Paris is one of the most famous and beloved cities in the world, steeped in cultural and historical significance. For anyone passionate about art, architecture, film, fashion, food, education, or innovation, Paris is at the epicenter.
No wonder so many expats dream of spending at least one year living in the French capital.
But making the dream a reality isn’t always straightforward. There are administrative and practical hurdles to overcome, and you need a real plan in place. This article is here to help.
We’ll explore the core considerations you need to successfully move to Paris, and answer some of the most frequently-asked questions.
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Quick checklist: What you need to move to Paris
Before we dive deep into each topic, here’s a quick overview of the most important things you need to make the move:
- Your motivation or reason for moving
- A visa, unless you’re a French or EU citizen
- Accommodation, at least for the few weeks and months
- A job or course of study
- Financial means to support your new life
Let’s look at each of these in more detail.
#1 - Why move to Paris? (Motivation)
The obvious first question: why do you want to move to Paris? This will dictate your visa, where you live, and how permanent you expect the move to be.
Expats move to Paris for a whole host of reasons. The most common include:
- Language and education. Learn French and live in a multilingual environment. Paris is also home to prestigious universities and educational institutions.
- Cultural experience. The city is renowned for its vibrant cultural scene, including museums, theaters, galleries, and historical landmarks. There’s also the architecture, world-class food, fashion and artistic expression, and history.
- Professional opportunities. Move for a particular role or to work in one of Europe’s main economic centers. The city is a hub for various industries, including fashion, art, finance, and tech, providing career opportunities. There are also international organizations like the OECD and UNESCO.
- The lifestyle. Characterized by leisurely café culture, a strong work-life balance, and an emphasis on enjoying life. There are also practical advantages like public healthcare and education, and the ability to easily travel around Europe.
- Love. If you’ve fallen in love with a Parisian and are moving to join them, you’re not alone. Countless romantics have followed their hearts to the City of Lights.
All of these are common and good reasons to move to Paris. Get clear and excited about your own reasons for moving, because now the complicated administrative work kicks in.
#2 - Get a visa for France
If you’re not French or an EU citizen, you’ll need some form of visa to live and work or study in Paris. The specific visa you’ll need depends on how you plan to spend your stay.
Short-term stay visa (“Uniform Schengen”)
This is the common tourist visa that most people use to visit and vacation in Europe. The uniform Schengen lets you move between countries within the “Schengen Area” for up to 90 days within a 180-day period.
How the Schengen visa works?
- Visit and move between most EU countries (or stay in France) without changing visas.
- You cannot work in France (although you can conduct business trips).
- Most travelers don’t need to apply for this visa — it applies automatically on arrival.
To explore France a little and perhaps plan your future move, this can be a nice starting point. But if you actually want to move to France, you’ll need something longer lasting.
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS)
For most people moving to France for the first time, some version of a long-stay visa will be the answer. This visa has a fixed entry and exit date, which makes it different from a residency permit.
Somewhat confusingly, there are actually four versions of this visa:
- Tourism or private stay. You can stay longer than the 90-day short stay visa, but cannot work.
- Professional purpose. You can work, either as an employee of a French-registered business or as an independent (freelance) professional.
- Studies and training. To get this, you must already be enrolled (and accepted) in a French university or training facility. This visa lets you live, travel, study, and work (up to 20 hours) in France for the duration of your course.
- Family purpose. This is for expats who want to move to France to be with family, but not settle permanently.
In most cases, you need to apply from your home country. And if it’s a professional visa, you’ll already need a job.
If you’re working or studying, the long-stay visa will usually last for one year. After this point, you’ll apply for a longer-term residency permit.
Carte de séjour
A carte de séjour is the name for France’s residency permit. While it is not necessarily permanent, it grants you most of the same rights as any other French resident. Most importantly, you can work (and will need to pay taxes) as a cardholder.
There are two lengths of carte de séjour:
- Temporaire. Valid for one year.
- Pluriannuelle. Valid for multiple years. Usually four years.
If it’s your first application, you’ll apply for the temporaire. The following year you can apply for the longer-term version.
Submit your application between four and two months before the end of your long-stay visa. Earlier is better, as administrative processes can be slow in France.
