I love you guys. Unlike a channel hosted by 2 youngish people from NJ who gave up living in France because they never tried to integrate into French society, you are working hard to become French language proficient, & to be a part of French daily life. You’re also helping others who want to be in your shoes make it happen. Bravo!
That's not entirely fair. She was pregnant and missed not having family & friends around + the language barrier w/doctors and medical staff. They acknowledged that it was tougher than they thought. I found it helpful to emphasize the importance of the lesson they learned the hard way.
❤ I began learning French at 75 years old ❤ I am now 81 years old ❤ Language learning is my main hobby. Great for the brain. It is cerebral excercise. Exercise the body. Exercise the brain. Live life to the fullest. As Shakespeare said in Julius Ceasar: That we die, we know, ... Tis but the time, and the carrying it out. We all gotta do something. So let's do something. ❤
We just received our long stay visitor visas. Arriving in France mid-March. Though both of us are +65, we are determined to learn the French language and do our best to integrate into French society.
It's less hard than you think. 29% of words in modern English come from French. Season/seasonal; different/differently; secret/secretive; commencer/ to commence; arriver/to arrive; finir/finish; clore/close; etc... fortune; large; cliché; admission; confinement; court; etc...
Great advice! In particular the news, as the subjects are dealt with for a day or two, you have time to understand even if you don't get it on the first time.
When I moved to France in 2009 I always needed to buy 2 baguettes and 2 croissants. Not because I needed them but because I could never remember if it is "un baguette et une croissant" or "une baguette et un croissant". I moved from the UK pre Brexit so needed no language skills for entry. But I needed them for my own self esteem (and to save money on only buying one item instead of 2). It took me four years to get to B2, and I now have dual citizenship.
If you are going to university in France and the classes are in French, you will struggle with a B2 level but you can succeed if you work really hard. B2 is really the minimum level for a university education. If you succeed you will have a C1 level. C1 and C2 are the advanced levels of the CEFR.
I am pretty sure you can find all this on proper french governement websites in many languages. I have no idea why you would look for this on social media.... makes zero sense whatsoever.
I bought an old house in Brittany in 1995. Moved there in 1997 then found work (source of income). During my working life here, built onto my basic schoolboy French to become fluent. (B1/B2). Eventually gained my French naturalisation. Since Brexit was such a disaster for most Brits., my life here has become a fortunate lifestyle improvement. Tenacity included.
Personnaly , I would never move to a country without learning the language; First because i want it, second because its ur best way to integrate, third cos i find it insulting for the people who welcome u in their country.
Nobody would move anywhere if that was the case. I moved to France with no French and just immersed myself in everything . I now have many French friends.
ok Terry, glad it worked for u, but question : when u prepare to move abroad, u prepare whats material ( sell house, car, make luggagge,close bank account, open new bank account, whatever...) . So what dont you prepare whats most important for your future life, YOU? who' s gonna speak to the locals the first months (years) if u dont speak a word of the new local language, your new car, your luggage?
A bit harsh. I moved to Paris knowing very little French. Enough to be polite. Immersing yourself in day to day life in a new country is how you learn. Learning French in a classroom in a country other than France is very different than hearing locals.
To be able to prepare your move is the hight of privilege. Ideally I'd have sorted accommodations, a job/income, a friend group and a support system let alone learnt the language before I set foot anywhere but LIFE HAPPENS. Last time I had to move internationally I had three months to get there or my visa is revoked. The one before I just fell in love and made do. I, of course, had the choice to do nothing, stay put and give up on life decisions. We're not talking about people who have to flee with the shirt on their back, but most people don't have YEARS to plan and prepare either. It just happens and you make do.
Too many expat move to France and the last thing they want to do is deal with French people and integrate (and speak the language). That's why those laws exist unfortunately. I follow a few channels of English expats in France and many of them come up with so many (different) excuses as to why they don't speak French even after so many years. It's just sad.
I think it's even worse in Spain. There were several reports during Brexit showing huge English communities who only watched English TV, only spoke English among themselves, and complained about the number of people around them speaking Spanish...
@@alexandrelarsac9115 There's a channel where the guy (English) explains that he picks the stores he goes to based on whether the clerk speaks English or not, he only goes out with groups of English expats, etc .. And he avoids as much as he can any contact with French people. Like he's trying to rebuild his own England in France.
Es cierto¡¡¡¡¡ en España es una verguenza, nadie habla español es que ni lo intentan, por favor que los echen a todos, sobre todo los ingleses y nórdicos es una falta de respeto¡¡¡¡ Pero vamos a ver a mí no se me ocurre ir a Inglaterra sin saber inglés pero ellos se creen que sí¡¡
Anyone that is outside of France now but wants to practice their French language skills - as an American who has only learned the language through integration and no formal classes, and is now six years into his life in France (j'habite en Ariège) - I would recommend doing as much listening to French radio programs as possible. It's been said in other comments to do the same, but to help further, the France Radio (think of it like USA's NPR or UK's BBC) application is really comprehensive and has a great variety of programs. On top of that, FIP is one of the best, eclectic music channels one could ever find in the world, so when you need a break from language listening you can listen to great music too.
