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LIVING IN FRANCE

Beds, bugs, and Bordeaux: 6 essential articles for life in France

This week's must-reads from The Local put France's 'bedbug plague' into perspective, examine the tourist tax, explain new rules to resolve neighbour disputes, and the difference between a visa and a carte de séjour and why you should consider moving to Bordeaux.

Published: 8 October 2023 07:42 CEST
Beds, bugs, and Bordeaux: 6 essential articles for life in France
Bordeaux. (Photo by Philippe LOPEZ / AFP)

You may have heard the news stories… certainly, if you listen to certain media, France is under attack from a plague of bedbugs infesting public transport, cinemas, hotels and homes – but how accurate are these reports, and is there a political motive? [Spoilers: not very accurate … and, yes]. 

FACTCHECK: Is there really a ‘plague’ of bedbugs in France?

Speaking of hotels, if you are planning a trip in France, you will likely find yourself paying the ‘tourist tax’ – as the Paris region debates plans to triple its tax, here’s what you need to know about these extra charges for visitors.

What is France’s tourist tax and where is it charged?

Does your neighbour make too much noise or keep their property in a bad state? Have they not pruned their trees properly? Or maybe they owe you a sum of less than €5,000 that they are refusing to pay? If so, you must try and find an ‘amicable resolution’ with them before taking your dispute to court, according to new rules. 

How France’s new neighbour dispute rules work

When discussing residency in France, many use the term ‘carte de séjour’ interchangeably with ‘visa’ – but the two are actually very different, particularly when it comes to where and applications must be made.

What is the difference between a French ‘carte de séjour’ and a visa?

Can’t really believe that we have to say this: 15-minute cities really aren’t part of a sinister mind-control plot. This is what it’s really like in the French capital, which is giving the idea a proper go – and you can travel from one end of the city to the other without having to show your passport.

What is a ’15-minute city’ and how is it working in Paris?

The elegant southern French city of Bordeaux is a popular holiday spot, but France-based writer Bella Dally-Steele argues that it’s also the perfect place to move to.

Bordeaux: Reasons to move to France’s ‘wine capital’

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LIVING IN FRANCE

How to prove to French authorities that you are alive

If you live in France you'll be used to official requests for all sorts of documents, but one that may come as a surprise is being asked to prove that you're still alive. Here's how to do that.

Published: 19 September 2024 15:57 CEST
How to prove to French authorities that you are alive

Official processes in France usually involve collecting together a big dossier of documents, and requests for certain type of certificate are common (the one for ‘a birth certificate issued within the last three months’ regularly baffles foreigners).

A request that is less common – but still vital – is the request for a Certificat de Vie – a certificate of life, which is basically a piece of paper asserting that you remain within the mortal realm.

Here’s how to get it and why you might need one.

Who needs it?

You only need to provide this certificate if it is requested from you.

The people most likely to get a request for a Certificat de Vie are pensioners. Pensioner providers regularly ask for proof that you are still alive, and if you don’t provide it it’s highly likely that they will stop paying out your pension.

The people most commonly asked to provide this are people living in a different country to the one paying out the pension (so for example people who have worked in France but then moved to another country, or pensioners who have moved to France) but they are fairly widespread for all types of pension.

The other people most likely to ask for it is the benefits office, especially if you are receiving a French Assurance invalidité (disability benefit) or Allocation de solidarité (top-up benefits) – as with pensions, failing to send the certificate can result in your payments being stopped.

Some people may instead be asked for an Attestation sur l’honneur de non-décès (sworn declaration of non-death). This is simpler to provide because it’s not a specific form it’s just something that you write out in formal French declaring that you remain alive, and then sign and date.

You can find templates for creating an attestation in the correct format and legal French here.

How to get it

There are two ways to obtain the Certificat de Vie – in person or online.

If you live in France, you go along in person to your local mairie and ask them to complete the form for you – it’s form Cerfa n° 11753*02, but the mairie staff will know that. Be sure to take with you official ID (ie passport or French ID card), and depending on your circumstances mairie staff may ask for extra paperwork such as proof of address.

Once you have the form, you can send it to whoever has requested it, either by registered mail or a scanned copy uploaded to an online portal.

You can find a sample copy here to show you what the form looks like.

If you live outside France, you can request the certificate at the French consulate, while some police stations will also provide it (depending on the country).

But for those living outside France there is also an online option, which now includes the option to verify your continuing life via your biometric details, meaning that you don’t even need to leave the house.

This would be useful to people who have worked in France for part of their career, meaning they get a partial French pension, but have then either returned to their home country or moved to another country.

In order to use this, you need to download the app ‘Mon Certificat de Vie’ – find full instructions on using it here.

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