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Local France
09-07-2025
- General
- Local France
French government clarifies how long you must keep paperwork for
It's fair to say that France is a country that likes its bureaucracy and admin, and many new arrivals are issued with strict instructions to never throw away any piece of paper, just in case it proves vital at a later date. With more and more admin moving online things are perhaps less paper-based than they used to be, but still the terror of throwing away the wrong item remains. Now, however, the French government's Service Public service has issued a list of the papers that must be kept forever, and the things that can safely be thrown away. Here's what they say; Must be kept forever Livret de famille - the booklet you are given upon the birth of a child, to record their childhood Carnet de santé - if applicable, these health records are usually given to children born in France, there is also a digital version via Ameli Marriage certificate Decree of adoption Deed of sale for a property Any kind of certificate should generally be kept, including language test certificates or degree certificates. Advertisement Your birth certificate should of course be kept - but for certain French admin tasks you may be required to supply a 'recent' one - which means requesting a new copy, rather than being born again . Keep for a limited time Then there are the pieces of paper that only need to be kept for a certain length of time. According to Service Public these are; Three years - a property rental contract and inventory can be disposed of three years after the tenancy ends. Four years - tax declarations and tax notices can be disposed of at the beginning of the fourth year following the tax year (so you can dispose of your 2025 tax declaration from the beginning of 2029). If you do your declarations online, then you can request duplicates of old documents. One year - property tax bills, on the other hand, only need to be kept for one year. Five years - bank statements should be kept for five years, although you only have 13 months to contest a payment you believe to be suspicious or fraudulent. Manual widget for ML (class="ml-manual-widget-container") Retirement - payslips, on the other hand, should be kept until you have asserted your right to receive a pension in France - either upon retirement or after you have set up your pension account and had calculated the contributions you have made throughout your career in France. Throw it away Service Public advises that other documents can be thrown away once they reach the end of their validity - for example once a guarantee for an item has expired, it can be thrown away. There is, however, an online simulator which gives more detailed advice, allowing you to enter a wide range of documents from a certificate of having your boiler serviced to vehicle or insurance paperwork and get an estimate of how long you should keep it for. Find that here . Advertisement Request new There are certain pieces of paperwork that you can, if necessary, request new copies of online - the most common of these is the justificat de domicile . It's fairly common to be asked for a recent proof of address - previously that meant a utility bill issued within the last three months, but as more and more people move to paperless billing, utility companies offer an online service in which you download an Attestation de domicile , dated that day, which is accepted as proof of address for all official purposes. You can do this as often as you like. You can also request proof that you are covered by the French health system at any time, by going to the Ameli website and downloading an Attestation des Droits . The tax website also offers the option to download various documents as needed including previous years' tax declarations and bills, which may also be required as proof of your income. Immigration paperwork The Service Public website is mainly aimed at French people, so it doesn't really touch upon the immigration paperwork that is vital for the life of non-EU citizens in France. Advertisement The general rule of thumb is to keep anything that shows your period of legal residency in France - so copies of old visas, residency permits etc that you can use to prove, if necessary, how long you have been a legal resident in France. For Brits who moved to France before Brexit, the advice is to keep something from the first or early years of your stay in France - for example a work contract, rental contract or old utility bill which will show that you were in France during the relevant period. Copies For really vital paperwork it's a good idea to have a back-up - foreigners in France with a residency permit/visa are advised to make a copy (a phone photo is fine) and store it in a different place, either physically or digitally, so that you have proof if the document is lost. If you are asked to send a certain document, pay careful attention to whether the request is for the original document or a copy, and whether it is required to be apostillé .
