Moving to Paris

Move to Paris and you'll not only settle in the popular City of Lights but also in one of the top European Cities of the Future.

Below is the guide on moving to Paris which will help you learn about visa requirements and neighbourhoods that are preferred by expats.

In the early 19th century, railway scene arrived during the Industrial Revolution bringing huge numbers of migrants from rural France to Paris.

Today, a majority of immigrants who come to France move to Paris thereby making it one of the biggest multicultural cities. Having said that, people also face certain challenges including high cost of living and finding apt accommodation in Paris. Despite this, the number of people settling in Paris on an annual basis is high.

If you plan to move to the City of lights, you need to spend a sufficient amount of time and money on numerous topics including accommodation.

First of all, let us help you understand the administrative things you will face when you move to Paris. Go on!

Visa Requirements

If you area EU/EEA memberstate including Switzerland, you do not require a visa before moving to Paris. In this case, you can travel, live and work in France without any limitations. People outside of the EU require a valid visa when they move to Paris. The applications take 2 months or more depending on the type of visa that is applied for. So, the ideal thing is to leave plenty of time between submitting the application and departing for Paris.

Visa applications are accepted at consulates abroad and French embassies. Consulates also give you information regarding France on the application process and other bureaucratic matters you should consider before moving to Paris.

Short-Term and Long-Term Visas for Non-EU National

If you are a non-EU national and are planning to move to Paris, there are short-stay and long-stay visas. If your planned period of stay is three months or less, you need to apply for a Schengen visa prior to your trip and this short stay visa is valid for travel in all Schengen countries. You have to provide a valid passport and certain documents and get the work permit by the employer.

Please note that it is illegal to move to Paris on a Schengen visa, start a job and post this apply for a long-stay visa.