Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

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?

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.
For members

SCHOOLS

Why do (most) French primary schools have Wednesday off?

It may come as a shock to families arriving in France that most younger children do not go to school five days a week.

Published: 21 June 2024 13:03 CEST
Why do (most) French primary schools have Wednesday off?

But it’s true. In most areas, children up to the age of 10 or 11 – when they switch from école primaire to collège – go to school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and get a mid-week break from the daily grind.

Some areas do have classes on Wednesday mornings for younger children, but give them Wednesday afternoons off.

Once children hit collège, and then lycée, the usual pattern is to have classes on Wednesday morning, but the afternoons off.

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

It’s one of a number of education-based cultural upheavals that children previously educated in other countries have to get used to — and, from their point of view at least, one of the easiest to get to grips with. But it may cause some concern among parents wondering how to incorporate it into their working week.

It certainly makes it a little easier for children to cope with the long French school day, if they think there’s a day off in the middle of the week. That, and the lovely, long lunch break, and the regular holidays (especially the eight-week summer one) not to mention all those public holidays in May…

So why does France do this?

Well aside from the above-mentioned reasons (which apply to teachers as well), there are historical reasons for the unusual timetable.

In the 19th century French children attended school six days a week. But, in 1882, then-education minister Jules Ferry introduced a law that established the principle of secular, free and compulsory education for all children.

This law cut the school week to five days, with Wednesdays set aside for extra-curricular activities, with Saturday school making up for the midweek absence.

READ ALSO Parents reveal: What to expect when your non-French speaking child starts school in France

In 2008, Saturday schooling was phased out by the Sarkozy government, though some schools in some parts of France still have Saturday-morning classes – and it’s why the official school holiday calendar still lists Saturday dates as the end of a term.

How do parents, children and teachers feel about it?

Pupils tend to like having Wednesday off for obvious reasons, while teachers also tend to be supportive.

But parents seem to like it too – it’s so ingrained in French family life that there were protests when, in 2013, the government tried to introduce a nationwide half-day schooling on Wednesday mornings, coupled with shorter days for the rest of the week.

READ ALSO Are packed lunches really banned in French schools?

The backlash from parents and schools to a well-intentioned but chaotically introduced policy was so deafening that the policy was quickly scrapped in mainstream schools, and was widely ignored among the country’s private fee-paying establishments.

Paris is the exception here, and some of the capital’s primary schools do have teaching on a Wednesday morning. Meanwhile across the country private schools set their own rules – some do have Wednesday mornings, some don’t.

But what about working parents?

It’s all very well for the kids, but what about parents who need to be at work on Wednesday?

Well there are options for childcare – Wednesday (or Wednesday afternoon) is traditionally the day for sports club to hold training sessions, plus other extra-curricular activities such as music lessons or swimming classes. 

There’s also the centre de loisirs – publicly-funded activity centres that offer full or half days on Wednesdays so that parents can go to work and children can have fun with activities – these centres offer a five-day-a-week programme during school holidays for the same reason.

SHOW COMMENTS