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LIVING IN FRANCE

Online admin hacks, phones, and food: essential articles for life in France

This week's must-reads from The Local feature dealing with 21st-century admin, financial help to renovate and improve your French property, and important food-related investigations

Online admin hacks, phones, and food: essential articles for life in France
You'll probably need to update your mobile phone contract once you move to France. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP)

Administration processes in France are rapidly moving online, especially those that concern immigration. For many people this is a welcome development but problems can arise if the system fails or for people not comfortable with using online platforms – immigration lawyer Paul Nicolaÿ explains your rights and recourse.

What to do in case of problems with France’s online immigration services

Stuck in a loop on a French administrative website that won’t let you submit your request? This simple hack might help.

Why 99 is the magic number for French admin sites

If you are planning to spend extended time in France, you will likely want to set up a French mobile phone (cell phone) contract. Having a French phone number can be crucial when organising apartment visits, signing up for certain subscriptions, and setting up utilities bills in your French home. Here’s how to go about getting one…

EXPLAINED: How to get a mobile phone contract in France

The French government has announced changes to the grants that help households with the cost of property renovations which make them more energy efficient, such as replacing the boiler, adding insulation or installing new windows.

MaPrimeRenov: How France’s property renovation grants will change in 2024

Now for the important stuff… After The Local’s readers solved the problem of where to go for a decent curry in France, we set you another impossible food mission – tell us where to go for authentic guacamole, well-spiced tacos or burritos with black beans… Well, we bow before your expert knowledge…

Readers recommend: The best Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in France

We conclude this week with an in-depth examination of another vitally important aspect of life in France. Pâtisserie is so important in France that the average French household spends €350 a year on pastries, while the highly-respected pâtissiers have their own patron saint.

5 things to know about French pâtisserie

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

Buying a property, préfecture problems, buying and selling concert tickets, how and where to watch Euro 2024 action - plus of course what France's snap elections mean for foreigners in France - are all this week's must-reads from The Local.

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

We don’t normally do politics here – the ‘Essentials’ newsletter is supposed to be practical and we usually leave that political sort of thing to editor Emma Pearson and her election bulletins.

But there are some things we can’t ignore. And one is that there’s a snap-election coming up, and there’s a possibility that Marine Len Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party could do well. So – from visas to cartes de séjour and French language tests – here’s a look at some RN’s policies that could affect foreigners living in France, or hoping to move here someday.

What a far-right prime minister could mean for foreigners in France

There are several things to consider before buying property in France. You may want to visit the area during different seasons to be sure that you enjoy it rain or shine, and you will want to consider how much you would end up paying in property taxes, as well as whether or not it will be a main residence or second home.

And then, there are the extra hurdles for foreigners purchasing property here. Here’s a look at some of the restrictions and challenges you will want to be aware of beforehand.

What restrictions are there on foreigners buying property in France?

Many foreigners have experienced problems with their local préfecture – from long delays in processing applications to difficulty getting appointments and problems in making contact with préfecture staff.

If you’re a non-EU citizen living in France then you will need either a visa or a carte de séjour (residency permit) – and in the early years most people will need to regularly renew their cards – this means that you will have to interact with their local préfecture, or sous-préfecture. Here are a few tips to make the process a little easier on the blood pressure…

Top tips for dealing with delays or problems at your French préfecture

A football tournament kicked off on Friday – you may have heard something about it. From TV schedules to bars, cafés and fan zones, here are your options for watching all matches of the Euro 2024 football tournament in France.

How to watch the Euro 2024 tournament on TV in France

If you are buying or selling tickets to events such as concerts, matches or festivals in France, then there are some rules to be aware of, especially as the Olympic and Paralympic Games approach.

The rules for buying and selling tickets in France

From strike action to Olympic disruption, via ‘black days’ on the roads and the €49 rail pass, here’s a look ahead to what to expect if you’re travelling to, from or within France in summer 2024.

Travel to France: What to expect on roads, rails and airports this summer

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