Paris is one of the most exciting and recognised cities in the world – from the Eiffel tower and the Louvre to other icons like great wine and a trusty baguette! It’s certainly one of my favourite cities, and every year expats from all around the world move here to experience the culture that is Paris.
So, as much as a resource for readers as it is for my future Parisian plans, today’s post covers some of the main topics that you’ll need to be informed about if you’re planning a move to the city of lights.
I also want to take this chance to thank the lovely Andrea from Destination Europe who helped me figure out the intricacies of becoming an expat in Paris. Thanks Andrea!
Moving To Paris – What Visa Do I Need?
If you are the lucky owner of a European passport then lucky you – all you need to do is show up and you are instantly eligible to live and work in Paris. Woo hoo!
For non-EU citizens it’s a little more complicated – you will need to apply for a short or long stay visa depending on your requirements, and where you are from. The France Diplomatie website has loads of information on this, so make sure you research before you start making solid plans!
If you simply want to live in Paris and not work, then you are eligible to stay for up to 3 months – just be aware that questions may be asked if you are regularly leaving the country after 80 days and then returning – you may not be allowed back in!
Finding A Job In Paris
As with other cities, Paris jobs are advertised on the many career websites out there like Monster or Reed. If you are looking for something casual you could try FUSAC (a magazine and website kind of like Gumtree or Craigs List which lists jobs and apartments available in the city. You can find it in expat cafes around the city) otherwise there are government employment agencies and independent agencies like Adecco and Manpower that list many of the available jobs in the city.
Once you start working you will receive a tax number and ‘carte vitale’ health insurance, and when you receive your pay slip each month you’ll see a number of taxes are taken out, but be aware that this doesn’t include income tax which you pay at the end of the year. So, remember to save some of your pay or you could be in for a shock!
Finding An Apartment In Paris
If you are on the hunt for your perfect Paris digs then you will need to get your ‘dossier’ together. The documents you need include:
- Proof of income. ie last 3 pay slips and/or bank statements
- Last 3 months rental slips
Don’t worry if this doesn’t make sense – if you are new to France you can get someone in the country to act as guarantor and they’ll need to provide the above documents for you.
If for some reason you can’t get any of these documents then you can do a ‘caution bancaire’ which is where the bank blocks 12 months rent (for the term of your lease) in your account (called a RIB in France) to be used by the landlord in the event you can’t pay the rent.
If you are looking for a furnished apartment you can try the FUSAC magazine or website – the landlords who advertise here are often used to dealing with foreigners so they can be more lenient on the required documents.
If you want an unfurnished apartment and speak French you can try pap.fr and deal with the landlords directly. There is a lot of competition here but if you have a good dossier then you will have no problems at all, and best of all, this is probably the cheapest option for finding an apartment.
The most expensive option is to rent through a real estate agency but there is less competition so it’s quicker and less stressful. You can try individual agencies in the neighbourhood where you want to rent or look on Seloger.com.
Meeting New Friends In Paris
As with living in any city, expect to meet other expats via Meetup, Twitter and blogs. There are loads of Paris based bloggers so make sure you connect with them and go to any arranged meetups.
If you happen to be Aussie (yay!) then the Australian Consulate in Paris has a regular newsletter where they announce events like new Aussie movie releases or art gallery events.
As for meeting locals, the easiest way is through other friends, at work or at the gym as well as at blogger meetups. So go on – get out there!
Moving To Paris And Money
No-one ever said Paris was cheap, but if you are smart, then you can make your hard-earned pennies go further. Tiny studio apartments start at around 800 euros/month but can be a lot more depending on the location. A two bedroom apartment starts at around 1,400 euros/month. Also note that many apartments are un-renovated and you often have to install your own kitchen so that can be hugely expensive.
You can expect your other monthly outgoings to include:
Electricity – 40 euros/month
Phone/Internet/HDTV – 35 euros/month. This includes unlimited landline calls around Europe, Australia, US etc. as well as fibre optic internet if it’s available in your building. There are about 50 channels included or you can opt for pay tv at around 35 euros/month.
Metro prices – This depends on where you’re travelling to and how often, but you can check fares at Ratp.fr.
iPhone – 48 euros/month for unlimited use.
Taxe d’habitation – This is like council tax and is paid annually. The cost depends on the size and location of the apartment. Expect to pay around 1000 euros per year.
UGC movie card – 19 euros/month for unlimited movies or 35 euros/month for 2 people.
Also, as you may have guessed – food and eating out is expensive compared to other European capitals, so you’ll most probably learn to love life’s simple pleasures and cooking at home more – you are in the food capital of the world though, so it could be worse!
Viva la Paris!
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Fantastic, extremely useful article! 🙂 My only bit of advice for moving to Paris (which I did for a year back in 2003, so all of my other advice is a bit out of date) would be to make sure you make good friends with the owner of your local Fromagerie 🙂
Expensive! I think I would live just outside of Paris to save money and yet be able to splurge on weekend trips. Little towns can be so charming and fulfilling.
The Wanderfull Traveler
Wow, this is fantastic!! Great resource and very thorough guide for those looking to move to Paris. Moving to a new place can be so complicated and so many unknown things. It’s hard enough to do this in the US, much less a foreign country or a big city like Paris. I know apartment rentals are quite expensive but the rest of the expenses you listed seem quite reasonable, especially for an expensive city like Paris. Great information!
I ‘lived’ in Paris for a month last year and instantly wanted to do it forever. I noticed you didn’t mention anything about the language. Is speaking French not required? Can one find a job/get a visa without knowing French? Not that I ever would, of course I’d learn the language, but I’m wondering if it’s viable.
Thanks for the tips! Simple and clear. You should have one of these for London, Rome, and NYC. I’d love to see a comparison.
Hi Bunny, thanks – Rome and NYC are on their way – you should be able to find London already on the site.
You make a good point about language, however I don’t see now being fluent in French as a drawback in any way at all. Of course it helps, but I have friends who live there who dont speak and they get by OK. I guess its up to the person! Thanks for stopping by : )
Hi Jeremy, thanks very much. I know how hard it can be moving to a foreign country when you know nothing about it, so hopefully these guides can help with that! : )
Hi Murissa, I totally agree – Paris is expensive, but you can definitely find ways to make it work! Thanks! : )
Hi Frau, I like your way of thinking! Everyone should have at least one friend who works in a pattiserie, fromagerie and wine shop in Paris!