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LIVING IN FRANCE

EXPLAINED: The website that speeds up French bureaucracy ‘by up to 50%’

Notorious for their slow speed, French administrative procedures have become more streamlined in recent years - and now a French government website claims it can speed up common processes like exchanging foreign drivers' licences and renewing residency permits.

Published: 20 December 2022 16:50 CET
EXPLAINED: The website that speeds up French bureaucracy 'by up to 50%'
A screenshot of the log-in page for French government website "démarches-simplifiées" (Photo Credit: The Local)

From driver’s licences to submitting documents related to residency permits for foreigners, the French website démarches simplifiées (procedures simplified) seeks to make it easier – and faster – to handle French administrative procedures online.

The website is a recent innovation by the French government that aims to streamline administrative procedures and make more processes that once required in-person, paper-heavy meetings available online.

According to the site, the goal is to decrease administrative processing times by 50 percent in France. As of mid-December, more than seven million files had been submitted via démarches simplifiées.

It doesn’t change the actual processes, or mean that you don’t still need a dossier of documents, but what it aims to do is bring a whole host of different processes together on one site.

However, it is still optional for local authorities to use, so exactly what you can do with it depends on where you live – some préfectures seem more engaged with it than others.

You can still do any of these processes directly via your préfecture if you prefer not to use the site.

Why would I use this website?

It has a variety of different processes, but probably the main reasons a foreigner living in France might use this website would be to submit files related to a visa or residency permit renewal or a driver’s licence.

More French administrative tasks have been migrating to the site recently, however. For example, the police prefecture for the city of Paris has moved some procedures, like declaring “an animal nuisance” – signalling to local authorities that there may be a rat or pigeon infestation – to démarches simplifiées. 

READ MORE: Bedbugs, mice, and mould: How to handle infestations in your French home

As more French procedures become computerised, this website might become more necessary in day-to-day life in France, but for now, it is a good first step before making an in person meeting or completing an admin task that requires mailing documents.

How do I use this website?

Some of the website is in English, such as the log-in page, while other parts of the website are solely available in French.

To log on, you can go to THIS link. You can sign in using FranceConnect, or by creating an online account.

Screenshot of log-in page for Démarches Simplifiées

Once you logged in, you first select the type of procedure you want to do, for example Démarches relatives au permis de conduire (tasks relating to driving licences) or Démarches relatives aux étrangers résidant en France (tasks relating to foreigners living in France) for anything relating to residency permits.

You then find an alphabetical list of départements and you can see which services your local préfecture offers online.

If the service you need is not listed under your département name then unfortunately it’s back to the old-fashioned method for you.

If it is listed, however, you can go straight to the section you need and make your request online.

If you are looking for options in Paris, for example, the page would resemble the one below:

Screenshot of the ‘procedures relevant to foreigners living in France’ section of the Démarches Simplifiées website

It seems that préfectures are gradually adding more services to the site, so it’s worth checking regularly what your local préfecture offers.

Once you click on the form that is relevant to you, then Démarches Simplifiées will open a file that will be accessible to you in your online portal on the website after logging in.

You can then submit requests online and track your application to see the status of your request.

Is it really 50 percent faster?

That’s what the website claims, although we’re yet to see any independent verification of that . . .

Member comments

  1. I am sure that this works for some but for me this application has been a nightmare. I have tried to change my address for my carte de séjour for over two months via this platform and I am going round in circles. I have contacted the help desk and they keep repeating the same instructions and I cannot advance. Whilst the systems may have improved the people working for the govt have not.

  2. I think I’m missing something in the steps, or maybe my region doesn’t support this tool. I can log in an see a dossier I opened a year ago to get a carte de sejour, but see no way of opening a new dossier via this site. For example, I want to change my Swedish driver’s license to a French one. Any advice from the community?

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PROPERTY

BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you want to grill some ribs, install heavy plants or even hang up your laundry to dry on your balcony in France, then there is one document you'll want to consult beforehand.

Published: 7 May 2024 10:43 CEST
BBQs, plants and laundry: What are the rules in France around balconies?

If you live in an apartment building in France, then you might be curious whether there are any rules regulating what you are allowed and not allowed to do on your French balcony.

