New members of the France forum, introduce yourselves here - 2026

Hello,

My name is Victoria, I'm originally from Russia, but I've been living in France for quite a long time now. I love France and love discovering new places. I visited lots of regions already, but there are still so many more to discover.

I love French language and French culture and want to share it with new people coming to live or visit this beautiful country. It's so exciting to see people veiwing things differently, more in a French way, comparing their own culture and understanding more things in life.

Hi

I'm Paul, originally from the UK via many other countries.  We are currently living in Normandy with my wife and two (French) cats, running a gite business and a small accounting firm whilst enjoying great French food and the more relaxed pace of life out here

. 

Hello! I'm April, and I'm from America. I've always dreamed of living, learning, and loving France and its wonderful culture in the stunning city of Paris. This will be my first experience living outside of America, and I'm thrilled to meet new people and make friends along the way.

Hello everyone,

Welcome to Expat.com 😀

If you have any questions or topics you would like to discuss with other members, feel free to start a new thread on the France forum.

Have you had a chance to check our guide ''Living in France: the ultimate expat guide''

yet? If not, I encourage you to take some time to read it. Here is the link > https://www.expat.com/en/guide/europe/france/

All the best,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

Hello gadghahinabil,

Welcome to Expat.com 😊

How can we help you?

Hello all,

I'm Lori & I've just moved to Agde from the foothills just west of Denver, Colorado, USA after retiring.  In all honesty, I haven't been to France for some 30 years but I love the strength of this country and its people.  At the moment I've got a 3 month rental and am planning on exploring up toward Bordeaux, and West toward Nice.  I feel very comfortable near the sea, but through visiting the various towns along the way I'm hoping one of them will jump out at me as "home".  Any pointers the community can give me would be appreciated, and I'm very interested in community meet-ups.

Hello Lori,

Welcome to Expat.com 😀

Thank you for introducing yourself.

Hopefully, members will share some tips and meetup ideas soon. Enjoy the journey of finding your new “home”!

Cheers,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

@Ashildr

Hey Lori,

Visit local cafes and practice your French; you might be lucky and find people who want to speak English. I did this in my local Area in Austria and was amazed to find a whole group of Expats, and we have a thriving group now, and expanded into another town.

@SimCityAT Thank you for the suggestion.  Agde is a bit odd in that I haven't really found a "downtown" yet. There's a town square where the locals gather and sit, a couple of markets.  I saw someone mention a weekly farmers market, but I don't know where that is.  I'll keep hunting around - there are a few  commercial zones, I'll keep poking around.  This may not be my final landing place, but I'm here for 3 months at least!

Hi, I'm Craig,

My wife and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary of having moved to France (with our 5yr old son who is now a Sergeant in the local fire brigade).

Our start in France many years ago was fraught with misfortune after misfortune (to the extent that my wife wrote a=our story which was published in various expat magazines.... and quite possibly on here back in 2008(ish) Called 'Moving to France: How NOT to do it' .... despite all of our initial issues, we have never regretted our decision to migrate from the UK where I was working as an Estate Agent. I also worked as an immobilier in Montpelier for an international company (which disolved during the financial crash)m and now an immo in the Charente.

In order to help other potential buyers to France avoid some of the mistakes that we made originally, I have written a book detailing the entire process of buying property in France (from before even starting to look at areas to what to do after receiving the keys..... including important information concerning clauses that could or should be included in the Compromis de Vente, the structure under which a buyer purchases so that inheritance and succession foolows their wishes.....).

Having been through the process of buying and selling several times (personally), putting our two children through the education system and of late having to really make use of the fantastic healthcare system, I have two companion books to my complete guide to buying property in France for international buyers which explain the healthcare system and enrollment in the education system at different ages (and associated 'stuff') ....

I love living here, and would have to be dragged back to the UK kicking and screaming. Very thankful that we were here before the referendum of 2016.

@franceunlocked16 It sounds like a great resource.  What's the name of the book and where is it available?

@Ashildr

Hello !

I live in Agde too, I'm a French teacher, let me know if you have any question!

Hi everyone,

Nice to meet you all 😊

My name is Luciana, I’m originally from Italy and I’ve been living in France for many years now, in Normandy. I work as a sworn translator (French–Italian–English), mainly for legal and official documents.

My experience in France has been quite rich, both professionally and personally. I’ve had the opportunity to work with notaries, lawyers, and international clients, which gives me a good perspective on administrative and legal matters for foreigners here.

If anyone needs advice about official translations, administrative procedures, or settling in France, feel free to reach out — I’d be happy to help.

Looking forward to connecting with you all!

