https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed A parliamentary report has called for the creation of a ‘single family payment’ of €250 per child per month and 12 months’ ‘unified parental leave’ in an effort to slow and reverse the decline in birth rates. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260211/we-need-workers-how-france-plans-to-help-parents-make-more-babies Wed, 11 Feb 2026 15:28:24 +0100 we-need-workers-how-france-plans-to-help-parents-make-more-babies Is there a legal way of avoiding inheritance tax in France by passing your property onto your children while you’re still alive? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260116/can-you-sign-over-your-french-property-to-your-children-without-paying-tax Fri, 16 Jan 2026 15:58:08 +0100 can-you-sign-over-your-french-property-to-your-children-without-paying-tax Parents-to-be have plenty to think about as they prepare to welcome their child to the world, including childcare options if both of them work. Crèches in France are a regular first-choice, but getting in isn’t always straightforward. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260114/how-to-enrol-your-child-in-a-french-creche Wed, 14 Jan 2026 17:04:32 +0100 how-to-enrol-your-child-in-a-french-creche The French government has called for 'urgent mobilisation' to encourage kids to spend more time reading, after a recent study showed that children on average spend just 19 minutes a day reading, as opposed to three hours a day on screens. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251202/french-government-plans-to-get-kids-reading-more Tue, 02 Dec 2025 11:15:11 +0100 french-government-plans-to-get-kids-reading-more If you plan to travel outside France - perhaps paying an extended visit to family in another country - you need to check the time limits if you are receiving any kind of social benefit, are claiming unemployment benefit, or are on parental leave. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251112/how-long-can-i-spend-outside-france-and-still-receive-benefits-or-parental-leave Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:33:02 +0100 how-long-can-i-spend-outside-france-and-still-receive-benefits-or-parental-leave Last year, 663,000 babies were born in France – the lowest number of recorded births in a year since the end of World War II. But an in-depth study of French people has revealed that the ideal family size is getting smaller. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250709/why-frenchwomen-want-fewer-babies Wed, 09 Jul 2025 18:12:07 +0200 why-frenchwomen-want-fewer-babies It’s way down the list of reasons - or, at least, it should be - for answering in the positive when your beloved goes down on one knee, but there are some financial advantages to being married in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250515/does-france-offer-tax-breaks-for-getting-married Thu, 15 May 2025 14:04:34 +0200 does-france-offer-tax-breaks-for-getting-married Europe's population is getting older and its set to shrink in many countries. One of the keys to sustaining societies and economies will be the integration of immigrants into the workforce, the author of a new study tells Claudia Delpero. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250427/integrate-immigrants-how-europe-can-deal-with-its-population-challenge Sun, 27 Apr 2025 15:48:54 +0200 integrate-immigrants-how-europe-can-deal-with-its-population-challenge If you live in France and you have three or more children, you can get your hands on a card that offers cut-price rail travel and discounts at a number of stores and restaurants. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250424/how-to-get-a-big-family-card-in-france Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:24:18 +0200 how-to-get-a-big-family-card-in-france Having a baby is a big moment in your life wherever you're living but if you're away from home, you have the extra pressure of finding out about the French health system, maternity leave and benefits. Here's a guide of what to expect. https://www.thelocal.fr/20190523/what-you-need-to-know-if-youre-having-a-baby-in-france Thu, 23 May 2019 17:49:44 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-if-youre-having-a-baby-in-france The number of babies born in the EU was down 5.4 percent to 3.67 million in 2023, the largest drop in decades, official data showed Friday, underscoring the bloc's demographic issues. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250308/eu-sees-record-drop-in-births-data-shows Sat, 08 Mar 2025 10:36:35 +0100 eu-sees-record-drop-in-births-data-shows You might think that all marriages are created equal, but in France it depends which 'marriage regime' you fall under - and this can have big consequences for both divorce or inheritance. Here's how it works. https://www.thelocal.fr/20241023/explained-frances-different-marriage-regimes Wed, 23 Oct 2024 18:59:47 +0200 explained-frances-different-marriage-regimes If you're buying property in France, you might be thinking about buying 'en tontine' - this has advantages especially when it comes to France's strict inheritance laws, but can also have tax implications. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240325/french-property-what-is-buying-en-tontine Mon, 25 Mar 2024 12:17:47 +0100 french-property-what-is-buying-en-tontine The number of births in Europe have dropped dramatically in recent years, new statistics reveal. But which countries have seen the biggest drop in the birthrate? https://www.thelocal.fr/20240310/compare-where-in-europe-now-has-the-lowest-birth-rate Sun, 10 Mar 2024 11:04:45 +0100 compare-where-in-europe-now-has-the-lowest-birth-rate President Emmanuel Macron recently announced a series of measures to boost France's flagging birth rate, including a more generous, gender-equal system of parental leave. Here is how the system currently works and how France compares globally. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240118/how-does-parental-leave-work-in-france-and-how-does-it-compare Thu, 18 Jan 2024 13:31:56 +0100 how-does-parental-leave-work-in-france-and-how-does-it-compare It’s understandable that foreign nationals legally living in France would want close family members to join them, but what are the rules? https://www.thelocal.fr/20240108/explained-can-i-bring-my-family-to-join-me-in-france-on-my-visa Mon, 08 Jan 2024 18:08:15 +0100 explained-can-i-bring-my-family-to-join-me-in-france-on-my-visa November 1st marks Toussaint - a bank holiday in France during which many people visit cemeteries to pay their respects to the dead. Fresh polling by IFOP has provided insight into French attitudes towards death and the afterlife. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231101/new-survey-reveals-french-attitudes-towards-death Wed, 01 Nov 2023 17:04:08 +0100 new-survey-reveals-french-attitudes-towards-death No grave, nor a wreath. Instead, eternal rest in an urn buried at the foot of a tree -- this alternative to cemeteries, known as sanctuary forests, are spreading in eastern France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20231029/sanctuary-forests-spreading-in-eastern-france-as-alternative-cemeteries Sun, 29 Oct 2023 11:14:11 +0100 sanctuary-forests-spreading-in-eastern-france-as-alternative-cemeteries Divorce is usually sad and messy - but if you're a foreigner in France it can also affect your residency status. Here's what you need to know if a marriage is ending. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230915/can-i-stay-in-france-if-i-get-divorced Fri, 15 Sep 2023 16:30:34 +0200 can-i-stay-in-france-if-i-get-divorced The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday upheld France's ban on procreation using stored gametes or embryos originating from a person who has since died. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230914/european-rights-court-upholds-french-ban-on-posthumous-procreation Thu, 14 Sep 2023 17:09:26 +0200 european-rights-court-upholds-french-ban-on-posthumous-procreation