HELP GUIDES

Income Tax in France

Healthcare in France

Inheritance Law and Wills in France

Visas and residency cards for France

Your questions about life in France answered

Your Questions

Answers to readers' queries about living, visiting and working in France. Send your own questions to questions@connexionfrance.com

Picture of septic tanks

Concerns over leaving septic tank for winter in French house

A builder and power tool get to work on a brick wall.

Do you need to inform your insurance company about renovations to French property?

Insurers will require proof that certain work has been carried out by qualified professionals

POPULAR QUESTIONS

Reader tips and experiences on...

...getting a carte Vitale

...French citizenship applications

...getting a visa for France?

...exchanging a foreign driving licence?

Sliced French baguette on a wooden cutting board

Do French bakeries charge to slice bread?

Can French banks require a French mobile number?

Round notary sign mounted on a building wall in Paris, France.

Notaire may have made an error in house purchase - what should I do?

What can I do if neighbour’s hedge leans over into my property?

Driving licence is set to expire before exchange in France – what can I do?

Little girl playing with wooden toys beside an older man at a table

Do I have the right to see my grandchildren in France after a big family row?

Visa stamp and passport with toy aeroplane on world map background

Should my Irish passport have been stamped when entering France?

Doctor in white coat writing notes at a desk beside a laptop and stethoscope

Why was my French GP visit reimbursement so small?

What are rules for sweeping chimney in France and is October good time to do it?

Fishing boats in a port surrounded by colourful buildings

Do I need licence to use a rowing boat in France?

Yellow Renault SUV parked in a lot with other cars and trees behind it.

What happens to a car lease in France if the leaseholder dies?

What costs and taxes are involved in selling our second home in France?

Tax declaration form, calculator and euro banknotes on a desk.

Is all pension pay declared ‘private’ in France?

Why there are more flies in France this summer - and how to get rid of them

Can you pick fruit for free in France?

Why are we seeing so many food recalls in France?

Are you responsible if your dog bites a burglar in France?

A view of a mother and her schoolgirl child

Why are school children’s bags so heavy in France?

What is the average number of pupils in a French state school class – and how does it compare with the UK and US?

Who is responsible for repairing the electrical system in a new house in France?

Woman opening a cardboard parcel on a wooden table at home.

What are rules for sending or receiving small parcels between France and the UK or US?

A view of an unfinished window with a thick layer of insulation around it

Renovating a house in France: what help is available for foreigners?

Are SCI property owners affected by France’s new e-billing rules?

Do taxe foncière exemptions extend to second homes in France?

Why are French car models most targeted for thefts of parts?

Why was my birth certificate rejected in France for being too old?

Close-up of a France Schengen visa sticker in a passport.

Can I obtain a visa to come to France and look after my elderly mother?

A view of ‘a Bitcoin’ resting on a traditional card machine

I was victim of crypto scam, but recovered my assets: will any gains be taxable in France?

What are the possible exemptions and reductions for France’s taxe foncière?

Does travelling with an EU/Swiss spouse affect the Schengen 90/180 days rule for British citizens?

Should Asian hornet traps be installed towards the end of the summer?

When does ‘mosquito season’ end in France?

Will France introduce a per-kilometre tax on electric vehicles similar to the UK's new EV tax?

Travellers wait in a queue with luggage inside a Paris airport terminal.

Can I enter France before my visa starts and if so must I register for EES?

Why is tap water in France not treated with fluoride?

Can I get French plates for a UK caravan without a certificate of conformity?

Undertaker in dark clothing holding a metal urn beside a brick wall.

Do ‘cremation only’ options exist for funerals in France

Gloved hands wiping and spraying disinfectant on a surface.

Cleaner of French home says I should have paid into a pension for her: is she right?

Veterinarian in blue scrubs gently examining a worried-looking dog in a clinic

Can I bring a dog adopted in France to the UK?

French driving licence document beside a car key on a table.

Can I switch from pink paper driving licence to French plastic one?

A graphic of someone calculating savings and interest

Can I reinvest lump sum to avoid French tax?

Middle-aged man holding a mobile looking stressed with hand over his head

New cold-calling laws in France: what if I have a foreign number?

How many high-vis vests are you required to keep in your car in France?

Can I reuse shower or washing-up water in my French garden during drought?

Yellow La Poste mailbox on a Paris pavement next to a stone wall.

How will proposed changes to La Poste affect people in France?

Two movers in uniform carry a grey sofa in a bright room.

Can we donate furniture to French charity shop before move?

Can I travel between France and UK with national ID card and not French passport?

Roadside radar speed camera warning sign against trees and blue sky.

What happens if a speed camera flashes two cars at once in France?

What happens if I fail to renew my carte de séjour?

Solar panels mounted on a terracotta-tiled roof with trees in the background.

Do solar panel electricity sellers in France need to sign up for electronic billing?

French VLS-T visa explained: can you leave and re-enter France?

What is the best way to find weather alerts in my department in France?

Does free legal help exist in France?

Why am I getting so many ‘consent’ emails from French newsletters?

Charred residential buildings stand amid scorched ground after a wildfire in Lege, France.

Why does French natural disaster insurance not cover wildfires?

What are criteria to apply for France's electric car leasing scheme?

Repairing cracked walls in our French home: what help is available?

Why does it take so long to get air conditioning approved for a flat in France?

French wildfires: how are people told to evacuate? We do not have a French phone for texts

Converted French barn with tiled roof, shutters and grassy garden under leafy trees.

Can we save tax by stopping renting out French gîtes before selling property?

Flying to France from UK or US? How carry-on liquid rules vary by airport

How can I prevent mosquitoes in my garden and home?

How can I know if the speed limit is 80 or 90km/h on French roads?

What income level allows access to France’s free or low-cost top-up insurance?

A view of a tornado on farm land

Which areas of France are most prone to tornadoes?

Horse grazing in a grassy fenced pasture with trees behind.

Is it complicated in France to rent one of my fields to neighbours for their horses?

Green pharmacy cross sign on a sunny street in Nice, France, between tall buildings.

What restrictions are introduced when France faces a heatwave?