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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.

Published: 16 June 2024 08:12 CEST
France's football squad training at the Home Deluxe Arena Stadium in Paderborn, Germany, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship
France's football squad training at the Home Deluxe Arena Stadium in Paderborn, Germany, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

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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LIVING IN FRANCE

What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Anti-mosquito smartphone apps are something of a summer hit in France – but how sound is the science behind them?

Published: 27 June 2024 15:28 CEST
What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Summer in France is mosquito season. The insistent high-pitched biting pests can be a huge frustration on sultry evenings, and are a major source of revenue for pharmacists and supermarkets selling repellents, creams and insecticide sprays, to those unfortunates who provide a tasty snack for the itch-inducing insects.

Recently, efforts to prevent mosquito attacks have moved into the app sphere. A number of smartphone applications are available that claim to repel mosquitoes by emitting low-frequency sounds from the phone’s speaker. 

READ ALSO: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

The idea isn’t new. And it is based on actual science. France’s Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) said that the apps are intended to, “imitate the sound waves produced by the wing beats of … dragonflies. Female mosquitoes, which bite humans, would be repelled by this sound”.

So far, so good. The theory seems sound enough. 

READ ALSO: ‘Put a drop of detergent in the water’ – How to deal with mosquitoes in France?

But there’s a problem. 

“The [sound]waves that could possibly be heard by female mosquitoes are too powerful to be reproduced by a smartphone,” Inserm went on to say.

Possibly to cover themselves, the Anti-moustique insecticide app, available on the App Store, states in its own description: “It has not been scientifically proven that low-frequency sounds can help repel mosquitoes. For this reason, this app should be considered a joke app”.

READ ALSO Life in France: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

According to Inserm, experts advise against this type of app, “at best because they are useless, at worst because they can provide a false sense of protection”, leading users to neglect other – rather more effective – approaches to protecting themselves from bites.

Anti-mosquito advice

When it comes to repelling the horrible little bastards, the French government does have some official advice.

The main thing is to have as little stagnant water around as possible – since this is where mosquitoes breed.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, and use a good quality insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

A plethora of products exist on the market, from machines that also produce the mosquito repelling noise to scented candles or smoke coils, most of these have at at least some effect, but are unlikely to keep the mossies away entirely.

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