Whether you live in France full or part-time, you will at some point come across French bureaucracy. However much we all love France, very often you will hear people sigh when you mention the paperwork in France which can be somewhat cumbersome.
Maybe it helps to learn that even the French find their bureaucracy a little difficult. I had one friend who moved close to where I live who thought that some of the government departments deliberately made everything more complicated than need be! This is highly unlikely, but one can understand why it seems that way: French paperwork and admin can be a headache.
Help is out there however and increasingly many government departments are recognising that people may need more hand-holding to keep abreast of their affairs.
A woman appears stressed by a mount-up of admin to be done
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How to tame the beast: French administration
Firstly, more and more general administration is available online in France. It helps to get set up online for whatever it is you need to do, whether it is for healthcare, driving, residency or taxes. If you are not skilled online, do ask for help from someone who is: it will pay dividends. There is something to be said for not being surrounded by a mountain of actual paperwork!
If the online option is not for you though, fear not. The Conseil d’Etat, the body which has the top legal authority in France, stated in June 2022 that the French government must offer an alternative to online services. They ruled this specifically for immigration matters but it has made a precedent that they are obliged to offer an alternative to online applications.
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Online admin alternatives
Préfectures
Your local préfecture is your friend. For the last three years, they have been obliged to offer aid to anyone from abroad who is unable to use the online services. In some préfectures, you will find members of staff who speak English. This service is especially useful for anyone wishing to know more about their residency status but they should also offer help with other forms of administration. Each one is different but it is worthwhile going along and asking for help.
Tax office
There is no need to be afraid of your local tax office; they are usually able to offer assistance even without any appointment. Staff will help out with form filling and completing your tax declaration. You just have to ask and many offices have at least one English speaker these days.
CPAM
CPAM is the office that deals with healthcare and any concerns you may have with your “carte vitale”. You can easily find your local office by searching CPAM along with the name of your locality or commune. Again, you may not even need an appointment. Although the health system can be confusing at the start, your local office should be able to help you learn how it all works.
Mairie
Your mairie (mayor’s office) or town hall is, in many ways, the most important port of call for so many matters. The Maire of each commune has a good deal of power in France. If you have just moved in or even if you have just bought a second home, go and introduce yourself to your Maire. Most mairies are aware that a lot of residents are older and may need more help than others. Thus, they are more than willing to help their residents with any problems, be it form filling or other local matters.
France Services
This is a service with around 2,000 points across the country, dedicated to assisting people in all administrative procedures. Take a look at their website.
Although this is in French, you will be able to see just how easy it is to find an office. These offices can help with all aspects of French bureaucracy such as taxes, driving licences, and social matters and can give legal advice too. They will also help you set up an account with “FranceConnect”. This is a system whereby you log in to create an account which then allows you access to all government services. It is good in that you only need one password! Once logged in, you can then opt for any of the services.
The best thing that you can do is consult an expert to ensure you are completing tax information that is of the highest quality.
Form filling tips
If you are asked to scan a copy of a document such as a birth or marriage certificate, do bear in mind that very often you can simply take a photograph on your phone and upload – no need to search for a scanner!
When filling out forms, print your name exactly as it appears on your passport, including middle names. The French are somewhat obsessed with women’s maiden names so always include that if relevant (e.g. nee Adamson). If you are asked for the department of your place of birth and it was in the UK, just put the number 99 in. This stands for anywhere that is not in France.
Don’t panic if you are asked for a document which you don’t possess as you can very often simply put in an attestation instead of this. As long as it is signed by the relevant party (landlord or utility provider for example) it should be acceptable.
Finally, going back to the importance of the Mairie, I encourage you to ask for their help if you are stuck. You will find that they are very sympathetic to people who are struggling with their well-known rather wordy bureaucracy!
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