Practical guides for Americans moving to or living in France, written by a Franco-American with 20 years of US expat experience.
Apply for carte Vitale in 3 steps
Follow the instructions from this guide to enroll into the French healthcare system and obtain your carte Vitale.
French road signs
Driving in France? Learn French road signs visually with side-by-side American-French traffic sign pictures and their meanings in English.
Internet providers in France
Where do you start when you are ready to setup internet at your new place? Which provider should you pick? What are the different fees involved? Is it easy to cancel your internet subscription? Read this guide to get your questions answered.
Moving to France checklist
This comprehensive checklist is for Americans planning to relocate to France. It summarizes everything you need to think about before moving to France. Get started today!
Taxes for Americans in France
Learn about filing taxes as an American expat in France. This guide teaches you how to be compliant with the IRS requirements.
4 reasons to get a French mutuelle
Healthcare costs are much lower in France than in the U.S. Is it worth it getting a mutuelle?
6 most useful French government websites
These 6 French Official Websites provide practical answers to your day-to-day life in France. Whether you are separating, having a baby, moving out or you have parking tickets to pay, learn where to find the right answers today!
All about French PACS
Pacs is a very unique French concept. This article explains how Pacs compares to marriage and what the obligations of a Pacs are.
Auto-entrepreneur status
Do you want to work as a freelancer in France? This article explains the 3 aspects of the auto-entrepreneur status: legal, social and fiscal. Is this French self-employed status for you?
Best French SIM card
This is a guide to help you buy a SIM card that you can use in France. Learn how SIM cards work in France.
Best mutuelle in France
This is a comprehensive guide to help you pick a top-up insurance in France. Learn how to read benefit charts to get the best mutuelle.
Best VPN for expats
This guide explains what a VPN is and why VPNs can be useful to expats. Take advantage of a VPN to access official websites in the US or to watch your favorite tv shows.
Can you use a US cell phone in France?
Make sure that your U.S. cell phone can work in France. Find out why you should keep a U.S. number when living abroad.
- Vocabulary
Dental terms in French
This French glossary contains terms related to dental and oral care. Use it when you visit your dentist in France.
- Vocabulary
Diseases in French
This French glossary lists the most current illnesses (including kids diseases) with their English translations.
Driving in France vs driving in the U.S.
This is a guide for Americans driving in France. Find out the major differences between driving in France and driving in the U.S. and learn useful French traffic signs.
eSIM France—best prepaid eSIM
Get a prepaid eSIM for France to have a French phone number as soon as you land! Learn about the advantages of dual SIM functionality when traveling abroad.
FBAR filing—Simple guide
What is an FBAR? This comprehensive guide on FBAR filing explains how to file in 4 easy steps, with the use of simple examples.
France bank RIB
A bank RIB is one of the most commonly requested document in France. Learn what a RIB is, how to use it and why you need a RIB in France.
France quiz
It’s playtime! Let’s have some fun and test your knowledge of France in 20 trivia questions. Take the quiz!
France Visa travel insurance
This article helps you find an affordable health insurance for your French long-stay visa.
- Vocabulary
French accent names and punctuation marks
Learn the names (in French) of the different accents and punctuation signs.
French acronyms you should know
Learn the most common French acronyms organized by category.
French air quality certificate
Do you need an air quality certificate in France? Read this FAQ to make sure you comply with the anti-pollution law when driving in France.
- Vocabulary
French banking terms
This bank glossary lists all the French terms related to banking with their American translations.
French documents—Justificatifs
France is overly bureaucratic, to say the least. Getting familiar with French administrative documents will help you conquer French bureaucracy.
French driver’s license
Are you familiar with the French driving point system? This article explains how to check your points or contest a a traffic fine. You’ll also learn about probationary permits and how to order a new driver’s license.
French driving test
Learn the ins and outs of the French driving test: Should you use a driving school? How many points do you need to pass the French written test? Can you take the written test in English?
French expressions translated to English
Any language has its own colorful expressions. Have some fun learning French idioms used everyday.
- Vocabulary
French glossary of health professionals
This French glossary of health professionals with their English translations will help you navigate the French Healthcare system.
- Vocabulary
French glossary of medical tests
This French glossary of medical tests can help you understand medical tests written on a French prescription.
- Vocabulary
French glossary of money transfer terms
This money transfer glossary lists all the French terms related to transferring/converting money with their American translations.
- Vocabulary
French glossary of renting terms
This renting glossary lists all the French terms related to renting a place with their American translations.
- Vocabulary
French glossary of visa terms
This is a list of French visa terms with their English translations.
French greetings—Bonjour!
Learning French greetings in both formal and casual settings is essential when moving to France. Find out why you should never skip Bonjour and memorize a few French sentences to use when heading out.
- Vocabulary
French health insurance vocabulary
This is a French glossary of health insurance terms to help you understand the French healthcare system.
French Measurements
French don’t use inches, feet, gallons or degrees Fahrenheit. Learn about French measurements and how to convert them into U.S. metrics.