And as with the long-stay visa, there are a range of different forms of carte de séjour. These include professional, family, seasonal work, retirement, and the talent passport.
Talent passport
Technically a form of carte de séjour, this visa is for people who will help “develop France’s economic attractiveness.” In other words, bring new skills and potential growth to the country.
Those potentially eligible include:
- Highly-qualified people working in innovative companies, or part of a large group
- Academics conducting new or valuable research
- Self-employed people planning to open a French business or invest in the French economy
- Artists or performers
If you fit one of the above, it’s worth exploring this visa more closely. It’s one of the few ways to get a four-year visa from the start.
Working holiday visa (Young traveler)
This visa is part of a reciprocal agreement between France and 16 other countries. If you’re coming from one of those countries (which do not include the UK or USA) and have not yet turned 31, you can obtain a one-year visa to work and travel around France.
This visa is easier and faster to get than a formal work visa, and is a great option if you’d like an overseas experience but aren’t fully committed to living in Paris long term. And you don’t have to have a job already - you can find work once you arrive.
Note: Unlike the long-stay visa, this visa cannot be extended or converted into a carte de séjour. You will have to leave France after one year, at which point you can apply for a long-stay or other visa from your home country.
#3 - Find accommodation in Paris
If you’re moving to Paris for the first time, you’ll almost certainly rent an apartment. While you can find houses, they’re mostly outside the city center or prohibitively expensive.
Apartment life is the norm in Paris. Most residents gladly choose convenience and a short commute over more floor space or a large backyard.
Paris apartments come either furnished or unfurnished. Most unfurnished apartments are only available long-term (one year or more), while furnished apartments can be short-stay only or for the longer term, depending on how you find them.
As an expat moving to Paris for the first time, take a short-term, furnished apartment until you get your bearings. Two or three months makes sense. This gives you the time to find your long-term apartment in person, when you know the city a little better.
How to find an apartment in Paris
You have two main options to find an apartment:
- Use an agency
- Use private listings
If you’re searching from outside Paris and can’t visit in person, an agency is your best (and perhaps only) option. Agencies make it easy to rent a Paris apartment from home, and will help ensure you have all the paperwork and financial requirements you need.
When you’re new to the Paris rental scene and rules, using an agency means you won’t get caught out and avoid possible rental scams.
Many locals use private listings on sites like Leboncoin. While this can be cheaper, you really need to know what you’re doing and have your papers in order. And most importantly, a private landlord will almost never rent to a foreign international without meeting in person.
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Want to learn more? Read our essential guide to renting in Paris |
#4 - Get a job in Paris
If you’re moving to Paris to work, most likely you already have that job in place. This could mean a transfer with your existing company, or you’ve already applied for and been accepted by a French employer.
If not, and you want a work visa, you need to find the job before moving. Your employer must lead the visa application, and you won’t be able to stay long-term without it. So you can’t put the cart before the horse here.
Top sites to find jobs include:
- Indeed France
- Glassdoor
- Welcome to the Jungle (startups and tech companies)
- Paris Anglo
Many French companies do hire internationally and will help you move. And there are frequent opportunities for recent graduates at the major luxury houses and Disneyland Paris, among many others.
But crucially for any role, make sure they are prepared to sponsor your visa and that they’ve done the process before. It can be administratively difficult.
Can I move to Paris without a job?
As noted above, both the working holiday visa and the long-stay student visa let you find work to supplement your visit. You don’t need the job before moving in these cases.
You can also move to France for non-working reasons. But you’ll need to prove you have the financial means to obtain your long-stay visa. And be warned: you may find that your money goes quickly with so much to do, see, and eat.
#5 - Moving to France to study
We’ve written a full guide to studying in France, so we won’t go into detail here. You can apply for and be accepted to a French university or educational institution online, from most countries.
This includes undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, language courses, and art or performance training.
The basic process is as follows:
- Choose your major(s) and institution(s) to apply to
- Check the admission conditions, including the level of French language required
- Assemble your documents
- Submit your application via the Campus France website
- Receive your notice of acceptance
- Obtain your visa
- Move to France
Paris welcomes thousands of international students every year, and there are plenty of resources available to ensure the move goes smoothly.
#6 - The financial requirements to move to Paris
The final point to consider is your financial situation. In order to get your visa, you’ll need to prove that you can support yourself.
