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Local France
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
July 14, wildfires, and the big bike race: 6 essential articles for life in France
July 14th is the Fête nationale in France, sometimes known as Bastille Day in the anglophone world. It marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 – the event that symbolises the beginning of the French revolution. There are many ways to celebrate, including fireworks displays, traditional parades and the highly popular bals de pompiers , where French firefighters host parties in their station houses. Here's what to expect this year. July 14th: What's happening during France's Fête nationale this year It's still early in the usual summer season for wildfires, but France has already dealt with two major blazes that caused widespread travel disruption – one of which saw hundreds of people evacuated from their homes in the country's second-largest city . These are unlikely to be the last major fires of the summer due to tinder-dry conditions and further forecast heatwaves. Scientists say that climate change is making the European wildfire season longer while increasing the geographical spread of fire risk zones and making the heatwaves that are a major cause of fires more likely. So.. Is France ready for a summer of increasingly severe wildfires? In total only around 25 percent of private homes in France have air conditioning installed, so if you're moving here then it's likely that your new place won't have it. There are, however, alternatives that will also keep you cool when la canicule (the heatwave) hits. 7 alternatives to air conditioning in France Advertisement It's fair to say France is a country that thrives on bureaucracy and admin – and many new arrivals are issued with strict instructions to never throw away any piece of paper, in case it proves vital at a later date. But, 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. So, now, the French government's Service Public has issued a list of the papers that must be kept forever and ever, and those that can safely be thrown away after a certain amount of time. French government clarifies how long you must keep paperwork for They're expensive, but for some people full immersion French language exchanges are the best way to learn the language. Here, Gabrielle Nadler examines the advantages and disadvantages of these programmes. Are French language exchange holidays worth it? Some 184 riders from 26 countries set off on a big cycling tour around France with the dream of winning the world's most famous bicycle race – here's why you should watch the Tour de France, even if you have no interest in bikes. 7 reasons to watch the Tour de France (even if you have no interest in cycling)
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
23-04-2025
- Health
- Local France
How to write a Living Will in France
A living will – also known as an advance decision and in French as a Directive Anticipée – is a legally binding document that allows people to choose and explain their wishes regarding future medical treatment in circumstances in which they are no longer able to express informed consent. Directives Anticipées have been legal in France since 2016 and are specifically intended to outline preferences on healthcare treatments at the end of life. France does not at present have legal assisted dying - although that could change soon - but patients can express their wishes about how much medical intervention they want at the end of their lives, whether doctors should try to resuscitate them and similar matters. Advertisement Matters concerning your estate after you die and inheritance issues are dealt with in a traditional Will. READ ALSO Wills and inheritance law in France Who can write one? Any adult has the right to write a Directive Anticipée , regardless of their personal situation. It is important to note that they are a right rather than an obligation, and that you can update, amend, and rewrite them later as your personal circumstances and wishes change. When should you write one? That's up to you. If you are about to undergo surgery, you may be offered the opportunity to write one, but the truth is you can set down your wishes at any time in your life, regardless of whether you are healthy or ill. But many people decide to write one if they have been diagnosed with a serious illness. How long are they valid for? Documents are valid indefinitely, but you can modify or cancel them at any time. Is there a form? There is. A model for the document is available from the French Health Ministry via Service Public – here . Some healthcare facilities such as hospitals may have a form you could use. Using these templates is not mandatory – your wishes, handwritten in French on a piece of paper that's signed and dated is enough – but they ensure that your expression of wishes meets the requirements set out in the law. Advertisement If, for whatever reason, you cannot write your own directive, you can ask someone to do so in front of you and two witnesses. One of them must be your 'trusted person' if you have designated one. READ ALSO How to register a death and arrange a funeral in France Trusted Person' – what's that? Ah, yes. A 'trusted person' ( personne de confiance ) is the person you entrust to act on your behalf and advocate for you with medical professionals if you are ill and unable to speak for yourself. They should support you in health-related matters and, if one day you are unable to express your wishes, they will be consulted