French News and Views in English

Drivers sent speeding fines in error due to camera pointing wrong way

Visas to stay in France for six months: Q&As on appointment process

Can we still retire to France? Are certain income levels now required?

Eurostar border fears, new flights, SUV tax: 9 French travel updates

9 changes for residents and homeowners in France in February 2023

5 hours ago

French news

Read the full story

9 changes for residents and homeowners in France in February 2023

Strikes, sports events, rising energy bills: The week ahead in France

Monday 30 January 2023

France strikes January 31: Travel will be heavily disrupted

35 minutes ago

French news

Hunter’s shot smashes car window passing close to driver in Normandy

2 hours ago

French news

Why Brexit closed a 30-year-old British food shop on French Riviera

7 hours ago

Brexit

Career change in France: Alpacas really feel like family

8 hours ago

Work

French healthcare workers reject Macron’s plans to reform the system

9 hours ago

Health

Covid: Daily updates on the situation in France

7 hours ago

Covid-19

French Census 2023 has begun: How it works

1 day ago

French news

French MPs approve bill to speed up development of renewables

1 day ago

Environment

Hunt for Charente loto winner yet to claim their €1 million prize

5 hours ago

French news

More French news

How-to Articles

Practical articles on living in France

See more practical articles

France new €100 fuel aid applications now open: who is eligible?

16 January 2023

How death benefits work for family of self-employed workers in France

7 January 2023

How to check if an incoming call is from a cold caller in France

6 January 2023

How to keep your Christmas cyclamen alive all year in France

8 December 2022

Pet thefts on rise in France: what to do if it happens to your animal

6 December 2022

How to build a snake hotel in your French garden as population falls

6 December 2022

See more practical articles

The February 2023 edition of The Connexion is now out

Get the latest French news and practical information for residents and second-home owners for as little as €4.50 per month

Already a subscriber? Simply login

Brexit Covid-19 Money Health Language Second Homes

Property

See more Property news

Rising renovation costs, €20,000 folding house: French property update

4 days ago

Property

Read the full story

Rising renovation costs, €20,000 folding house: French property update

Energy audits, tax, grants: What is new for property in France in 2023

French property market: what notaires and experts expect for 2023

4 days ago

All owners of French properties must fill in this new tax-site form

6 days ago

Property price negotiation in France: what is average near you?

20 January 2023

Property HOW-TOS

Practical articles on living in France

See more Property how-tos

How to find the price of a property that has sold near you in France

14 September 2022

What to do if structural cracks appear in your French property

29 July 2022

Solar panels on French property: how to make your own electricity

12 July 2022

Explainer: how to get police to check on your home in France when away

5 August 2022

See more Property how-tos

Property Questions

See more Property questions

Q: What help is there to adapt homes in France for old age?

A: Last year, France announced the creation of a new grant scheme to help people to age-proof their homes instead of needing to move into a care home further down the line.

Q: What happens to my French family home if I do not make a will?

A: There are two elements to this - firstly who will own the property and, secondly, who may have a right to live in it either for a limited period or for life.

Q: Can buyers claim the interest on their French house deposit?

A: Among a notaire’s obligations is to give the seller the agreed sales price once the acte authentique is signed.

Q: Why is the heating always on in our French apartment building?

A: Copropriétés in France can have individual or collective heating systems, and when they are collective it is often cheaper because the cost is shared between all of the owners in the building and any repairs are sorted by the syndic.

