I am an American married to a French women for a little over 4 years. We were married and live in the US but registered our marriage in France. I have 2 children from my previous marriage, ages 18 and 14. I'm preparing to file the application for French citizenship and have questions about some things that are unclear:

1. Do I have to include birth certificates for my children if I am not seeking French citizenship for them?

2. Which documents have to be originals and which can be photocopies? In particular, does the document registering our marriage in France have to be an original?

Just that really. He had been doing some work in the house but it's finished now, and I let him keep the key in case I locked myself or needed a spare for whatever reason.

So obviously I asked him for the key back when he moved last week (so that I can give it to his landlord, who is moving back into the property), and he refused! I'm just waiting for something to complete that he's helping me with, then I will take action. I'd rather not have to change the locks. Is he breaking any French law by refusing to return the key?

Also, I read somewhere that leaving a key with a neighbour could invalidate house insurance, is that true?

Hi everyone!

I'm applying for a French Long Stay Visitor Visa from the U.S. and just wanted to sanity check a few things with people who've already gone through the process. I've searched through a lot of older threads but I'm still a little confused on a few points.

1. TLS appointment calendar

I already have a TLS appointment booked (it ended up being exactly one month after I booked it), but I'd love to see if any earlier appointments become available.

The issue is that whenever I click to manage/book another appointment, I immediately get a warning saying that booking a new appointment will cancel my current reservation. The warning appears before I can even see the calendar.

Has anyone tested this? Can you safely open the calendar and look at available dates without losing your existing appointment, or does simply continuing cancel it?

Also, has anyone actually had success finding earlier appointments by checking the calendar every morning? Is it worth trying?

2. Online document submission vs. appointment documents

This is the part that's confusing me the most.

Before starting the application, I was under the impression that there would be:

• documents submitted online before the appointment, and
• another set of originals/copies brought to the TLS appointment.

I completed my France-Visas application, transferred everything to TLScontact, paid the fees, and booked my appointment—but I was never prompted to upload any supporting documents.

Did I miss a step somewhere?

Or is the primary submission simply bringing my entire application package to the appointment along with the France-Visas checklist?

3. Appointment day tips

For those who've already done this process, is there anything people commonly forget to bring?

Any "I wish someone had told me this beforehand" advice would be greatly appreciated.

4. Financial documents

I completed my France-Visas application and booked my TLS appointment on June 22, and all of my supporting letters and financial documents were prepared around June 20.

Since then, I've continued receiving paychecks and have newer bank statements available.

Should I bring the updated financial documents to my appointment, or should everything remain consistent with what was prepared when I completed the application? Has anyone updated their financial documents between submitting the application and attending their appointment?

5. Booking flights

I'm hoping to travel fairly soon after my appointment if everything goes smoothly.

If I book my flight before my appointment, is it generally considered safe to schedule it for around 10–15 days after the appointment, or is that cutting it too close?

Also, if I do book it beforehand, should I bring the flight reservation to my appointment even though it wasn't part of my original application?

Thanks so much! This subreddit has honestly been one of the most helpful resources throughout this process, so I really appreciate any advice or experiences you're willing to share.

Has anyone been successful working with a US medical degree from France solely with US patients? I know there is a regulated professions visa for practice in France, but could one, for example, have a liberal professions visa to contract with health care systems exclusively in the US without needing a regulated professions visa? Trying to avoid having to transfer a medical degree if I don't intend to practice in France, but happy to practice remotely in the US and pay French taxes. Don't want to run the risk of being accused of practicing medicine without a French license, though so hoping someone here has cracked the code.

Hi everyone,

I’m in need of help. How do we get a social security number for my wife?

We are European citizens, moved here ca. 8 months ago. I got mine after sending back and forth hundreds of documents, which honestly should be the job of my employer and not me.

However, she applied for it while looking for a job and now it got decline because she is active (looking for a job) however she does not have a job, as she is looking for one. So she is not eligible because she is active but also because she does not have a job.

Should we just pretend that she does not look for a job and insure her with me? Can we even do that. Does it have consequences if she finds a job?

I’m at the end of my wisdom…

Also where do we submit the documents? We are in Paris. Again per letter or can one upload the documents there?

Hi everyone,

I'll be travelling to France on a VLS-TS student visa for an 8-month French language course. I already know my course end date.

Did you travel with a one-way ticket or a round-trip ticket? Did the immigration officer in France ask about your return ticket?

If you travelled with only a one-way ticket, was it an issue at immigration?

I'd appreciate hearing your experience. Thanks!

I came to France as a postdoctoral researcher with a VLS-TS that expires in September. Even though I have a two-year contract, my VLS-TS was issued for only one year.

In May, I applied for a titre de séjour since the VLS-TS cannot be renewed. I was wondering if anyone has been in the same situation and how long it took to receive their titre de séjour.

What happens if I don't receive my new titre de séjour before my VLS-TS expires? I really hate the fact that I might not be able to leave Europe. At one point in my life, I was a refugee without a passport or any way to leave a country (not France). It was a really dark time. So this situation (knowing that I might not have a valid residence permit) is really triggering for me.

