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BUREAUCRACY

What is ‘France Services’ and how can it help foreigners in France?

Figuring out French admin can be tricky - especially as more and more procedures move online - but you might be able to get your questions answered with in-person assistance at a 'France Services'.

Published: 5 December 2023 12:40 CET
What is 'France Services' and how can it help foreigners in France?
French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne (R) applauds during an inauguration of the France Services space on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, in May 2023 (Photo by Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP)

The France Services network began in 2019 and the goal is to make sure that everyone in France – particularly those in rural areas far from other government offices – has access to administrative assistance from the state.

There are 2,600 France Services offices in France and you can walk in and request help without an appointment – the principle is that everyone should be within a 30-minute drive of a France Service office.

The role of the staff is to provide help with French bureaucracy and admin tasks that relate to the state – so things like driving licences, tax declarations, healthcare and benefits. They don’t provide assistance with private companies.

What can you do there?

There are plenty of tasks agents are qualified to help with. France Services is a good place to start if you are confused – even if the agent does not have an answer for you, they ought to be able to point you in the right direction, plus France Services has a partnership with several French admin bodies. 

While they may not be able to help with all bureaucratic procedures, agents should be able to assist you in filling out your French income tax declaration or registering for a French driver’s licence. You can also ask general questions or clarification about how French admin procedures work.

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

They don’t provide any extra services – everything that France Services does is also available directly from the government agency – but they help you to navigate through the frequently confusing world of French bureaucracy, whether that is knowing which agency to approach, explaining your rights or helping you fill in a form.

Online help – More and more French administrative procedures can now be done online and in fact some can only be done online. If you’re struggling with this – either because you have a poor internet connection, don’t own a computer or aren’t comfortable filling in online forms – France Services staff can help you.

They might help you navigate government websites or fill out a government form or dossier online. They can also help you to create an email address, as well as print or scan documents needed for an online file submission – and in fact a key part of their role is ensuring that people are not excluded by digital-only services.

Healthcare – Whether you need help filing for a reimbursement from a doctor’s visit or you are pregnant and unsure how to notify the relevant admin bodies, workers at France Services should be able to put you on the right track. For foreigners, you may also be able to get assistance requesting your first ‘carte vitale‘ or changing your address.

READ MORE: How to get a carte vitale in France and why you need one

Finding work – You can get help to register as a job seeker and, if you are unemployed, to update your situation each month. You can also get help accessing your personal space on the pole-emploi.fr website and learn about the opening hours and nearest locations for ‘Pôle emploi’.

Dealing with legal issues or disputes – While France Services cannot offer you legal advice, they can put give you a list of people to contact in the legal field – like lawyers, victim support associations, and mediators. Similarly, if you need to request legal aid, they can help you fill out the online form. 

READ MORE: How France’s new neighbour dispute rules work

Requesting government benefits and aid – If you want to apply (or find out if you are eligible) for disability or housing assistance, you can get help with the application at a France Services. Similarly, if you want to request state aid to pay for any renovations – like an energy refurbishment (eg heat pump) or help making your home mobility-accessible, in November it became possible to get help with these subjects France Services.

For those nearing retirement, you can also get help applying for your French pension.

Where can you find one?

To find a France Services near you, simply put your address into this interactive map created by the French government.

Member comments

  1. I read this article so when i got confusing directions from ANEF for my visa i called France Services. They couldn’t answer my question, didn’t volunteer to find the answer and provided me with a phone number to the prefecture that gives the hours and then hangs up. Oh well.

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For members

TRAVEL NEWS

Can I use my French carte de séjour for travel?

The carte de séjour is an official document attesting to your right to live in France - but can it be used as a travel document?

Published: 14 May 2024 16:09 CEST
Can I use my French carte de séjour for travel?

Travel within the EU’s Schengen zone is usually a fairly slick business with reduced or no checks as you cross borders – but that doesn’t mean that you can leave your passport at home.

So integrated is the Schengen Area that if you’re travelling by car or train you may not even notice that you’ve crossed a border and entered another country until you start to see signs in a different language – and that’s the intention of the zone of free movement, created in 1995.

But while EU/EEA citizens can move freely within the zone, it’s a different story for non-EU/EEA citizens.

The rules

Borders between countries in the EU/Schengen area still exist and in order to cross an international border you will need a valid travel document – for EU citizens this can be a national ID card, but for non-EU citizens that means a passport.

France’s carte de séjour residency permit is neither of these – it is not a valid travel document and nor is it an ID card (although it can function as proof of ID in non-travel scenarios such as picking up a parcel from the post office). Technically the card is a ‘titre’ – title – which acts as proof of your status as a resident. 

If you try to cross a border without a valid passport you can be turned back.

The carte de séjour acts as proof of your right to live in France and your right to re-enter the country if you have left, so it’s a good idea to have this with you. If you travel without it, you may have your passport stamped as a visitor when you re-enter France. 

If your passport is stamped in error this may cause delays and questions when you next cross a border, but you cannot be penalised or denied entry provided you can show a valid carte de séjour.

On the ground 

As is often the case, there’s a difference between what the rule book says and what happens on the ground, and this is particularly apparent for travel within the Schengen area.

In practice, it’s common to cross a border with no checks at all – although things tend to be stricter if you are travelling by plane.

Cars and trains often pass through with no checks, or with checks when guards will happily accept a carte de séjour.

However checks do happen – sometimes this is in response to a security alert, for example after a terror attack, but sometimes it’s random or when the border police are training their new recruits. We regret to say that there is often an element of racial profiling, so travellers of colour are more likely to be asked to produce their travel documents.

Cars can be pulled over at border checkpoints while if you’re travelling by train, police will often board the train close to the border and check passengers.

If you are asked, you will need to show your passport – so don’t forget to take it within you when travelling within the EU and Schengen zone. 

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