The answer is relatively simple: it depends on your copropriété. In France, a copropriété is a type of building that is split up into several different apartments that are individually owned. It is also the name of the individuals who together make up the co-owners of that shared building, similar to a ‘homeowner’s association’.

READ MORE: PROPERTY: What you need to know about ‘copropriété’ fees in France

Most of the time your building will also hire a syndic, or managing agents for the building.

Every copropriété should have a règlement de copropriété, which is a written document outlining all of the operating rules of the building, as well as the rights and olbigations of the ‘co-owners’ and tenants.

This document governs the common areas of the building and the fees that go into the building’s maintenance (les charges), but it can also regulate the use of private areas under certain circumstances. For example, the règlement might have its own rules about the hours that you can do noisy renovation work, or a list of colours allowed for the shutters on your exterior windows.

So can I barbecue on my balcony?

As you may have guessed from above, the règlement de copropriété may outline the rules for balcony or terrace usage.

This means that the document can dictate anything from whether or not you can hang laundry outside to the weight of plants allowed and the rules on barbecues.

The gist is that the regulations governing balconies and what you can do on them vary widely from one apartment building to another.

Some apartment buildings allow for people to use small electric grills for barbecues, while others might ban grilling and barbecuing altogether.

When asking about your balcony, be sure to find out whether any parts of it are considered ‘shared space’.

Under some circumstances, the règlement may deem balcony railings to be part of the shared space, which would have consequences for the minimum amount of maintenance required by the owner. Though, this would be most likely to occur if the upkeep of your balcony’s railing has a direct impact on the structure of the building or other apartments.

Similarly, the document might consider the actual concrete slab of the balcony to be the responsibility of the copropriété for maintenance and upkeep. In this case, if you had a crack in your balcony then the repair costs would fall on the copropriété and not you individually.

How do I find out about the règlement for my building?

If you have a gardien (doorman) you can start by asking him/her. They would likely have a copy on-hand, or they might just know the answer to your question.

Otherwise, you can reach out to the building’s syndic, or you can even request a copy of the document from the land registration service. The latter option will cost €30, and you would need to file a formal request (you can find the form here).

How are these rules decided?

The règlement for the copropriété is voted on in a general meeting of co-owners, and it can be changed.

To do this, you would need to gather the ‘general assembly’ of co-owners in the building. Then you would need to vote. Depending on the nature of the change, French law can require that the co-owners in the building reach a simple majority (most owners present vote yes) or an absolute majority (out of all owners, including those not present, the majority vote yes).

You can find the voting rules on this government website.

In general, the items outlined in the règlement will be justified somehow. For example, the rules related to furniture and plant height/weight might have to do with concerns about safety and ensuring that the concrete slab of the balcony holds up.

But that does not mean that ‘aesthetic’ concerns are irrelevant – your copropriété might consider something like hanging laundry to dry from your balcony to be an ‘aesthetic harm’ (or hygienic concern) for your building.

The standard for all French copropriétés is that anything that changes the exterior appearance of the building is not allowed, and in order to do so, you must get special permission.

READ MORE: The rules for installing air conditioning in your French home

What about local laws and rules?

In certain situations, there might be additional local laws and rules that regulate activities you might want to do on your balcony.

For example, when it comes to BBQs, some areas – especially if there is a drought – will ban or restrict them to avoid the danger of starting wildfires.

Certain legal clauses might restrict charcoal BBQs and allow gas ones, while others could restrict barbecuing to certain times. Check with your local mairie to see if there are restrictions where you live.

READ MORE: What are the rules of having a BBQ in France?

Departmental health regulations may also contain rules that would apply to balconies and terraces.

For example, in Paris the health regulations prohibit the storing of flammable liquids, seeds, bread crumbs or food of any kind on windows, balconies and outside parts of buildings.

It also stipulates that anything hanging from a balcony or window should be done so in a safe manner so that it does not create a dangerous environment for passers-by or other building occupants.

Overall, you can do what you want with and on your balcony, as long as you comply with the copropriété rules and existing local or departmental health/safety regulations, you do not alter the external appearance of the building or carry out any large-scale, structural work that you’d need a permit for, and as long as whatever you do/install on your balcony does not create a safety risk.

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