as a priority to express them for you: they will be able to receive medical information on your behalf and will be your spokesperson. There is no requirement for this person to be a blood relative or a spouse. Advertisement Can I choose my personne de confiance ? You can – it must be a person you trust and they must agree to take on the role. It can be a relative, a friend, or even your GP – but, whoever it is, it is important that they understand the responsibility and agree to do so. It could be a very difficult job, after all. The full name and contact details of your personne de confiance must be included either on your directive, or on a separate sheet attached to it. They must sign it to confirm they have understood and agreed to the role. What if I don't have one? Doctors will make a decision regarding your care after consulting other doctors and close family, in consultation with any involved healthcare team. Where should I keep it? A good question. It should be easily accessible. If you have a dossier médical partagé – via online healthcare service Mon Espace Santé – you can record or store your documents there, or indicate that you have written a directive and where it is stored. Otherwise, you can entrust them to the doctor or caregiver of your choice so that they can keep them in your medical or nursing file; and/or give them to your trusted person, a family member or a loved one. How will my wishes be read and kept? If you can no longer express yourself, a doctor responsible for your healthcare is obliged to find out as soon as possible whether you have written a directive, read it and respect your wishes. There are two reasons your wishes may – initially – be ignored. Priorities first. First-responders and emergency doctors, for example, don't check directives before trying to save your life. Once you've been admitted to hospital, your files will be reviewed and the directive read and acted on. And, if your directive is 'not in accordance with the medical situation'. In this case, in which case the lead doctor will consult with other doctors and your agreed personne de confiance about the healthcare steps to take. What if I haven't written one? In all cases, your pain will be treated and soothed. Your well-being and that of your loved ones will remain the priority. The law requires doctors not to begin or continue treatments that they consider unreasonable, unnecessary or disproportionate, or that have no other effect than to keep you artificially alive. The doctor will consult your personne de confiance if you have one, or your loved ones to find out your wishes, and will make decisions – as part of a team – with other doctors.
Local France
04-04-2025
- Automotive
- Local France
Radars, fines and points: How to understand France's speeding laws
When driving in France, it is important to pay close attention to signage and to respect the speed limit at all times. Speeding is not only dangerous, but it can also get you a hefty ticket. Even though it may not be a big deal to go just a couple kilometres over the limit in your home country, speeding is taken very seriously in France. You can be pulled over by a police officer for speeding, but you could also be caught by a speed camera and not even realise it until you get a fine in the mail. Pay careful attention to the signs showing the speed limits - it's not uncommon for the limit to change regularly along the same road, especially the rural single lane routes. The country currently has 4,000 speed cameras in operation, and this year the number is expected to rise to 4,160, according to Capital France . You can see a map of where they are located on the Securité Routière website. Standard speed limit rules In France, you risk both a fine and points removed from your French licence. Most foreigners in France (excluding Brits) are required to swap their licence for a French licence one year after moving here. You can find details in our separate article. Advertisement For non-EU tourists who are driving their own cars in France, whether or not you receive a point on your foreign licence depends on whether your country (or state) has a reciprocal agreement with France. If you have snapped by a speed camera while in a hire car, rental companies will relay your information to French authorities, and they may also apply a surcharge for fines. READ MORE: Can France confiscate your foreign driving licence? If you are caught going less than 5km/h above the permitted speed, then there is no longer any risk of having points taken from your licence, but you still risk a fine. The fines are correlated to the type of 'class of offence'. As such, if the speed limit was more than 50km/h the standard ( forfaitaire ) fine would be €68, which is the amount for a 3rd class offence. If the limit was less or equal to 50km/h the standard fine would be €135, which is the amount for a 4th class offence. READ MORE: What to do if you get a speeding ticket while driving in France This fine can either be decreased ( minorée ) if you pay quickly, or it can be increased ( majorée ) if you do not pay within the time limit specified in your fine. The instructions for how to pay will be included with the fine, along with instructions to give details of another driver if you weren't driving at the time. You can see the remaining offence 'classes' in the table below. The most severe would be the 5th class offence (going 50km/h above the limit) which leads to a removal of six points from your licence and a fine of up to €1,500. Service Public chart of speeding offences