Thanks

Hello all, i currently hold “talent chercheur” sejour valid till January 2027, i will be signing a contract with a company and i would qualify for “talent salarié qualifié”
If i am not wrong the procedure would be a “changement de status” towards the new title.

However the company will be in a different region (grenoble) and i am based in maine-et-loire currently, so i should be moving asap, but moving and finding an apartment in the new region would take some time.

I am wondering if i should apply for the new status asap from my current address and then move, this way there is no delays caused by moving that could take like weeks, or if i should move first and then apply after.

My concern is about losing any valuable time before getting the new title, but i am worried that might cause issues if there is a conflict between my current address and the address at the company which is very far.

Any experience regarding this or help is appreciated 🙏

I was wondering why I wasn't able to join the Expats Living in Lyon Facebook Group. The group seemed very active. I have a burner FB account and said I was from another country (I won't say which in case they figure out who I am) when I requested to join. They just accepted my burner account. My regular FB account where I said I was an American was not accepted.

I'm so sad. I'm moving to Lyon in October and I really want to integrate into Lyon and connect with people in the expat community (eventually integrate more with the French as my French improves).

Do I need to start telling everyone I'm Canadian?

No electricity at the apartment, linky is on, but breakers inside turn on but no bueno. Need an electrician who is not a scammer. I got a devis earlier to have 3 breakers replaced for 1400 eur.

I’m looking for referrals to an agency or consultant who assists with Carte de Sejour applications. I’m not a native French speaker, and in my case, I need to be extra sure the application is correct the first time it’s sent in - I have mandatory travel outside France regularly, and cannot risk being barred from returning to my family.

My wife and kids are all EU citizens, we have an apartment, banking, savings, insurance etc. All that is taken care of. I’m basically looking to pay a reasonable fee for guidance and hand holding by a local expert. I don’t apply for a long stay visa ahead of time as I have an EU spouse - I tried , and was rejected.

And yes, I have found many places online that offer these services. The last quote I got was nearly €5000, and given the limited scope of what I need, I know that is ridiculous.

So if anyone out there has had a good experience and can’t send a recommendation, I’d appreciate it.

Hi All, I'm a 25M recently migrated to France, currently learning French, and have lost my Canadian remote job. I'm seeking advice on how to find a software engineering job in France. I've been struggling for the past three months and am running out of savings.

I have applied through LinkedIn, Welcome to the Jungle, and numerous platforms. I have given at least 25 interviews till now, and the major barrier I have faced is that they require fluent French proficiency. I have 4+ years of experience as a product-focused engineer who has worked in startups and scaled products E2E.

Looking forward to advice, referral, or any help from the community.

Finally secured a long-term rental after being in France for three months. We're currently in Brittany, staying in an Airbnb, and the house we're renting is an hour east of Bordeaux. We don't have too much stuff with us, but not all of it fits in our rental car, and the distance is too far to make multiple trips. What's better—shipping the boxes, or hiring a transport company? The boxes might end up being on the heavier side, and they're 46cm x 46cm x 41cm, so somewhat large. Alternately, we could ship our four large suitcases and pack the boxes in the car, depending on what's cheapest. Thoughts?

Edited to add: Renting a second car or a DIY van isn't an option as only one of us is brave enough to drive in France.

Since early January, several La Poste branches told me they can't accept a basic letter/envelope or even a postcard. I tried again last week, they still refuse. La Poste was not able to tell me why. Is this because of the Iran war or tariffs? I'm having a baby soon and it would be nice to send a card to family/friends. Any info is appreciated!

Hello! I hope it’s alright to post this here. I was advised this group might have some insights into the language schools in Paris, and I am hoping to get some recent insights.

I might have the opportunity of spending a month in Paris this August and would love to spend it with an intensive language course. I’m a little overwhelmed with all the options and wondering if anyone could speak to recent experiences at any schools especially at the beginner level? I would be at a complete beginner/A0 level for context, so I want to get as much out of it without being entirely out of my depth or wasting my time. While ideally, I would have studied for several months before attempting something like this, I know I won’t have another chance like this for many years if ever, so would like to take advantage of it if I can find an appropriate school on short notice. One school I’m looking at is Lutece Langue because they offer some dates for complete beginners, but open to any suggestions. Thank you for any advice!

These days I feel like simply existing is a trigger. I moved to France two years ago and my migraines have greatly increased. Before I could go years without one and maybe got one once a year. Then even while on HRT for menopause in 2023 I started getting more and had to find prescription meds for them. The Ubrevly helped and they become less and less.
Then I moved and had to change all my HRT. I feel like I’ve gotten that inline better but the migraines this year have been horrible.

I finally saw a Neuro in Paris and he gave me only two choices for prevention. Propranolol which I started in May or infusion ( I am assuming is with Vyepti) which he says lasts 3 months and has zero side effects. May was good. Only two migraines. But June was back to bad with 5 and I’ve kicked off July with another one in my sleep around 2:30am. I am in a constant state of light sensitivity feeling like one could be triggered any minute.

