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LIVING IN FRANCE

Tax form changes, residence rules, and newspapers: 6 essential articles for life in France

This weekend’s must-reads from The Local feature changes to the 2024 tax declaration, rules on foreign bank accounts, the admin to turn your second home into your main one, how to cross the road (seriously), a guide to French newspapers, and where to find France's best beaches.

Published: 7 April 2024 07:31 CEST
Tax form changes, residence rules, and newspapers: 6 essential articles for life in France
(Photo by ERIC CABANIS / AFP)

A new section has been added to the 2024 French tax declaration, the finance ministry has announced, with declarations set to open on April 11th. Here’s what you need to know.

Changes to 2024 French tax declaration

One thing that often catches foreigners in France unaware is the tax declaration requirements for bank accounts in their home countries.

Do I need to declare my foreign bank accounts to French taxman?

It’s not uncommon for second-home owners to decide that they want to move to France full time and make their life here – but there are the some admin steps that you need to take to make this happen…

Explained: How to convert a French second home into your main residence

As a foreigner in France, following French news is a great way to become more integrated into the country – but it’s not always easy to know how certain publications spin things, and what their political angle is.

Here’s a look at some of the most popular French news organisations to help you understand their news coverage and likely political angles.

Explained: French newspapers, TV and magazines

When you first see a French pedestrian stepping out into a road – whether it’s a wide open Parisian boulevard, or a narrow, bustling street in the centre of a centuries-old market town – you may well fear for them, their family, and their sanity, given French motorists’ fearful reputation.

Of all road users in France, pedestrians have the greatest legal protections – but they are also expected to obey road safety rules.

Is jaywalking legal in France?

And finally, summer is coming, you’re en route to being beach body ready (by which we mean you have a body and the beach is ready) – so all you need to know now is where to go for the best sand, the sparkliest sea, and the shiniest sun. We’ve got you covered…

Where to find the best beach resorts in France

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LIVING IN FRANCE

What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Anti-mosquito smartphone apps are something of a summer hit in France – but how sound is the science behind them?

Published: 27 June 2024 15:28 CEST
What are anti-mosquito apps and are they worth using in France?

Summer in France is mosquito season. The insistent high-pitched biting pests can be a huge frustration on sultry evenings, and are a major source of revenue for pharmacists and supermarkets selling repellents, creams and insecticide sprays, to those unfortunates who provide a tasty snack for the itch-inducing insects.

Recently, efforts to prevent mosquito attacks have moved into the app sphere. A number of smartphone applications are available that claim to repel mosquitoes by emitting low-frequency sounds from the phone’s speaker. 

READ ALSO: How to prevent the spread of tiger mosquitoes in France

The idea isn’t new. And it is based on actual science. France’s Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) said that the apps are intended to, “imitate the sound waves produced by the wing beats of … dragonflies. Female mosquitoes, which bite humans, would be repelled by this sound”.

So far, so good. The theory seems sound enough. 

READ ALSO: ‘Put a drop of detergent in the water’ – How to deal with mosquitoes in France?

But there’s a problem. 

“The [sound]waves that could possibly be heard by female mosquitoes are too powerful to be reproduced by a smartphone,” Inserm went on to say.

Possibly to cover themselves, the Anti-moustique insecticide app, available on the App Store, states in its own description: “It has not been scientifically proven that low-frequency sounds can help repel mosquitoes. For this reason, this app should be considered a joke app”.

READ ALSO Life in France: 5 plants that (allegedly) repel mosquitoes

According to Inserm, experts advise against this type of app, “at best because they are useless, at worst because they can provide a false sense of protection”, leading users to neglect other – rather more effective – approaches to protecting themselves from bites.

Anti-mosquito advice

When it comes to repelling the horrible little bastards, the French government does have some official advice.

The main thing is to have as little stagnant water around as possible – since this is where mosquitoes breed.

This includes regularly emptying vases, flower pots, as well as watering cans and pots. If you want to collect rainwater, you could cover water butts with mosquito nets or fabric to keep the mosquitoes from getting inside.

To protect yourself, try to wear long, loose and light-coloured clothing, and use a good quality insect repellent. You might also consider wearing a mosquito net head gear.

A plethora of products exist on the market, from machines that also produce the mosquito repelling noise to scented candles or smoke coils, most of these have at at least some effect, but are unlikely to keep the mossies away entirely.

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