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 From taxes to learning French, via fears of a far-right government, we take a look at what worries people about moving to France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260617/taxes-language-and-crime-your-questions-answered-on-moving-to-france Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:42:47 +0200 taxes-language-and-crime-your-questions-answered-on-moving-to-france A very common mistake for foreigners in France at tax time is failing to declare their foreign bank accounts - so how do you go about putting this right? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260609/reader-question-what-should-i-do-if-i-have-never-declared-my-foreign-bank-accounts-in-france Tue, 09 Jun 2026 13:41:38 +0200 reader-question-what-should-i-do-if-i-have-never-declared-my-foreign-bank-accounts-in-france One thing that often catches foreigners in France unaware is the tax declaration requirements for bank accounts in their home countries. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220427/reader-question-do-i-need-to-declare-my-non-french-bank-accounts Wed, 27 Apr 2022 11:23:48 +0200 reader-question-do-i-need-to-declare-my-non-french-bank-accounts If you have non-French bank accounts you will need to declare them on your declaration at tax time - but what about internet bank accounts? Here is what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230425/reader-question-do-i-have-to-declare-my-online-bank-accounts-on-french-tax-forms Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:08:43 +0200 reader-question-do-i-have-to-declare-my-online-bank-accounts-on-french-tax-forms If you're looking for a buy-and-sell website your first thought might be Craiglist - but France has its own version of this site that has everything from apartments and second-hand furniture to clothes and shoes. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260601/whats-the-french-version-of-craigslist Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:51:54 +0200 whats-the-french-version-of-craigslist France has a booming wedding industry and many of its beautiful and historic châteaux - including more than a few owned by foreigners - hire themselves out as the perfect romantic wedding venue. But what's the legal position on getting married in France as a non-resident? https://www.thelocal.fr/20230102/can-you-get-married-in-france-if-you-dont-live-here Mon, 02 Jan 2023 16:38:43 +0100 can-you-get-married-in-france-if-you-dont-live-here If you're a foreigner in France, you may be declaring income from another country - here's how to do your currency conversions. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230522/reader-question-how-do-i-convert-income-into-euros-for-my-french-tax-declaration Mon, 22 May 2023 12:40:07 +0200 reader-question-how-do-i-convert-income-into-euros-for-my-french-tax-declaration You might not have thought about it too much as you enjoyed an extra day off work, but it is perhaps unexpected that France - proudly secular since 1905 - has so many public holidays based around Catholic festivals. https://www.thelocal.fr/20220816/reader-question-why-does-secular-france-have-catholic-holidays Tue, 16 Aug 2022 15:49:00 +0200 reader-question-why-does-secular-france-have-catholic-holidays There are lots of people advertising their services to help with the annual French tax declaration but you need to make sure that anyone you hire has the right qualifications - here is how to check. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210413/reader-question-where-can-i-find-professional-help-with-the-french-tax-declaration Tue, 13 Apr 2021 16:13:10 +0200 reader-question-where-can-i-find-professional-help-with-the-french-tax-declaration We can explain this. But you might think we’re joking… https://www.thelocal.fr/20220323/reader-question-can-you-explain-frances-poisson-davril-tradition Wed, 23 Mar 2022 14:00:17 +0100 reader-question-can-you-explain-frances-poisson-davril-tradition France's rules on citizenship have undergone several big changes in the last year - so we held a live Q&A to answer the key questions from members of The Local. Here's a roundup of the main topics. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260324/it-seems-very-unfair-key-questions-answered-on-french-citizenship-changes Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:38:16 +0100 it-seems-very-unfair-key-questions-answered-on-french-citizenship-changes How strictly does France enforce its vaccination requirements for children? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260320/reader-question-is-it-compulsory-to-vaccinate-children-in-france Fri, 20 Mar 2026 16:59:23 +0100 reader-question-is-it-compulsory-to-vaccinate-children-in-france The Local France's Editor Emma Pearson was live online on Friday to answer member's questions on the new rules around French citizenship. You can read her answers in the comments section on this article. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260319/join-our-live-qa-on-frances-new-citizenship-rules Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:05:32 +0100 join-our-live-qa-on-frances-new-citizenship-rules After the first round of voting in French local elections, several cities are on a knife edge - meaning that every vote counts in round two. But can you vote in the second round if you didn't vote in the first? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260316/can-i-vote-in-the-second-round-of-the-french-local-elections-if-i-didnt-vote-in-the-first Mon, 16 Mar 2026 08:54:33 +0100 can-i-vote-in-the-second-round-of-the-french-local-elections-if-i-didnt-vote-in-the-first If you're visiting France from a non-EU country your time here is limited, unless you have a visa - but what happens to people who overstay and how strictly are the rules enforced? https://www.thelocal.fr/20210331/reader-question-what-happens-if-i-over-stay-my-90-day-limit-in-france Wed, 31 Mar 2021 16:47:58 +0200 reader-question-what-happens-if-i-over-stay-my-90-day-limit-in-france The rules for those in receipt of unemployment benefits - chômage - have recently been tightened up, including around leaving the country. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260121/reader-question-can-you-leave-france-if-you-are-on-chomage Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:17:03 +0100 reader-question-can-you-leave-france-if-you-are-on-chomage If you've spent time in France over Christmas one thing you're likely to have noticed is the amount of fish and seafood that is around, so what are the roots of this festive tradition? https://www.thelocal.fr/20191223/why-do-the-french-eat-so-much-seafood-at-christmas Mon, 23 Dec 2019 15:30:00 +0100 why-do-the-french-eat-so-much-seafood-at-christmas Foreigners living in France may be considering applying for French citizenship - but what does that mean for your original citizenship? https://www.thelocal.fr/20220128/reader-question-does-france-allow-dual-nationality Fri, 28 Jan 2022 17:39:20 +0100 reader-question-does-france-allow-dual-nationality French parents have a reputation for being strict with their children, but physical punishments like smacking or spanking are covered by the legal code. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251208/reader-question-is-it-illegal-to-smack-or-spank-children-in-france Mon, 08 Dec 2025 13:12:22 +0100 reader-question-is-it-illegal-to-smack-or-spank-children-in-france If you're one of many foreigners in France faced with taking a French language test in order to secure residency or citizenship, it might be helpful to know how the test is marked and what examiners are looking for. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240219/reader-question-how-is-the-french-language-test-scored Mon, 19 Feb 2024 17:48:35 +0100 reader-question-how-is-the-french-language-test-scored