USA → France · the relocation field guide
Move to France like you’ve done it before.
Field guides for Americans relocating to France: visas, FATCA-proof banking, apartment dossiers, healthcare and both countries’ taxes. Written by people who carried their own folder to the préfecture.
Free to read ✦ no paywall ✦ 14 guides · 62 vetted resources
Deliver to
Your new life
12 rue de la République
75011 Paris, France
- Long-stay visas
- Banking under FATCA
- Apartment dossiers
- Carte Vitale
- CAF housing aid
- US taxes abroad
- PFIC-free investing
- Driver's license swap
- Learning French
- Residency to citizenship
The route
Your first two years, mapped
Every guide slots into one of five legs. Do them in order and nothing ambushes you.
The field guides
Start with the ones everyone needs
The shortlists
Shortlists, not listings
Banks that take Americans, apartment sites the French actually use, tax pros who know what an FBAR is. Curated, described honestly, kept current.
Le problème américain
Built for the American edge cases
Generic expat advice skips the three ways a US passport complicates French life. We lead with them.
Banking under FATCA
Some French banks refuse US passports outright. We keep the list of the ones that say yes, and the script for the appointment.
The bank account guideThe PFIC trap
French index funds and assurance-vie are tax landmines for US citizens. Know the green list before you invest a euro.
The investing guideTwo tax returns, every year
France taxes your household, the IRS taxes your citizenship. The treaty makes it painless, once you know the moves.
The US tax guideQuestions
Fair questions, straight answers
Is France for Americans free?
Yes. Every guide and every shortlist is free to read, no paywall, no signup gate. If we add paid tools later (think one-on-one consultations), the plan is to keep the guides free.
I'm not American. Is it still useful?
Mostly, yes. Visas, apartments, healthcare and phone plans work the same for everyone. The banking, investing and tax guides are written for the specific mess of being a US citizen abroad.
Do you offer one-on-one help?
Not yet. Consultations are on the roadmap; join the Landing List and you'll be the first to know when they open.
How current is the information?
Every guide shows its last-updated date, and we link the official source for anything that moves (fees, forms, deadlines) so you can always verify.