If you’re moving to Paris to work, you’ll need to show your contract with proof of salary. But if you’re moving for a long-term visit or to study, the visa office will need to know that you can afford to live.
For most visas, the broad requirements are:
- Proof of accommodation (can be a hotel while you look for a permanent rental)
- €65/day in available funds if you can show a prepaid hotel booking
- €125/day if you don’t have a hotel yet
- €32.50/day if you’re being hosted privately. You will need an official letter from the host to verify this.
And if you’re not working or a student, you’ll also need medical insurance that covers your entire stay. You won’t be paying into the public health system, so you won’t enjoy a carte vitale and the associated benefits.
Frequently asked questions about moving to Paris
Here are a few of the common questions international expats have when considering a move to Paris.
Is Paris an expensive place to live?
Statistically, Paris is one of the 10 most expensive cities in the world to live. Rent can be a major expense, and you should expect to spend around 30% of your earnings on accommodation.
Eating and drinking out can also be pricey, especially if you enjoy fine dining or frequent the chicer neighborhoods.
But there are ways to keep costs down, and life in Paris isn’t only for the rich and famous. Expats from many countries (especially the US) will find healthcare, education, and utilities very cheap. Public transport is convenient and affordable, and there are plenty of inexpensive bars and restaurants to eat and drink well on a budget.
Despite its reputation as an expensive place to live, Paris offers enough to make the costs worthwhile.
Learn more about the cost of living in Paris.
Where should I live in Paris?
Many foreigners want to know the best neighborhoods for expats in Paris. The truth is: it depends. Where you settle is informed by where you work or spend your days, how you spend your evenings, and crucially, what you can afford.
As a rough starter, the following neighborhoods tend to suit expats:
- 9th & 18th arrondissements: arty, lively, and perfect for younger people.
- 5th & 6th arrondissements: pretty and dreamy. Feels like the Paris from the movies.
- 7th & 16th arrondissements: grand, stately, chic, and expensive.
- 3rd, 4th, & 11th arrondissements: trendy, hipster, and increasingly multicultural. You’ll find a lot of English spoken, but still plenty of quintessential Paris.
- 13th & 20th arrondissements: home to Paris’ two “Chinatowns” and other ethnic nerve centers, plus lots of students, artists, and lower-cost accommodation.
The best advice is to spend some time in a short-term Paris rental first and get to know the city. This gives you the time you need to choose your neighborhood and find the ideal longer-term accommodation.
Is it true that Paris doesn’t have AC?
Compared with the United States, French buildings certainly rely less on air conditioning, or climatisation.
But that doesn’t mean that air conditioning doesn’t exist in Paris. In fact:
- Most corporate offices and co-working spaces are temperature controlled.
- The same is true for museums, libraries, university campuses, and some stores and restaurants.
- Most trains and metro lines have air conditioning, as do taxis and Ubers.
- Some more modern apartments also have AC.
But many apartment buildings are hundreds of years old. While you’re unlikely to have built-in air conditioning at home, you can rent or buy units.
Tip: In Summer, many restaurants will have signs advertising “climatisation” or “la clim” — this means they’re air conditioned.
Do Parisians hate foreigners?
Paris has long had a reputation for rude service and hostility towards expats, especially Americans and the English. But this perception is changing fast.
Paris is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world, and home to expats from all over. You can expect to feel welcome in most (if not all) hospitality settings, stores, and moving through the city.
And as you become more confident with the language and culture, you’re less likely to have awkward or uncomfortable interactions.
Do I need to speak French?
The short answer is: no, not really. Many people live in Paris and speak very little or no French at all. Certainly you don’t need a large vocabulary before you arrive — you’ll pick up the most critical phrases quickly.
But certainly you’ll enjoy your time more as you learn more French. You’ll have richer, more interesting interactions, you’ll be able to watch and read French news, and you’ll soon feel like a local.
Get ready for your big move to Paris
Hopefully this has answered all your most pressing questions. Finding a job and obtaining your visa can be time-consuming and frustrating, but most expats who move to Paris find the rewards far outweigh the effort.
For many, the biggest challenge is finding the right apartment. That’s where we can help. Start looking for the perfect expat rental in Paris.
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