How to apply for French citizenship, what you need to know about visitor visas and what you risk by overstaying your welcome if you don’t have one, the cost of visiting the ER in France, and a brief history of the letter Ç – here are the latest must-reads for life in France.
As well as a tough new civics test for citizenship applications, foreign residents in France will face significantly higher administrative fees from 2026 after the government confirmed increases to the cost of both residency permits (titres de séjour) and French naturalisation applications.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to apply and the hurdles you will have to overcome — including recent changes to the citizenship application process
If you’re a non-EU citizen moving to France, one of your first tasks is figuring out your visa. You may have heard that France’s ‘visitor’ visa is among the easiest to get, but there are some important things to know before applying.
8 articles to read before applying for a French ‘visitor’ visa
If you’re visiting France from a non-EU country without a visa your time here is limited — but what happens to people who overstay and how strictly are the rules enforced?
What happens if you overstay your 90-day limit in France?
Everyone is entitled to emergency medical treatment in France, whether you are a resident or a visitor, and a hospital will not turn you away if you need care. You may, however, receive a bill for your hospital visit. Here’s how much, who is charged and how to pay.
What you pay in France for a visit to a hospital emergency department
On to happier matters. Obviously, the weather gets warmer, evenings get longer and flowers start to bloom, as they do in all northern hemisphere countries, but there are also some peculiarly French signs that spring has arrived.
10 signs spring has arrived in France
And finally, a little history lesson. You are sure to have noticed the letter ç in the French language — used for everything from the everyday greeting ça va ? to ordering a salade niçoise. Here’s the fascinating story of how it came to be.