My husband and are avid fans of your videos. Thank you for this IMPORTANT update. We are dreaming of/planning to retire to France. We are currently studying the language and fully intend to know it as well as we can when we arrive. But, this is very good to know. Merci.
We're doing our visa interview next week in Toronto. Being Canadian, we have a little headstart in French, and we have been studying daily for a couple of years. Even with all that, I would rate myself as ~maybe~ B1? I have told people that learning a language at my age is like trying to squish a cucumber into a brick; no matter how hard you try, a lot of cucumber ends up on the floor.
I think it's completely fair the French government asks for these language proficiencies, but then also provides the resources to learn. I just discovered that my own country only requires proficiency in one of our official languages for ages 18-54, in order to get citizenship. A whole segment of the population that cannot speak an official language--particular as they age into a group that generally requires more health care and social services--puts a drain on collective resources. Except in specific circumstances (political refugees, elderly relatives, etc) it is rather arrogant to expect to live in a country and not make some attempt at language.
You live in Canada that’s right ? I speak both official languages but I only proved my French and service in French are convenient. In France it is less convenient : all the services including services related to administration and law are in French so for beginner learners it is hard to know their rights in the country.
@@zelieeve8948 yes in Canada it's good because you need only one official language, not both. And I believe essential services are required to be in both languages. I understand what you are saying about France being more challenging for newcomers because I've lived there for a short time!
@@pjalexandra Oh OK ! Yes a lot of newcomers feel lost in France when they don't speak the language, but the problem is that resources provided to teach French are less valued compared to Canada. In English part of Canada and also Quebec, demand of bilingualism is so high than even French language teachers from France are demanded by Canada. In France they are demanded but Board of Education doesn't consider French as a Second Language as a proper subject to be specialised in teaching certificates compared to Canada (where I live).
De toute façon, parler français en France, c'est quand même plus facile pour la vie quotidienne. La plupart des Européens parlent deux ou trois langues. C'est une preuve d'intégration. 😉
Nous sommes toujours impatients d'ajouter des exigences mais mal à l'aise de fournir les moyens d'aider correctement les gens à répondre à ces exigences d'intégration. Assez frustrant.
Je parle le français, l'anglais, le belge, le suisse, et le wesh. Quand j'étais plus jeune, je parlais aussi le zarma, mais j'ai un peu oublié. Ca fait 6 langues quand même.
I Recently found your channel and enjoy the way you present info. It’s clear, concise and given more practical information. Restaurant reviews are a dime a dozen this feels less biased too. I’m retiring in a few years and contemplating moving to France and using your info to help me. Thank you
So glad I saw this video! My wife and I are in France on Long Stay Visas, and I thought we would have to take a test when we renew in October of 2025 (we arrived at the end of last year). This is great news, because if I understand correctly, you apply for the 10 year residence card after having lived in France for 5 years...correct? Plenty of time to study if that is the case, since we wouldn't be applying for the 10 year card until 2029.
I spent 32 years in restaurants and worked with people from all over the world. I was always impressed with their grasp of English. The rules of our grammar don't make sense and if they can learn our beautiful/horrible language then I can learn French. I think I'm about A2 verbally but I'll take the test and see.
If you're speaking of English, our grammar rules make a lot of sense(past, present, perfect, conditional tenses) but I think most native English speakers (like me) never studied the rules as we were learning to speak so we don't even realize they are there and why we are using them!
Hi ! I could have bet Jason was at least B1/B2 since when he managed to hold a full conversation on the phone. And phone calls are the worst and hardest to hear after train/metro announcers and airports.
@@northerngannetproject3147 Avec tous les micros et haut-parleurs modernes et hi-fi, ils sont même pas fichu de mettre le matériel audio à jour dans des budget rénovation de plusieurs millions ! 😓
Thanks for your informative video on the new language requirements for emigrating to France. I first learned of this in the latest issue of International Living and have been a bit upset since then. You give a very detailed explanation of how the requirements apply to each visa category. I've been learning French on Duolingo since last April. It's a first exposure to the language. Plan on coming to France on a scouting trip in October. Thanks again for removing my concerns about this.