in France, in English. What is the 'margin of error'? In theory, any speeding can lead to a fine, but if you are caught by a speed camera then there is a 'margin of error' to consider too. Keep an eye out for signage indicating that you have entered a zone with radar enforcement. Despite rumours that these would be changing in 2025, French media has confirmed that there are no plans to change radar 'margins of error'. These are outlined by French law , and they depend on the type of speed camera. Advertisement Fixed speed camera ( radar de vitesse fixe ) - This would be a box-looking radar device along the side of the road that is permanently placed there. It has a margin of error of 5km/h under 100km/h. Over 100km/h, a five percent margin is applied. Basically, this means if the fine says you were driving at 78km/h in a 70km/h zone, then you subtract the margin of error to get the vitesse retenue. In this example, 78 - 5 = 73. Regardless of the margin of error, you were still speeding three kilometres above the limit, and thus you will get a fine but no points on your licence. Mobile Speed Cameras ( les radars mobiles ) - These are the speed cameras installed in police vehicles , and they are less accurate. The margin of error is 10km/h for speeds below 100km/h, and it is 10 percent for speeds above 100km/h. Advertisement Stopped radar cars ( radars vitesse embarqués ) - These are speed cameras positioned inside or outside of vehicles along the roadside. The margin of error is also 5km/h under 100km/h, and five percent above 100km/h. You might not see a 'flash' Several speed camera models do not 'flash' anymore. In fact, since 2019, France has deployed over 400 units of the latest 'Fusion 2 Mesta turret radar' (the latest 'fixed radar' on the side of the road). This camera uses an invisible infrared flash, so you may not know that it caught you speeding. According to Le Figaro , France plans on deploying more of these units across the country, and eventually they will represent 75 percent of speed cameras on the roads. Vocab guide Exces de vitesse - speeding Maximum vitesse - speed limit Vitesse retenue - Your recorded speed minus the margin of error. This is the speed used to calculate your fine if you were caught by a radar device. Appareil de contrôle - The type of speed camera or device that registered you as speeding Amende minorée - Fine at the decreased level. This applies if you pay quickly. Usually the limit is 46 days, from the date the ticket was issued. Amende forfetaire - The standard fine. This is the amount you pay if you do so within the 'standard' period (meaning 47-76 days). Amende majorée - The increased fine for late payment. This is the amount you would pay after 76 days. Avis de contravention - Ticket/ notice of violation Formulaire de requête en exonération - Request to contest the ticket. This form will come with the ticket in the mail. You can fill it out and send it back to contest the charge and request a reimbursement. Keep in mind that unless someone else was driving your vehicle, or it was sold/ destroyed/ stolen, then you must pay the ticket and request reimbursement.
Local France
01-04-2025
- Business
- Local France
Does France practice 'diversity, equity and inclusion'?
French politicians and business leaders have blasted the United States for 'interference' after a letter sent to a number of French companies doing business with the US became public. In the letter, the US embassy asks partner French companies to certify that they "do not practice programmes to promote diversity, equity and inclusion", known in the US as DEI which seeks to facilitate hiring and respect for people from under-represented groups. France's ministry for foreign trade responded, saying that "US interference in French companies' inclusion policies is unacceptable, just like its unjustified tariff threats." On Monday, the delegate minister over foreign trade, Laurent Saint-Martin, told the French press that the letters were tantamount to asking companies "to renounce the inclusion policies" that are in line with French or European law -- "particularly on equality between women and men in the fight against discrimination and racism, and the promotion of diversity to help people with disabilities." So what does French law say about DEI? Technically, 'DEI' (as it is conceived of in the United States) does not exist in France, and in some cases the American approach to DEI would actually break with French rules of secularism and their colour-blind approach. The closest concept might be discrimination positive (positive discrimination, or affirmative action) which is often referenced when discussing 'inclusion' policies. However, legal experts have warned that this is not an official concept in French law. Aurore Bergé, the minister in charge of anti-discrimination, told France 24 "In French law, there is no such thing as 'positive discrimination'. However, there is a law on equality between women and men and equal pay, and there are associated social rights. "There is a principle of non-discrimination, obviously, whether it be discrimination based on origin or discrimination against LGBT people." One of the three key values of the French republic is 'equality', and as Bergé explained, it is taken seriously in the laws governing workplace conduct. There are strict penalties for discrimination, whether that be on the basis of sex, gender identity, race, religion, age, pregnancy, political views, union involvement, etc. You can find the full list of 25 criteria for discrimination on the