French visa as a US citizen

Two people have died within the space of a week on the ski slopes of France. The first was a five-year-old British girl killed following a collision and the second was a French actor called Gaspar Ulliel who was also hit by another skier. 

Officials have launched investigations and may look to impose tougher safety rules following the accidents. We have been looking into the relative risk of skiing in France. 

How safe are France’s ski resorts?

Living in the 21st century without a mobile phone is no easy task. Without one, how would you be able to scroll through The Local while on-the-go? 

Choosing the right mobile phone contract and going through the process of getting a French SIM card can be a bit of a hassle. So we have created a handy guide to help you along the way. 

What are the best mobile phone contracts for foreigners in France?

There is an urban myth in France that it is illegal to name your pig after Napoleon. While that legislation does not actually exist, there are plenty of weird-sounding laws on the French statute books. 

Unlimited ketchup servings in school canteens are forbidden, UFOs are banned from the town of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and you can legally marry a dead person. You can read about these laws and many more in the story below.

Sixteen of France’s most bizarre laws

Do you suffer from a dermatological condition, digestive issues, cardiac problems or another kind of health problem? If so, then the French state might pay for you to attend a thermal spa for treatment. 

There are more than 100 such spas in France, providing (largely) state-funded care for people who have been prescribed a treatment by their doctor. In some cases, the French state even reimburses hotel stays for those visiting spas far from their homes. You will need a carte vitale if you want to have your treatment partially covered by the government. 

The science behind thermal spa treatment is disputed. But who could say no to 18 reimbursed days of massages, power showers, steam room sessions and mudbaths? Read about how you can benefit below. 

Explained: Why do the French love thermal spa cures so much?

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SCHOOLS

Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

School children in France are entitled to a lunchtime meal of three, or even four courses – but what if you prefer to provide meals yourself? 

Published: 22 May 2024 12:24 CEST
Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

French school meals are, famously, pretty good – children get a three or even four-course meal of properly prepared dishes and the menu (including cheese course) is usually published in the local town newsletter so everyone can see the types of meals being served.

The concept of a proper meal at lunchtime is an important one. “The diet of a school-age child is essential for their growth, mental development and learning abilities,” the French Education Ministry says in a preamble about school meals on its website. “It must be balanced, varied and distributed throughout the day: for example 20 percent of total energy in the morning, 40 percent at midday, 10 percent at four o’clock and 30 percent in the evening.”

And it’s not all about nutrition, the social aspect of sitting together and eating a meal is also important – the ministry continues: “Mealtime is an opportunity for students to relax and communicate. It should also be a time for discovery and enjoyment.”

All schools provide meals in a canteen and most pupils take up the opportunity – however it’s also possible for pupils to go home at lunchtime so that they can eat lunch with their parents.

The idea of taking in a packed lunch (panier-repas) is much less common in France – but is it actually banned?

The rules on lunch

At écoles (up to age 11), the local authority or établissement public de coopération intercommunale (EPCI) is responsible for providing quality school meals. This generally involves meals being provided via a central kitchen, and then delivered to the school’s kitchen, where it can be kept warm, or reheated as necessary.

The system is slightly different in collèges and lycées (attended by children aged 11 and up). In those establishments, catering falls into the purview of the wider département or region – and is routinely managed directly by individual establishments, which will have catering staff on site to prepare meals. Often, meal services are outsourced to private businesses, which operate the kitchens.

There are various rules and regulations in place regarding what food is offered, and how long a child has to eat – which is, in part, why the school lunch period is so long. Children must be allowed a 30-minute period to eat their meal, from the moment they sit down with it at the table. 

Then, they’re given time to play and relax before afternoon classes start.

READ ALSO What you need to know if your child is starting school in France

At a minimum lunch must include a main course with a side dish, a dairy-based product, as well as a starter and/or a dessert. Meals must also, the government says, be composed of 50 percent sustainable quality products (including 20 percent organic).

Some local authorities go further and serve only or mostly food that is organic, locally sourced or both.

Water and bread must be freely available, but salt and condiments can only be added in preparation – no sauce bottles or salt and pepper on the tables. 

Daily menus are generally available to view on school websites and many town newspapers or newsletters also publish them.

Parents pay a fee for the school lunch, which is calculated according to income and can be free in the case of low-income families.

Packed lunch

But what if your child doesn’t like the school lunches and you don’t have time to pick them up, cook a full lunch and take them back in the afternoon everyday? The obvious solution would seem to be to send them in with a packed lunch, as is common in the UK and USA.

In theory this is possible, but only in certain circumstances and with very strict rules and caveats. 

The Ministry, in a written response to a Senator’s question in 2019, said: “The use of packed lunches [home-supplied meals] by primary school students can provide an alternative to school meals. This method of catering is authorised in particular for children with a medically established food allergy or intolerance, requiring an adapted diet.”

READ ALSO How to enrol a non-French speaking child in school in France

It added: “the preparation and use of packed lunches in schools must follow certain rules. First of all, it is important to respect the cold chain”.

The cold chain is a term applied to food handling and distribution – it’s usually used by food-preparation businesses, but in the context of a packed lunch it means that food prepared at home must be kept in appropriately cool conditions until it is ready to eat. It would be the responsibility of parents to ensure that the food is delivered to school in containers appropriate for the job (ie an insulated cool bag).

Once at the school, it is up to whoever manages the kitchen to ensure that food is properly reheated. This becomes the sticking point at which many parents’ requests to send their children to school with a packed lunch, rather than go to the canteen, or eat back at home, are refused.

The reheating concern suggests that schools are also expecting parents to prepare a proper meal – rather than just throwing some sandwiches and a cereal bar into a bag.

Unless there’s a genuine and proven health reason for your child to eat a home-prepared meal, most parents will probably find the school won’t budge on this – even in cases of a strike by kitchen staff or lunch monitors.

READ ALSO Just how much do private schools in France cost?

The Ministry’s written response explains: “[A]s this is an optional public service, the municipality can justify its refusal to admit the children concerned by objective material and financial constraints, such as the need to equip itself with additional refrigerators, or for additional supervisory staff to supervise them during lunch.”

As well as the practicalities, for some schools this is an equality issue – because of the varied fee structure for school lunches what happens in effect is that richer parents are subsidising a good quality lunchtime meal for poorer students in the class; if everyone brought in a packed lunch and therefore stopped paying the fee, the lower-income kids would miss out. 

What about allergies or other health issues?

Children with allergies or other health issues that require a particular diet must be accommodated. An individual meal plan – known as a projet d’accueil individualisé (PAI) can be set up. More details (in French) are available here, on the government’s website.

It also becomes easier for parents to provide home-produced meals in such instances. As ever, it is up to the parents to ensure any meals are appropriately packaged and transported to school.

Not all schools

Some individual schools in France do permit pupils to bring in meals from home. They must be taken to school in an appropriate cold-storage container, and they will be stored in the kitchen area until they are needed, when meals will – if necessary – be reheated.

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