French medical insurance
This guide explains how the French healthcare system works and how to navigate the system.
- Vocabulary
French medical terms at the doctor’s office
This is a list of French words and sentences to use during a doctor’s visit in France. Learn how to describe your symptoms.
French naming conventions
This article talks about French naming conventions. Can French give any last name to their child? Why is your maiden name on your French DL?
French Pharmacy
French pharmacies are very different from American pharmacies and I’ll tell you how in this article.
French phone plans for American expats
What are the best French cell phone plans for American expats? Can you use your French plan when you travel to the United States or Canada?
- Vocabulary
French phone vocabulary
This list of French words and sentences can help you when you set up a phone plan in France.
French slang words
This articles lists some very commonly used French slang. Learn how to use and understand French slang with full translated sentences.
- Vocabulary
French television vocabulary
Use this French television vocabulary list when you are ready to get a TV subscription.
French VLS-TS visitor visa—Health insurance
This article delves into healthcare for Americans holding or applying for a French long-stay visitor visa. Can VLS-TS and VLS-T visitor visa holders get Carte vitale?
French writing conventions
Learn French writing conventions to improve your writing skills. These few rules won’t take too long to learn and they’ll make your writings look much more professional.
Getting a driver’s license in France in 4 steps
This handbook gives you precise instructions on how to get a French driver’s license as an American.
Going to the doctor in France
This article tells you what to expect when you go to the doctor in France and how to make a doctor appointment.
- Vocabulary
Healthcare facilities in French
This French glossary contains healthcare facility terms. Increase your vocabulary today!
How to get a France long-stay visa
This is a guide about getting a long-stay visa for France. Who needs a visa? When should you apply? Do you need a residence permit?
How to use a Wise bank account abroad
Find out why opening a Wise bank account is highly convenient for expats. Living abroad means that you’ll need to transfer money from your home country to your new place. Find out the benefits of using Wise as an expat.
How to use FranceConnect
FranceConnect is France ID validation system. Find out who can use FranceConnect and how to use it. Learn some workarounds for foreigners who can’t create a FranceConnect+ account.
How to write numbers in French
Learn how to write numbers in French. This articles compares writing numbers in French with writing numbers in American English.
Internet technologies in France
This guide explains the different internet technologies in France. Depending on where you live, you do not have access to all the internet providers and technologies. Have you heard of “zône dégroupée”?
- Vocabulary
Internet terms in French
This glossary lists all the French terms related to internet with their English translations.
Medical prescriptions in France
This articles covers all aspects of French medical prescriptions: what’s on it? Do they expire? Are they valid outside France?
- Vocabulary
Medication terms in French
Learn the French translations of the different pharmaceutical forms with this glossary.
Misused English words in French
Have you ever noticed how some English words mean something totally different in French? The French use many English words in a rather unexpected way for English speakers.
Opening a bank account in France as an American
How to bank in France as an American? Why would you need a French bank account? What are the different types of accounts?
- Vocabulary
Optic care in French
This French glossary contains terms related to vision. Use it when you visit your eye doctor.
Over 40 false friends
This is a list of 40 faux amis that you need to know. Don’t assume you can use a French word just because it sounds or looks like an English word.
Phone carriers in France
This comprehensive guide explains how phone plans work in France. Learn what to look for before signing up for a plan, how to keep your phone number, avoiding roaming fees or how to cancel your phone subscription in France…
Port your US phone number to Google Voice
This article describes how to port a U.S. phone number to a Google Voice number. Thanks to Google Voice, you can keep your U.S. phone number while living abroad.
Renting in France
Learn the ins and outs of renting in France. How to search for a rental? What charges and fees do you have to pay as a tenant? Should you get a renter’s insurance?
Shipping household goods to France
This article talks about what is worth bringing when moving to France from the U.S. Should you bring electrical devices? Ship your car? Bring bed linens?
Travel insurance for the USA
Do American expats in France need to get travel insurance for the U.S. when going back to visit? Are they covered by carte Vitale and mutuelle?
- Vocabulary
Travel insurance terms in French
Use this glossary of French insurance vocabulary to better understand your French travel insurance policy.
TV shows to learn French
Learn French by binge-watching French movies and series. Click on subtitles to understand the structure and grammar of a French sentence in context.
Type French accents with no French keyboard
French don’t use the same keyboard layout as Americans. Learn how to type French accents with a QWERTY keyboard on a Mac or a PC.
US birth certificate online
This detailed guide teaches you how to order a U.S. birth certificate online. You will learn how to get a document apostilled and translated to meet the requirements of French institutions.
US driver’s license in France
This FAQ answers questions about driving in France with a US driver’s license. How long is your foreign license valid in France? Can you exchange your US DL for a French one? Can you rent a car in France with a US DL?
Watch American TV in France
How can you watch American tv in France? Don’t give up on your favorite shows because you’re living in France.
What is carte Vitale?
This FAQ answers most questions about French Carte Vitale. What is it? Who is eligible? Read on and find out!