Local France
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Local France
The French documents available in digital form
Everyone living in France can use the Agence Nationale des Titres Sécurisés (ANTS) website to sort out car registration documents, driving licences, and French passports and ID documents; while the Ameli portal deals with all things related to health and the miraculous carte vitale ; and Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF) handles family matters. But, there's a world of difference between sorting out your administration matters online, which is very useful, and having access to a digital version of your important documents, which can be even more useful. Currently, national ID cards, driving licences, carte vitales , and – most recently – vehicle registration logbooks, known as cartes grise , can be held in digital as well as physical form. Advertisement They're all part of a push to streamline day-to-day administrative processes, and make demonstrating one's identity easier and more secure - importantly, however, they're intended as an extra to physical documents, not a replacement. But, not everyone can get their digital hands on these digital documents. Most, for now, are only available to French citizens, who hold a latest-generation credit card-style ID card, who have set up a France Identité account. So, which ones can legally resident foreigners in France access, and which will they have to wait for? First, however, a reminder. Digi-documents are available in addition to the physical versions, rather than as a replacement. They're not compulsory so if you can't access them, you don't have a smartphone or you just prefer the paper/plastic versions then you can stick with that. Carte vitale A digital version of the all-important health card has been available to French citizens for some time – and has been rolled out to some foreigners too. READ ALSO New digital carte vitale extended to foreigners in France Who - The rollout is on a geographical basis – it is currently available in 46 of France's 96 mainland départements; Ain, Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Bouches-du-Rhône, Cantal, Calvados, Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Drôme, Eure, Hautes-Alpes, Haute-Loire, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Jura, Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Manche, Marne, Mayenne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nièvre, Orne, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Sarthe, Savoie, Seine-Maritime, Var, Vaucluse, Vendée, Vosges, Yonne, and Territoire de Belfort. Eventually, it will be rolled out to the whole country. Non-French citizens in France must be resident in one of the above départments, but they can only access the CV app if they have either; A carte de séjour issued by France A Belgian ID card A Spanish ID card A Portuguese ID card There are plans to expand these categories, hopefully by the end of 2025. Advertisement In order to use it, you will also need to have already created an online Ameli account , and to have a smartphone that is at least version 9 for an Android or 16 for an iPhone. Driving Licence The digital licence can be used during traffic stops – and it is intended that it will, in time, be possible to integrate this data into a document that allows holders to rent vehicles online. Who - Sorry, legally resident foreigners in France – this one is, currently, only available to French citizens who have a French driving licence. Optional digital driving licences have been available to French citizens and dual nationals since February 2024. They are accessed using the France Identité app, which at present only allows people to register if they are French citizens and have the new bank-card sized ID card. There are plans to expand these criteria, potentially by the end of 2025 although there is no confirmed date. READ ALSO Who can use France's new digital driving licence? Advertisement Carte grise The vehicle registration document - commonly known as the carte grise - is a new addition to the virtual documents . It allows drivers to present their documents if required during traffic stops, but means that they don't have to keep vital paperwork in the car. Who - As it is with driving licences, so it is with vehicle registration documents. These are currently only available to anyone able to use French digital ID verification service France Identité – and that means you need to have French citizenship. French ID Only French citizens can have a French ID card, or a carte nationale d'identité (CNI) to give it its full name. Other French cards such as the carte de séjour residency card can be used to prove your identity, but they are not in themselves ID cards. If you have gone through the process of gaining French nationality, you will be informed of the process of getting your ID card. You will also be advised about France Identité. Advertisement Okay, you keep mentioning France Identité – what's that? France Identité is an app created by the French government that provides a secure short-cut to access official websites. It also allows you to provide a digital proof of your ID and/or address when required, and offers an online ID service that means you can provide proof of your identity without having to divulge personal details to an external website. READ ALSO What is France Identité and can foreigners use it? And you can use it to access digital versions of several key French documents - with others set to follow in due course. The app is available now as either iOs or Android versions. The good news It's not all bad news for non-French residents in France. An Interior Ministry spokesman previously told The Local that the plan is to open up France Identité to people who are legally resident in France but are not French citizens 'by the end of 2025'. That will be useful, because it's likely that the dematerialised option will be expanded to various other documents are France continues its march towards digitisation. Although just to recap - these digi versions are optional added extras, they are not compulsory.
