Skip to content
france for americans.

The field guides

Every step of the move, written down

17 guides in journey order. Start where you are, check things off as you go; your progress saves on this device.

Just the checklists, on one page
01

Before you leave

The moving to France checklist: six months to touchdown

Everything to do before moving from the US to France, in order: visa timing, documents, apostilles, money, housing and the paperwork kit for your carry-on.

5 min readRead

Getting your French long-stay visa (VLS-TS)

How Americans choose and apply for a French long-stay visa: the main VLS-TS types, the France-Visas application, the documents to gather, fees and realistic timing.

4 min readRead

02

First weeks in France

Your first week in France: the settling-in sprint

A day-by-day plan for week one in France: French SIM, visa validation, transit card, grocery culture, the apps to download and the bonjour rule that smooths everything.

4 min readRead

Validate your visa within 3 months of arrival (ANEF)

How to validate your French VLS-TS on the ANEF portal: the 3-month deadline, what to prepare, the residence tax, and fixes for when the site misbehaves.

4 min readRead

Opening a French bank account as an American

How Americans actually get a French bank account despite FATCA: which banks say yes, the documents to bring, the RIB explained, and your legal backup if everyone says no.

4 min readRead

Renting an apartment in France: dossier, garant and keys

How Americans rent in France: what goes in the rental dossier, how Visale and GarantMe solve the guarantor problem, furnished vs unfurnished leases, insurance and the état des lieux.

4 min readRead

Getting a French phone number (and keeping your US one)

The fast path to a French mobile number: a travel eSIM for landing day, prepaid SIM vs no-commitment plans, picking a carrier, and keeping your US number alive so 2FA keeps working.

5 min readRead

03

Settling in

French healthcare for newcomers: PUMA, carte Vitale and your first doctor

How Americans join French healthcare: PUMA eligibility after 3 months, the CPAM application file, the long road to a carte Vitale, what visits cost, and how to pick a médecin traitant.

5 min readRead

CAF housing aid (APL): the rent help most newcomers skip

France pays part of your rent if your income is modest, and many Americans qualify in year one. How APL works, what CAF asks for, and why you must apply the week you get keys.

4 min readRead

Driving in France: exchanging your US license before the clock runs out

Your US driver's license covers your first year of residence, then France wants its own. How the state reciprocity exchange on ANTS works, and the exam plan B if your state is not on the list.

5 min readRead

Working in France: jobs, contracts and the micro-entrepreneur route

How Americans work legally in France: what each visa allows, French job contracts (CDI, CDD), and setting up as a micro-entrepreneur with URSSAF, in plain English.

4 min readRead

French schools for your kids: maternelle to lycée, enrolled

How to enroll your children in school in France: the mairie inscription, the documents, how the public ladder works, French-language support for newcomers, and what private options cost.

4 min readRead

04

Money and taxes

Your first French tax return, without the panic

When you become a French tax resident, how the household declaration works, the paper form 2042 quirk of year one, and the foreign account form you absolutely cannot skip.

4 min readRead

US taxes from France: yes, you still file

How US taxes work when you live in France: the June 15 expat extension, the FEIE and Foreign Tax Credit that leave most expats owing little or nothing, and the FBAR.

5 min readRead

Investing from France as an American, without the tax traps

Why PFIC rules make French funds painful for US citizens, which brokers welcome Americans abroad, and how 401ks, IRAs, assurance-vie and the Livret A fit in.

5 min readRead

05

The long game

From first visa to French passport: the long game

The ladder from a first VLS-TS to the 10-year carte de résident and French citizenship: timelines, rising language levels, the civic exam and the paper trail to start now.

5 min readRead

Buying property in France: from offer to keys

How Americans buy a home in France: the compromis de vente, the notaire's role, fees around 7 to 8 percent, getting a French mortgage under FATCA, and the taxes that come with the keys.

4 min readRead