Places to Seek Advice in France

When you first move to France, it can be unclear to know where to go for advice and who handles what. Even taking the language barrier out of the equation, who deals with what in France differs from the UK or America, and knowing where to go and who to speak to is a great way to avoid wasted journeys and frustrating conversations.

In this article, we’ll outline some of the main points of assistance, as well as what you can expect to find when you get there.

The Local Mairie

No matter where you live, you’re likely to have a Mairie, either in your own town or village or in your commune. The Mairie is always a great starting point, no matter what information you’re looking for. Generally speaking, Mairies are well-staffed and have a receptionist/secretary who pretty much knows everything about everything and everyone, so is well worth getting to know.

Commonly your Mairie will deal with everything that is associated with local events, local services and local taxes (albeit the Trésor Public may deal with this in bigger villages or towns). They also deal with planning permissions, schools, roads, refuse and so on.

If you live in a small, rural community, the Mairie is also likely to have a timetable of visits from the likes of the Caisse Allocation Familiale (CAF), Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (”CPAM”) and even some of the business services such as URSSAF, RSI and so on.

The Tax Centre

The Centre des Impôts is usually found in the capital of any department, although there are quite often smaller regional offices as well as visits to local Mairies or Tresoreries, particularly where the departmental capital is a long distance away.

If you’re used to dealing with tax centres in the UK, for example, the first thing that’s likely to strike you about the tax centres, particularly in rural France, is that they’re very laid back and don’t seem to have hordes of people who visit.

You can visit your local tax office unannounced, and they’ll help you. No matter whether your question relates to income tax, taxe d’habitation or taxe foncière, they will provide the support you need.

You’ll even find that when you come to make your first tax return, they’ll help you do the necessary calculations, but chances are you’re already registered with the French tax authorities on Impots.gouv.fr, which has an English text and information.

The CPAM for Health Services

CPAM or the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie is your first port of call if you’re an individual living in France and needing health insurance cover. It is the CPAM that will provide you with your Carte Vitale (the card that processes and tracks all your medical treatment and payments), as well as handling refunds and fees on your behalf.

Again, your CPAM office is likely to be in the departmental capital, albeit there may be regular visits to rural Mairies by a CPAM representative. Unlike the Tax Centre, when you visit CPAM, you should be prepared to wait as they are typically very busy, but they now have an online service to keep up to date on details and reimbursements.

The Notaire

The Notaire is the person you’ll go to if you need advice on either the purchase or sale of your property, as well as on the likes of capital gains tax or making a will. Somewhat like a solicitor in the UK, the Notaire is a good place to start if you need legal advice.

Although they are not responsible for the likes of disputes or divorce, they are the place to go if you have a legal query and don’t know where to go to get the right outcome.

Admin Advice in English

When you first move to France, it may well be that you won’t feel confident visiting these places alone. If this is the case, then it’s always a good idea to befriend a bilingual neighbour or contact who is prepared to help you.

However, if you have private or sensitive matters to deal with, then it may well be worth paying for an interpreter to accompany you. Although the costs of this option might seem high at first, it is well worth knowing that the translation you receive is accurate and that you can rely on what has been said.

In recent months, a new service called France Services launched a website to help expats locate their nearest office.