Local France
02-06-2025
- Health
- Local France
New digital carte vitale extended to foreigners in France
If you live in France you will likely already be familiar with the carte vitale - the green card that shows that you are registered in the French public health system and allows you to be reimbursed for medical appointments, treatments and prescriptions. If you don't already have the card, here's how to get one . However there is now a new option for cardholders - the digital carte vitale . Previously only available to French citizens, it has now been expanded and made accessible to foreigners living in France. What is it? The digital card is in addition to, not instead of, the physical card. It is stored on your smartphone and means you don't need to worry about remembering the card for each medical appointment. It also has some handy extra features such as allowing you to designate a 'trusted person' who can pick up prescriptions for your. It is not compulsory - the physical cards continue to be accepted for all medical costs. For new arrivals in France it is not possible to go straight to the digital card, for the moment at least you need to get the physical card first, then download the digital version. Who can get it? The digital carte vitale system is being rolled out gradually, and at first it was only accessible to people who had the new credit-card-sized French carte nationale d'identité (ID card), meaning that it was restricted to French citizens. However, the next phase expands that to include other types of ID - including the older-style French ID cards or a French-issued carte de séjour . Accepted forms of ID are; A French ID card A French passport A carte de séjour issued by France A Belgian ID card A Spanish ID card A Portuguese ID card These forms of ID are set to be extended, but the inclusion of a carte de séjour as accepted ID means that the digital carte vitale is now available to some foreigners living in France, specifically non-EU nationals The rollout is also being done on a geographical basis - it is now available in 46 of France's 96 mainland départements; Ain, Allier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Ardennes, Aube, Bas-Rhin, Bouches-du-Rhône, Cantal, Calvados, Côte-d'Or, Doubs, Drôme, Eure, Hautes-Alpes, Haute-Loire, Haute-Marne, Haut-Rhin, Haute-Saône, Haute-Savoie, Isère, Jura, Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, Manche, Marne, Mayenne, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Nièvre, Orne, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Saône-et-Loire, Sarthe, Savoie, Seine-Maritime, Var, Vaucluse, Vendée, Vosges, Yonne, and Territoire de Belfort. In order to use it, you will also need to have already created an online account via Ameli , and to have a smartphone that is at least version 9 for an Android or 16 for an iPhone. Advertisement Ameli - How to create your French social security account How to get one? First of all, go into the app store and download the carte vitale app - it looks like this. Once downloaded, you enter the social security number on your carte vitale . You then have two options; verify with France Identité (which the app says takes two minutes) or verify using another method. France Identité is only usable by people who have the credit-card-sized French ID card, so most foreigners will click the 'other' method. This is slower and more complicated - first a code will be sent via your Ameli account in order to start the process. You then make a video in the app showing your face, in order for your ID to be checked - follow the in-app instructions on how to create the video. Once you have sent the video, your ID will be checked, and finally an email will be sent inviting you to finish the process and create your account - this takes up to 48 hours, and be sure to check your spam folder for the final email. Advertisement What about other départements? The rollout is set to be completed by the end of the year, but at present, there is no precise schedule. It is also expected that the ID types will also be widened by the end of the year to include foreigners in France who are EU citizens (and therefore don't need a carte de séjour) but who are not Spanish, Belgian or Portuguese.
Local France
13-05-2025
- Business
- Local France
OPINION: Let's stop complaining, French bureaucracy really isn't that bad
Ask anyone for a list of clichés on French life and, once they've got past the strikes and the holidays and the long lunches (all of which are at least to some degree true) you'll usually arrive at bureaucracy. Specifically the nightmare of French bureaucracy in all its slowness and complexity, administered by the world's least helpful bureaucrats. But in 2025 is that actually true any more? Or at least, is French bureaucracy worse than any other country? My contention - with several caveats - is that it isn't. Or more specifically that the cliché of 'worst in the world' hasn't kept up with the recent changes and advances in French bureaucracy, especially as more and more things move online. I think you notice this most sharply in tasks that you can directly compare - for example taxes. While there's no doubt that the French tax declaration form is, like all tax paperwork, complicated and couched in peculiarly bureaucratic language - the process itself compares well to the system in other countries. In France the annual tax declaration is entirely online, and it remembers your details from year to year. If your financial situation is simple - eg you have a single source of income as an employee or a pensioner - and if nothing has changed in the past year, you can comfortably have the declaration completed and sent within 30 minutes. Obviously things get more difficult if you have a more complicated financial situation, or you're claiming some of the many tax breaks available, but people who file taxes in both France and the UK will tell you that the French system is considerably more user-friendly. Meanwhile people who file taxes in both France and the US (which is all Americans living in France because the IRS never lets you go. Not even if you become the Pope ) practically weep with gratitude at the simplicity of the French process. If you have a problem with the French tax system you also have the option of visiting your local tax office on a walk-in basis and speaking to an actual person, who is usually both able and willing to help you. Recalling the one time in 2013 that I actually needed to speak to an employee of HMRC still makes me want to throw things at the wall. Advertisement I think this change has become more