See more Property questions

Fast-track your knowledge on living in France

with our in-depth Connexion Help Guides

Preview

Visa and residency cards for France*

10 January 2023

- Visas and residency cards (cartes de séjour) for France help guide - Understand when visas and residency cards are required to move to France or come for an extended stay - Applies to Britons (post-Brexit) and to all other non-EU/non-EEA/Swiss nationalities - Useful to anyone considering a move to France, whether for work or otherwise, or wanting to spend more than three months at their French second home

Preview

Inheritance Law and Wills in France*

UPDATED 17 August 2022

Get to know the formalities around French succession rules and considerations for buying property

Covid-19

See more Covid-19 news

Covid France: Extra booster fourth vaccine dose now open to all

14 December 2022

Covid-19

Read the full story

Covid France: Extra booster fourth vaccine dose now open to all

Covid: Daily updates on the situation in France

Covid Pfizer jab: court case claiming side effects begins in France

10 January 2023

France Covid: Have you started wearing a mask again? Your feedback

10 January 2023

Why is uptake of the Covid Omicron vaccine so low in France?

6 December 2022

Covid-19 HOW-TOS

Practical articles on living in France

See more Covid-19 how-tos

How to get a Covid recovery certificate in France and as a tourist?

29 January 2022

US and other non-EU visitors to France: how to get a vaccine pass

16 February 2022

See more Covid-19 how-tos

Covid-19 Questions

See more Covid-19 questions

Q: France Covid: How long after my fourth vaccine dose can I have fifth?

A: A new Covid booster vaccine campaign was launched in France on October 3, as the eighth wave of the virus continues.

Q: How do I get an Omicron-targeted Covid booster jab in France?

A: Our reader is referring to our article: France approves three vaccines adapted to Covid Omicron subvariants.

Q: Is Covid health pass still needed for hospital appointment in France?

A: When France’s vaccine pass system came to an end on March 14, health pass requirements remained in place for non-emergency visits to health and care settings.

Q: Can I get Covid booster jab while not yet in French healthcare system?

A: Everyone who is a resident in France has the right to get Covid vaccinations for free, whether they are in the healthcare system or not.

See more Covid-19 questions

Explore our how-tos on living in France

Find the right information you need to help you navigate life in France

How death benefits work for family of self-employed workers in France

7 January 2023

Work

We explain what a typical lump sum payout might amount to, as well as what happens in the case of salaried people and civil servants, and how to claim

How to check if an incoming call is from a cold caller in France

6 January 2023

Everyday Life

A new regulation that restricts the numbers that telemarketers can use makes it easier to detect them

Pet thefts on rise in France: what to do if it happens to your animal

6 December 2022

Everyday Life

There are 22 million pets in France and they are increasingly being targeted – often to order – by thieves

Health

Money

Work

Family

Property

Science & Tech

Transport

Everyday Life

Environment

Second Homeowners

Brexit

See more Brexit news

Britons abroad: new campaign for overseas MPs seeks support

5 January 2023

Brexit

Read the full story

Britons abroad: new campaign for overseas MPs seeks support

Guide dog owners continue to fight Brexit pet travel rules EU-UK

Why Brexit closed a 30-year-old British food shop on French Riviera

7 hours ago

New group will fight for rights of UK nationals in France and EU

3 days ago

55 Britons, 85 US citizens told to leave France: why this happens

5 days ago

Brexit HOW-TOS

Practical articles on living in France

See more Brexit how-tos

Brexit: How to reclaim overpaid French social charges

2 March 2022

Post-Brexit tax rules recap: How to send gifts between UK and France

6 December 2021

Visitor visa for France: How do we prove we own our second home?

9 December 2021

A guide to the temporary long-stay visa for France and how to apply

9 December 2021

See more Brexit how-tos

Brexit Questions

See more Brexit questions

Q: Can we still retire to France? Are certain income levels now required?

A: We presume from the use of ‘still’ in your question that you are British and are wondering if Brexit has changed the rules.

Q: Lost Brexit residency card in France: how do I replace it?

A: If you have lost your Withdrawal Agreement carte de séjour in France, you can obtain a new one – called a duplicata – with the same validity dates. This is different from applying for a new card when one is set to expire.

Q: What food items can I take from France to UK for gifts post-Brexit?

A: There are certain restrictions on bringing fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy products into the UK but these are, for the time being, relaxed if you are coming from an EU country.