Service Public website. Advertisement French law also recognises two types of discrimination: 'direct' (eg firing an employee for going on strike) and 'indirect' (something that would put some people at a disadvantage in comparison to others, like an internal company rule allowing only men to remain at the company after the age of 50). There are very few instances where recruitment could be 'discriminatory' and the company must meet strict rules. Examples of this might be refusing to hire workers who are either too old or too young for health and safety reasons, or reserving a job only for one gender in the case of modelling or acting. French companies are not permitted to reference race, ethnicity or religion in hiring, so these aspects of American 'DEI' would automatically not be allowed. In fact, for public officials - who are seen as representatives of the French state - wearing overt signs of religion is not permitted while on the job. Private companies sometimes have the power to institute 'secularism' rules surrounding religious symbols, but there is a higher bar for proving the necessity of such actions. READ MORE: IN NUMBERS: What the French really think about race and racism What might be some examples of 'positive discrimination' in France? Age - Companies with more than 50 employees are required to set up a a 'senior plan' to facilitate recruiting more workers who are over the age of 50. The specifics of the 'senior plan' will depend on the company. People with disabilities - In 1987, France passed legislation requiring that companies with more than 20 employees ensure that at least six percent of employees are people with disabilities. Workers with disabilities also have a right to request an ' RQTH ' ( reconnaissance de la qualité de travailleur handicapé ) which is a certificate from the French government that guarantees certain material and financial assistance for disabled workers. Gender - In 2012, France passed the loi Sauvadet which imposed gender parity quotas (a minimum of 40 percent for both sexes) within the French civil service for senior and management level positions. This applied across public administration to include local authorities, hospitals, public higher education and French départements. In the case of non-compliance, local governments (depending on size) can be fined up to €90,000, which notably happened to Paris city officials after the capital was found to have broken gender parity in 2018 staffing. Advertisement The Paris mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said she was faulted because 11 women and only five men were named to management positions in city hall in 2018, meaning that 69 percent of the appointments went to women. French legislation also requires that 'employee representative' bodies be gender equal. These include union and staff representatives, as well as the comité d'entreprise (works council). The country also passed legislation in 2018 that required companies with more than 50 employees to calculate and publish their 'gender equality index' to prevent pay disparities based on gender. Most recently, in 2021, France passed the 'Rixain law' which gender imposed quotas for management positions in large companies. By 2030, women must represent at least 40 percent of executives in these companies, or the company will face a financial penalty. Race - when it comes to race and ethnicity, the situation in France is a bit different, due to the country's official 'colourblind' policy. Advertisement In France, if you fill out an official form, including the Census, you will never be asked for your ethnicity or religion, as France does not allow for the official collection of ethnic/ racial statistics or data. The same goes for applying for a job. According to France's Conseil Constitutionnel , collecting ethno-racial data would violate principles set out in Article 1 of the Constitution which states that "[France] shall ensure the equality of all citizens before the law, without distinction of origin, race or religion." It is possible for French companies to attempt to determine whether there is bias in hiring practices, like experimenting with 'anonymous' applications to remove indicators of race or ethnicity, but they would not be able to set a quota for a certain number of people from one specific racial background. READ MORE: ANALYSIS: Is France really 'colour-blind' or just blind to racism? Response to the US Embassy letter Many French companies reportedly do not plan on replying at all to the letter from the US Embassy. Aurore Bergé told the French press that "[The companies] don't have to respond, in fact, to a sort of ultimatum laid out by the US Embassy in our country." Geoffroy Roux de Bézieux, head of the French employers' association, Medef, told BFM Business , that the letter was "very bizarre and totally unacceptable (...) no French company should give in to this kind of blackmail." According to French daily Le Parisien , companies that comply with the US Embassy's demands could even be acting "illegally from a French perspective", as the above policies supporting the inclusion of women and people with disabilities are obligatory. Advertisement Christopher Mesnooh, an American business lawyer at the firm Fieldfisher, told AFP that in any case, the US administration cannot require French companies to comply with US law. "There is no legal extraterritoriality that could emanate from this letter in the sense that French companies will now be obliged to apply US labor or federal laws against affirmative action," Mesnooh said.