Hello everyone,

I am currently looking for a job opportunity in France. I am from Mauritius and have experience both as a childcare provider (assistante maternelle) and as an administrative assistant, with around 3 years of experience in administration.

I am motivated, reliable, and eager to integrate into a professional environment where I can contribute and grow. I am open to opportunities related to childcare or administrative roles.

If you have any advice, contacts, or opportunities, I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thank you in advance!

Hello everyone,
I am currently looking for a job opportunity in France. I am from Mauritius and have experience both as a childcare provider (assistante maternelle) and as an administrative assistant, with around 3 years of experience in administration.

I am motivated, reliable, and eager to integrate into a professional environment where I can contribute and grow. I am open to opportunities related to childcare or administrative roles.

If you have any advice, contacts, or opportunities, I would greatly appreciate your help.

Thank you in advance! - @Armelle Marie

France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi): This is the official French employment agency. Registering here can help you find job ads that are authorized for foreign hiring.

@SimCityAT

Thanks.

i tried already but i need a french phone number and a social number etc.

@Luciana28

Hello Luciana,

I am from Mauritius and I am currently looking for a job opportunity in France.I speak English and french,if you know any one looking for a person,please let me know

Hello all,

Welcome to Expat.com 😀

For anyone looking for a job opportunity in France, please note that Expat.com is not a recruitment agency, so we are unable to find a job for you.

However, we do have a dedicated section for jobs in France, where we encourage members to create a CV to increase their chances of receiving job offers.

You may also wish to take some time to read our guide:Living in France: the ultimate expat guide, to learn more about working in France.

All the best,

Cheryl

Expat.com team

@Julien

Hello everyone! I'm very happy to be part of this group. My name is Holly, I'm 58 years old, American by birth with today a dual nationality American/French. I moved (back) to France in 1995 and have been here ever since. There is something about France that keeps me here, despite the frustrating administrative side and oftentimes gruff "non" when asking questions but I've accepted that as part of it all. No countries are perfect! I love France for its vast range of regions, culinary delights and cultural attractions. I've lived in Lyon and Montpellier but Paris just hits the spot. There is a giant magnet that keeps me put!

With my French husband (of 25 years) we love going away on the weekends to discover other parts of France. There is so much to see. I've spent many years teaching English to adults in training centres (Paris, Lyon and Montpellier) , translating and then also working in an English tearoom in Paris. Last year I did a training to be a "coach professionnel" as very drawn to people and why we do what we do! I look forward to interacting with other expats!

Hi, my name is Josephine.  I am from the United States, but I want to come to France and live and work there.  I love the French language and I wish to simply live, work, explore, and enjoy living in France.  I am also interested in eating local French food.

@Josephine123

Hello and welcome on the forum !

For a good start, feel free to read our Expat Guide dedicated to France : Living in France: the ultimate expat guide

To move to France, you need to find a job first ,an employer willing to provide you with a contract so that you are eligible to apply for a work visa and residence permit.

Regards

Bhavna

@Bhavna

Thank you for the information.  I'll look in into it and take the steps I need to get to France.

Hi everyone,

Arif here — based in Paris, in the 16th. I work as an independent IT technician and web developer: computer and phone repairs, IT support for individuals and small businesses, and websites for local businesses. I work in both French and English.

That bilingual side is how I have ended up helping a lot of people who recently moved here. Settling in France is enough paperwork on its own without your laptop dying or the home WiFi refusing to cooperate, and it is genuinely harder to sort out when the support line only works in French.

So if anyone has a tech question — a machine that will not start, a cracked phone screen, getting a home connection working, backing things up before a move — feel free to ask. Happy to help where I can.

Looking forward to reading everyone else's stories.

@Josephine123

Hi Josephine, I am Susanna, I am also living in the US. Planning my escape to France soon!

Lolade here—Nigerian born and raised. I work for myself as an AutoEntrepreneur Interior Designer (Interior Architecte in France).

My 20 years working experience has been spent exploring my home country, the UK and now, France. This is our 7th year in France—taking it a day at a time, because it still feels ‘unsettled’ as it were.

I love the city I live in because it feels like a large family with all the group activities organised by the mairie here. It’s lovely.

I have had a bit of a challenge with native French people where finding work is concerned—language proficiency I believe, social status and trust? I speak at B1 level until fatigue defaults me to gibberish French.

The only clients I have had are in the international (remote) and English speaking demographic.

That caveat is the only reason why I still feel a little alien. Hopefully that rhetoric changes soon.

A good friend suggested networking within  larger anglophone communities, so I do not run out of clientele, which will also help with referrals to native French clients who will trust the word of mouth from people they already know.

So here I am :-)