u/Xosmine

this is based on my experience and aimed at people with no existing network or relocation support.))

not intended for france bashing)

A) Should I move here without speaking French?

• No, unless you want to suffer from social isolation during your first years.

B) I have a French spouse, how about now?

• Doable, you will be inserted into the OFII integration system, but the free classes stop at level B1. After that, you will be expected to be well integrated into French professional life. (warning: you won't be.)

C) You sound so pessimistic. Is there really no way to move here without learning French?

• There is a way, but it is a difficult, long, grueling path. It is better to have at least a high B1/B2 level before moving here.

D) But I know so many people who moved here without speaking French!

• Yes, and they often were foreigners who moved here because their company offered them a relocation package. If you are arriving in France with no connections of this sort, expect to struggle pretty hard.

E) Can I find an English-speaking job?

• Semi-related to my answer to question 4, English-speaking jobs are scarce and hard to find unless you're tapped in the right opportunities. Most English-speaking jobs are related to childcare.

F) Which countries in Europe are better for English-speaking jobs?

• Malta, England, Ireland, even Romania is better than France here.

G) I have a Bachelor's degree, how about now?

• The bare minimum for most careers is a Masters'. France is one of the most diploma gated countries in the world. In the following order: The (French) schools you went to > diploma > name/family/background > experience > knowledge

H) How do I know if this is the right country for me?

• France has a (generally) accessible healthcare system and a high amount of public services. The best profile that benefits from French lifestyle is the one that is closely aligned with the State's vision of the ideal citizen: Fluent in French, preferably (western) white, thin, intellectual, secular, politically engaged in a particular way, comfortable with a certain rhythm of life.

I) Then, what kind of people are going to have a hard time and how do I avoid being that person?

• Anyone who doesn't fit the profile: The foreigner without the French professional network, French fluency, the visibly religious, anyone too much outside the model of an acceptable French citizen, the neurodivergent, individualistic personalities, hustler personalities, the disabled and those with chronic illnesses not easily understood by French society, people with non-European credentials, people with eccentric or out of the box thinking, people who need communal warmth to feel at home.

J) What about Paris vs the rest of France?

• Paris is the absolute best in the country for job opportunities and economic mobility. Nowhere else really compares. Retirees favor regions outside IDF for obvious reasons.

K) How hard is it to find housing?

• Expect to jump through hoops and hurdles to find an apartment. You need 3 times the rent, preferably a French guarantor, payslips from your CDI (from a French employment agency), your RIB, and your previous electricity bills, if you have them.

L) What about the administration?

• Many things in France revolve around a loop; you need a French phone number to get a phone number, you need French residency to get a bank account, but you need a bank account to get a French residency. Miscommunication issues and administrative loops are frustratingly common in all domains of life.

M) All of this sounds terrible, why come at all then?

• Despite the pessimism, housing crisis, poor economic situation, and decaying public services; many see France as the ideal country due to its work-social life balance and its cultural patrimony that heavily highlights a rich tradition of arts, cuisine, philosophy, and history. While some find the French society's rigorous appreciation of high culture and doing things the "right (French) way" suffocating, others feel right at home. At the end of the day: it depends on your temperament. If you are closely aligned with the vision of the mainstream French citizen, have a great French professional network, family, and friends then you will enjoy it here. Everyone else should think very carefully before coming here.

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I wrote this to help lurkers and inquirers out before they make a huge leap. I have lived here for almost a decade, so I take it upon myself to spread what I've learned in my time residing in this country.