Very good video, thanks. Passport Talent visa holder here, as "Artiste", just renewed my initial 1-year VLS-TS visa and approved for my Titre de Séjour, giving a total of 4 years (until late 2028) - with no language requirement, although we (my wife and I, she with a Famille visa / now card via my status) plan to stay here permanently and are working on the language every day. We've both initially studied at AF in Paris, plus years of Duolingo beforehand to grasp foundational vocab; she's currently taking two classes back to back through a community org. every weekday and spending 6-8 hours a day on French. If you don't want to integrate, why move here in the first place? So we act as if we have to be fluent to stay even though my unique situation doesn't require it. We want to be part of the fabric of this great country and to be able to converse freely with our friends and neighbors.
Thank goodness I'm 66 years old. 😊 Although I am working on my language skills and plan to continue, it's just a relief not to have the pressure. Thanks for always putting out good content.
Hi there! As a dual citizen who has lived on both sides of the pond, I really appreciate your videos. You don’t sugarcoat anything yet you show genuine appreciation of the French way of life. I have a question / suggestion: any chance you could give a talk on the “printemps de la musique” events and access to culture in general?
Yes, thank you. We caught that afterwards while editing the video but could not find a good way to fix it or improve the scene without re-filming. Thank you!
My courses on Babbel are divided into these levels. The live classes are especially helpful in seeing what you know and what you need to work on. Regardless of the language requirements, I want to be able to keep improving my French to enjoy the most out of living in France!
Yes any courses anywhere will be divided into these levels. In USA a uni course would be a level per semester for reference. I thought I'd do Babbel but their false advertising was just too much for me - the "round the clock live classes" when they only have a couple classes a day in any given timezone was just not a shadiness I wanted to deal with. Of all the formats (I've tried them all :D), I'm finding that Pimsleur is by far the fastest and most consistent way for me to use sentences every day instead of end up with a lot of vocab rolling around in my head.
I have my 10-year Resident Visa. I just renewed it for the second time last May. I will not have to renew again until I am 84 years old. Thank you for the update. It does not affect me but at least I am aware of what is expected now.
❤ Merci Beaucoup ❤ Learning French and German have been the hardest things I have done in my life. Especially speaking, writing, and understanding spoken language. Speaking: Requires frequent practice. Speaking the same phrases over and over, for life if necessary. At some point the phrases are memorized. They have become fixed in long term memory, and no translation is required. All of this is due to usage and lots of practice. With French pronunciation is difficult to non native learners. I have found it worthwhile to set aside a couple of months just to learn pronunciation. This will help with your language skills the rest of your life. German and Spanish are spoken as they are written. It is really very easy to learn to pronounce words and phrases in those languages. In other words, it doesn't take as much time and effort to learn to pronounce German and Spanish. They are very consistent and uniform. Not so with French language. Pas du tout ! Not at all ever. Anyone that has studied French knows this. Pronunciation is hard to learn. It may take a lifetime. It may never be fully achieved. So, we may make pronunciation errors all our lives. That's OK. We are at least communicating. We don't give up. We lose when we give up. I cherish those words and phrases that I have memorized and made part of me. I am beyond Je m'appelle and Bahnhof. It's just a matter of adding. Babies add words and phrases over time, as they grow up. It takes time to learn anything especially languages. Learning to use our hands, for building things is easy. We just keep repeating the same thing over and over until we have muscle memory. We don't have to think any more. We want to get that way with language learning. Not have to do all the in head translation and patching together short sentences. We want to gain fluency. Carry on conversations with ease. Know the language. It is my dream. But, in real life, dreams like this only come true from long, difficult work. I enjoy this work. I find gems and jewels every day in the French and German languages. ❤ ❤ They add so much to my life and soul ❤ I continue forever ❤
@phillipmcduffie9353= Thank you for sharing. You make me better understand why some of our foreign born & raised friends have kept their accent throughout a lifetime of living in France. There is this marvelous story which my mother told about one of her friends, named Kate Lechaux. Kate had volunteered as a nurse in the WW I US Army and met in France a young military doctor, Jules Lechaux, who she married and with whom she settled postwar in the coastal town of Le Havre. We are now in 1954, ten years after the awful bombing of the town by the RAF; economic life has resumed and Kate goes to a newly rebuilt department store, to buy a silk tie as a birthday present for her husband. She asks the young sales clerk: “Mademoiselle, je voodree une crevette pour Gioul's". Her accent is so thick that the young girl politely says: “Attendez ici, Madame, je vais chercher un interprète !” And an infuriated Kate cuts her, shouting: “Il y a trente-cinq ans que je vee dans cette payee, et vous voolay me donner une interprète !...". She eventually bought her tie. __ .