Has anyone on here had the infusion or exp with Vyepti? My Ubrevly which my husband goes back to the US for and costs us a fortune seems to be working less effectively.

Hi all, I have a bit of an odd question and what I hope is NOT normal here.. sorry it is so long, but I am looking for help in how to move forward here.

I moved to France in January under a student visa, which allows me to work up to 20 hours a week. I got a part time job in April. The woman who hired me said she would send the contract along, and when I hadn't had it by my first day, I asked while she was showing me around. She said her boss was on vacation and that she would have it for me next week if that was okay. Of course I am not going to say no...

Long story short, I worked there 3 weeks. 10 shifts of 7 hours each in total. Sexual harassment and no ***s given by management, a horrible commute, being scheduled during school hours, and no contract received, even though I was following up on it regularly. When I gave my notice, the woman said that the contract was sitting in the office and please sign it when I go in for my last shift. It was nowhere to be found, so when I told her this she said someone would email it to me on Monday. This was May 9.

I have still not received a contract to sign BUT they did provide a direct deposit payment the week following my last shift. I thought it looked small, so when I did math, it was clear that some funds were missing. I sent an email to the manager and she didn't respond. I kept following up and a month later they sent me a pay-stub (that was never sent in conjunction with the pay).

It confirmed that hours are missing, and is VERY confusing. It stated less hours than i worked, but the net pay did not match the number of hours stated, OR the amount that was put into my account (which also did not add up for the number of hours stated.) I checked with ChatGPT to see if I was reading the pay-stub wrong, and it confirmed that money is missing, and did answer some of my questions.

I have been reaching out to the manager on a regular basis trying to get this finished and she is becoming less and less responsive. The last I heard from her is that sometimes the organisation has the final payment in cheque form, and I would need to make an appointment pick it up from the office and sign the contract. Okay fine. But no one is responding now to make an appointment.

I have heard that there is an organisation that will send a letter to the company informing them they must pay, and if they don't it goes through further legalities.

I am considering just going to the office and refusing to leave without signing the contract and getting my cheque...ha ha ha...but I also am sure they will just laugh at me. Any helpful suggestions?

I'm 49. Australian. Married a French man and I've been here almost a year. 2 kids, 9 and 14.

I keep feeling like I'm depriving the kids, and myself, of a better life and future in Australia. I love my partner, and I've committed myself to another year here. But after that I don't know. It just feels bleak, I'm losing all optimism and becoming depressed and anxious. My relationship is good, and I want to keep it that way.

My partner's family are wonderful, so are the French people. We've met some lovely friends. I'm the problem, I feel like I've created an awful life for my family coming here.

My daughter hasn't learnt much French since she's been here. She's learnt nothing at school, is forgetting what she's learnt in Australia. Somehow she's made friends, seems happy. I keep getting told kids learn so fast. It's not happening for her. She's always exhausted. This coming home for 2 hours in the middle of the day is bullshit. In Australia she did tap, cheerleading, calisthenics. Nothing like that exists here. No competitions or opportunities to perform. Here she does one hour a week at a local dance school. She's lost all the skills she worked hard for. She's trying a few new activities next school year to try and fill the void.

My son has learnt some French. He's also made friends. He's doing ok at school. He seems happy. He wants to go back to Australia as soon as he's 18. His passion is ballet, which isn't popular here at all. He got into a good dance school and does classes 4 times a week and spends nearly 4 hours a day travelling. He's exhausted, but he won't quit. Now he has 8 weeks of nothing, no summer intensives or classes. For a dancer this sucks.

I'm bored, lonely and have no purpose here. I've been trying to teach myself French for 2 years. I can read ok, I can understand a bit of what I hear, I can't speak. I can't get any better than this with Duolingo, I need proper lessons, with a teacher and interaction in a group (thats the only way I learn). I'm broke, I can't afford French classes. Apparently there's meant to be free classes? But I can't find anything.

To be honest I don't think I'm ever going to reach the required French level to stay here (B1 or B2). Definitely not if I am expected to learn by osmosis.

I'm not working. I can't think of anything I could do. I have no useful skills, no connections. Besides I can't speak French.

Because I don't work I don't have disposable income to it restricts what I can do and where I can go.

I keep busy by walking a lot, plus I don't drive so I walk everywhere. I've lost a crazy amount of weight that I didn't need to lose. I do my Duolingo, read the French newspaper and watch some French TV.

I still have my house in Australia, it's like I'm in limbo. Financially I can't afford to keep it if I'm not living in it. Renting it out has been one drama after another, I don't want to be a landlord. It is rented out for another year but then I have to make the decision to go back or sell it. Housing in Australia is insane, I know if I sell I'll never be able to get back into the property market there again.

My partner doesn't really understand why I'm stressed. His attitude is to live in the moment, the future will take care of itself. He's confident that I'll sort everything out. He's probably right, I should have faith in myself.

While I don't regret coming here, I'm hoping in 12 months time I look back on this post and I'm in a better place.