How to get free help with French admin problems Pimms Médiation can guide you through the maze of bureaucracy - even if you do not speak French
Residency card, tax, visa: Who to inform and how if you move in France Our guide to ensure changes of address are taken into account
Explainer: Role of notaire in France and what to do if not happy What you can expect from your notaire, what standards should they adhere to, and what you can do if you find them lacking How do you sell a second-hand car in France? Help desks at prefecture can support with French online administration Help French bureaucracy improve by leaving a review online
French public services: ‘We cannot impose smartphone use on everyone’ Services should maintain a physical presence as many people have difficulties using digital resources, says the Defender of Rights
French red tape is not new, it frustrates French and foreigners alike It has not improved since the 1970s, but take heart that even France’s ‘fonctionnaires’ get annoyed with it
Can I receive paper invoices at no extra cost? A while ago I read that firms cannot charge extra to people who want to receive paper invoices instead of email or online versions – is this still the case?
French lawyer: Deal not essential for UK-France driving licence swap A motoring law specialist says there is another legal route for exchange; he also spoke of years of delays in the French licences system
Second wave of Brexit issues on way, says French think-tank expert Dr Elvire Fabry of the Institut Jacques Delors, a specialist researcher on Brexit, trade and globalisation, gives details of the emerging picture as Brexit takes full effect
UK-France travel: Host’s invitation can replace attestation d'accueil British visitors will not systematically have to show a €30 attestation from their host's mairie, the Interior Ministry has confirmed
English and easy-read French lockdown travel forms available You must carry an exemption form (a ttestation de déplacement ) every time you are out and about until at least December 1, but it comes in several kinds
Two types of Brexit deal card for Britons in France Two important new French government websites affecting Britons open on March 3 and in early July – for driving licence swaps, and to apply for the new obligatory ‘Brexit deal’ residency cards.
MSF and French nationality applications Are UK “multilingual” birth certificates acceptable for nationality applications without the need for translation?
Make sense of: Maisons de Services in France If you live in a rural area and need help with administrative procedures related to public services – such as social services, job centres, public transport, family benefits, energy, health prevention and even the post – you might face a long drive to one of their offices. Brexit: don’t panic, France tells Britons here Told to take French test after licence delays End in sight for France’s driving licence swap delays?
No-deal French carte de sejour website still open CONNEXION has asked the Interior Ministry what British residents should do concerning cartes de séjour applications with Brexit deferred to January 31 – potentially longer, or even cancelled, if opposition parties win the general election. Make sense of: Sworn translators in France French Chambre de Métiers – what does it offer? It’s my name Flight plans with children Confused? Tell us says French government
What do sworn translations cost in France? I need to have British birth and marriage certificates translated when applying for French citizenship. The first price quoted was €60 per page. Is this a normal price? It seems steep. P.P.
Validity of ‘European’ British passports My British passport is still valid for several years but it says European Union on the cover – will this cause problems after Brexit? D.W.
French 'carte de séjour' concerns My husband and I recently received our récipissés for our applications for cartes de séjour .
Form for under-18s travelling abroad from France Foreign school trips have long been part of education – but parents should be aware of extra paperwork involved in letting a child travel abroad with a teacher or other adult.
Passport farce: Part III RE: The letter Passport farce: Part II (Letters , March, see here), I experienced the same when renewing my passport two years ago.
The missing link It has just taken me 30 seconds to find the blueprints for a nuclear bomb on Google.
Driving licence in maiden name: documentary evidence I read with sympathetic interest of the surprise of a correspondent when she changed her British driving licence to a French one and found that her French driving licence was in her maiden name (see here).
Driving licence swap: I feel writer’s name pain I have the same irritation of having had my maiden name put on to my long-awaited French driving licence. I have not been known by that name since marriage – more than 30 years ago.
I know my name In common with many other people living in France, I have been regularising my affairs.
Keeping paperwork used for tax returns For how long do I need to keep paperwork used for tax returns?
Delays as licence services go online New online systems for driving licences and cartes grises car registration documents have led to significant delays and problems despite being intended to simplify processes
Less red tape as more police go on patrol Extra police officers are to be assigned to selected areas with high crime levels