marked in recent years as more processes move online, along with some official attempts to make bureaucracy slightly less brutal - for example in 2018 the French were given the official 'right to make a mistake'. The difference really showed up during the Covid pandemic though, when France produced an app - TousAntiCovid - that genuinely was good; streets ahead of the clunky products being deployed in neighbouring countries. Once those vaccination certificates became all important, French people also benefited from an online health system (Ameli) that is genuinely user friendly and efficient. These days, I'm constantly surprised at how streamlined some French processes are. As part of my citizenship application I recently had to get a criminal records check from both France and the UK - the French process was entirely online, free, and they emailed me the relevant certificate within 48 hours. The UK process involved navigating a website that looks very like a scam site, downloading and filling out a Microsoft Word document (and therefore also having to download Microsoft Word which I didn't have because it's no longer 1995), paying £55 and waiting six weeks for the certificate to arrive in the post. Likewise swapping my UK driving licence for a French one was also an online process, and one that left me genuinely worried that I had messed it up, simply because it was too easy (a far cry from the old days of sending in applications by post to the local préfecture). Even daily life is easier - in the UK if I needed a doctor's appointment I had to ring the surgery at 8am, stay on hold listening to terrible music and eventually get through by about 9am at which point there may or may not be an appointment. Advertisement In France I click onto Doctolib to see my doctor's schedule and pick an appointment day and time that suits me. If my doctor is booked up, or on holiday, I can go to any other local généraliste . I think that part of the reason that foreigners see French bureaucracy as terrible is as a result of bruising experiences with immigration paperwork - getting or renewing visas, obtaining or renewing the carte de séjour residency permit or applying for French citizenship. And yes, all of these can be challenging, time-consuming or both - we have reported extensively on the problems that foreigners in France face, from the glitchy and bug-filled ANEF website to the years-long waiting times at certain préfectures . But immigration paperwork is a nightmare everywhere - it's just that most people have no experience of it in their own countries. Is France really any worse than, for example, the USA where people routinely wait months or years for a simple spouse visa? Is it worse than the UK with its 'digital settled status' system that regularly fails leaving migrants with no way to prove that they are legally in the country? Advertisement It's true that if you start getting into more specialist areas like getting planning permission or building permits to do work on your French property then things do start getting difficult. But once again, I'm not sure that these system are any more difficult than in any other country. But as every French language learner knows, for every rule there is an exception, so let's finish with my favourite French bureaucracy story, told to me by a friend here in Paris. Advertisement After waiting in line at the préfecture for almost two hours she went in for her appointment, clutching a file full of the paperwork she had been told to bring. As the lady went through her paperwork, she asked for recent proof of address. My friend did not have this, and pointed out that it was not included on the list of documents she had been told to bring. The lady grabbed her list and a pen and scrawled 'justificat de domicile' at the bottom. Handing it back she replied. "It is now". I'm not going to pretend that French bureaucracy is easy, or that there aren't glitches and problems within the systems, especially anything immigration related, but compared to other countries? I don't think France deserves its terrible reputation, so perhaps we should stop complaining about it. (We can still complain about other aspects of French life, after all - what could be more French?) Do you agree with Emma? Pleas share your experiences - good or bad - of French bureaucracy in the comments section below (your answers may be used in a future article)
Local France
17-02-2025
- Local France
French banks issue warning about new 'courier' scam
Banks have been emailing customers in recent days to warn them about a sophisticated new scam aimed at securing the banking codes or PIN numbers of account holders. The scam follows a multi-step process; First a text message will be sent purporting to be from a French administrative body such as Ameli, CPAM or La Poste, asking you to click on a link and fill in certain personal details on a form. Once you have submitted the form, a second text is sent, claiming to be from your bank informing you that someone has tried to use your bank card for a fraudulent transaction. The fraudster then calls, claiming to be from the fraud department of your bank and asking you for extra details, including the details of any security codes or authentification codes sent out by your bank via text message or the banking app. If they are successful in getting the details they need, the fraudsters have even been known to send a person out to a customer's home, claiming to be a courier who has arrived to collect and destroy the bank card in order to avoid further fraud - in reality they use the card to make purchases, using the codes supplied on the phone. Banks have reminded customers that they will never ask for security codes or a PIN number on the phone, and they do not send couriers to collect and destroy bank cards. Common scams This scam is unusually elaborate, but there are dozens of variations on the scam, especially using fake emails and text messages claiming to be from legitimate French organisations. Text messages claiming that a parcel is waiting, that a fine must be paid without delay, that an application at the préfecture has an update are all common. So too is a text claiming that the recipient's carte vitale health card needs to be updated or it will stop working. All texts containing a link should be treated with suspicion - if you are at all unsure, login directly to your account with the relevant government body and proceed to your account and deal with any messages or updates there. It's also common for scammers to phone, and attempt to extract personal or banking details on the phone.
