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Moving

These articles help future expats who want to relocate to France: which visa to get, how to get organized, shipping household items…and a lot more!

France quiz

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Driver's license, Healthcare, Moving Leave a comment
Let's test your Frenchness with a quizz.

It’s playtime! Let’s have some fun and test your knowledge of France in 20 trivia questions. Take the quiz!

Categories Moving to France Tags Driver's license, Healthcare, Moving Leave a comment

French greetings—Bonjour!

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 01/02/2025 Tags French lifestyle, Most popular articles, Moving, Speaking Leave a comment
Learn basic French greetings

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.

Categories French language Tags French lifestyle, Most popular articles, Moving, Speaking Leave a comment

Travel insurance terms in French

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Mutuelle Leave a comment
Get travel insurance when visiting the U.S.Vocabulary

Use this glossary of French insurance vocabulary to better understand your French travel insurance policy.

Categories Glossaries Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Mutuelle Leave a comment

French Measurements

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags French lifestyle, Moving, Writing 2 Comments
French measurements are based off the metric system.

French don’t use inches, feet, gallons or degrees Fahrenheit. Learn about French measurements and how to convert them into U.S. metrics.

Categories Living in France Tags French lifestyle, Moving, Writing 2 Comments

Port number to Google Voice

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 62 Comments
Expats can benefit greatly from using a Google Voice number when living abroad

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.

Categories Moving to France Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 62 Comments

Can you use a US cell phone in France?

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone Leave a comment
Can a US cell phone work 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.

Categories Moving to France Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone Leave a comment

French VLS-TS visitor visa—Health insurance

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 01/02/2025 Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 18 Comments
Can French VLS-TS visitor visa holders enter the French healthcare system?

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?

Categories Moving to France, Settling in France Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 18 Comments

eSIM France—best prepaid eSIM

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 10/01/2025 Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 7 Comments
purchase an eSIM and get a French phone number

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.

Categories Moving to France Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 7 Comments

Moving to France checklist

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 10/01/2025 Tags Banking, Driver's license, Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 2 Comments
Use this comprehensive check list before moving to France

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!

Categories Moving to France Tags Banking, Driver's license, Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 2 Comments

French acronyms you should know

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Banking, Driver's license, Driving, Healthcare, Moving, Paperwork, Taxes, Visas, Writing 2 Comments
Get familiar with the most common French acronyms

Learn the most common French acronyms organized by category.

Categories French language Tags Banking, Driver's license, Driving, Healthcare, Moving, Paperwork, Taxes, Visas, Writing 2 Comments

Best VPN for expats

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 07/10/2025 Tags Internet, Moving, TV 8 Comments
VPNs are highly convenient 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.

Categories Settling in France Tags Internet, Moving, TV 8 Comments

Shipping household goods to France

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Moving 13 Comments
Is shipping household goods overseas worth it?

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?

Categories Moving to France Tags Moving 13 Comments

How to get a France long-stay visa

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 03/16/2025 Tags Moving, Visas 13 Comments
Get your French long-stay visa and start your journey

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?

Categories Moving to France Tags Moving, Visas 13 Comments

How to use a Wise bank account abroad

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Banking, Most popular articles, Moving 8 Comments
A Wise account is highly convenient when living 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.

Categories Moving to France Tags Banking, Most popular articles, Moving 8 Comments

France Visa travel insurance

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 08/08/2025 Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 11 Comments
Health insurance is mandatory to enter the Schengen area

This article helps you find an affordable health insurance for your French long-stay visa.

Categories Moving to France Tags Healthcare, Insurances, Moving, Visas 11 Comments

Best French SIM card

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 11 Comments
Buy a French prepaid SIM card to get a French cell phone number

This is a guide to help you buy a SIM card that you can use in France. Learn how SIM cards work in France.

Categories Moving to France Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Phone 11 Comments

Renting in France

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 08/29/2025 Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Renting 13 Comments
Renting in France is more complicated than renting in the United States.

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?

Categories Settling in France Tags Most popular articles, Moving, Renting 13 Comments

French glossary of renting terms

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 12/24/2024 Tags Moving, Renting Leave a comment
Learn the ins and outs of renting in France.Vocabulary

This renting glossary lists all the French terms related to renting a place with their American translations.

Categories Glossaries Tags Moving, Renting Leave a comment

Opening a bank account in France as an American

by Nathalie Nahmani | Updated: 08/30/2025 Tags Banking, Most popular articles, Moving 37 Comments
Learn French terms related to banking.

How to bank in France as an American? Why would you need a French bank account? What are the different types of accounts?

Categories Settling in France Tags Banking, Most popular articles, Moving 37 Comments
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Latest Comments

  1. Nathalie Nahmani
    Nathalie Nahmani on French phone plans for American expats10/27/2025

    Oh I see! I think you were probably referring to the "Can you use a US cell phone in France"…

  2. Phil Mallonee
    Phil Mallonee on French phone plans for American expats10/27/2025

    The point I was making was about GSM. I think that technology is a "legacy" technology that is on the…

  3. Jany Lin
    Jany Lin on How to write numbers in French10/27/2025

    Great article — very clear and helpful! I especially liked the section about writing big numbers and dates in French.

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