@phillipmcduffie9353= Thank you for sharing. You make me better understand why some of our foreign friends have kept their sometimes heavy accent throughout a lifetime of living in France. There is this charming story which my mother told about one of her good friends, named Kate L***. Kate had volunteered as a nurse in the WW I US Army and met in France a young military doctor, Jules L***, who she married and with whom she settled postwar in the coastal town of Le Havre. Over the years, she acquired a good command of French, although she could not master the pronunciation & took some grammatical liberties; this was of no consequence with her friends, who quite easily accepted her as she was. We are now in 1954, ten years after the awful bombing of the town by the RAF; economic life has resumed and Kate goes to a newly rebuilt department store, to buy a silk tie as a birthday present for her husband. She asks the young sales clerk: “Mademoiselle, je voodree une crevette pour Gioul's". Her accent is so thick that the young girl politely says: “Attendez ici, Madame, je vais chercher un interprète !” And an infuriated Kate cuts her, saying sternly: “Il y a trente-cinq ans que je vee dans cette payee, et vous voolay me donner une interprète !...". She eventually bought her tie. __ .
English speakers refuse to learn the language of their new country. Yet this is the first thing other foreigners do and they learn quickly and seek to integrate. English speakers keep to themselves.
There's logic in those requirements. If you want to work in France, be part of the economic system, well of course you must speak a minimum French, not expecting others will always adapt to you. And why go live in a country (I'm not talking about some holiday trip here) and not speaking the country language... I know it exists: People from many different origins, I'm not talking about refugees here but about normal people who come to France to have all the things you described in your videos and don't make the effort of trying to communicate with the locals and sometimes even saying they dislike French people... That's a typical French issue. We don't have a lot of control on our immigration... like welcome! That's open day... Every day! No other country has that, even the most tolerant ones and the most open to other cultures... And so we have lots of immigrants that take advantage of the system and insult the country they're in. And if you point that out, you'll be pointed as xenophobic. Well, I'm not, I love diversity and people from everywhere as long as they respect me and my country when they are guests. I'm from mixed origins and my ancestors came to France with love and respect for this country. Lately the French people are fed up with this and voted for politics that are fed up too. And that new law is a reaction to that and a logic consequence. But honestly, for those who love France, and don't stay isolated in some small enclave, with other people speaking their language and buying everything on the net... (which is kind of weird) those levels won't be hard to reach because when you're immersed and you take pleasure communicating with the natives, your language level really rises fast. I mean really really fast... I've witnessed it numerous times, with neighbors and colleagues...
I was surprised yesterday when I looked into renewing my 10 year resident card. I agree the minimum is to understand a bit of the language for visas, and much more for long term. Since I have been here for more than 30 years, I likely would be in the B2, although I really wouldn't want to take a test. I will fall into the 65 years old within the time to apply so I don't need to in the end. Well explained thanks for sharing.
I passed the tests for my job and I'm B2 level in english. but I think that there's a major flaw: It's only about reading and listening. you don't say any word. so you can have a good C level in understanding being unable to talk fluently without tons of mistakes.
Yes that's why I haven't bothered taking any tests myself though of course all courses are set up with the level reference anyway so one knows basically where one is.
Requiring some level of the local language is not unreasonable. I have worked in an international university, here in Thailand, for 30 years. We have on campus accommodation and all facilities for the faculty and staff, so a professor could have been living on campus for how many years and not be able to order a fried rice in Thai; it is a it extreme, but I can assure you there are such people. It was to the point that the local fresh market would reverse to speak English on Saturdays because that was the day that the spouses of the professors would go out of campus to do some extra groceries (other days the vendors would speak to me in Thai, they knew me and knew I can speak Thai, but not on Saturday, I had to ask why).
i was 16 when I went to the US as an exchange student - my english level then was far from fluent but because I already spoke fluent german it was quite easy for me to understand most of what was said to me and give a proper answer even with a few mistakes - one month after my arrival, since I lived in an american family, one morning I woke up and everything was there, I was fluent in english - ever since I kept up with my english ( american) by reading, singing, translating for fun, etc... I'm 70 now and I still speak fluent english, german, french ( of course) I studied Russian and Italian , and speaking several languages is the best way to train your memory, to meet people, to understand their jokes, and their spirit etc.... I'm still in contact with my host family in the US and they are just amazed that I still am so fluent ! People who travel abroad without trying to learn a minimum of the language miss most of what's interresting to understand abroad, no matter where !
The art and design industry in Paris do so much business with the U.S. and Americans that it’s pretty normal for them to speak English. As a New Yorker in the art and design business I have yet to go to a gallery or design showroom where English is not spoken. It definitely doesn’t help my French but it does make doing business a bit easier. And many love being able to practice their English and being bilingual. I request French be spoken at times just so I can practice. But language requirements when coming and going for business is different than actually moving and living there.
As a Frenchman, I am positively surprised that this whole system kind of makes good sense and seems progressive enough for motivated people to easily pass the required level test. As of students, several universities and graduate schools in France offer international programs that are entirely taught in English. You may find such programs in almost all the best engineering, business and economics, law schools, and some in fundamental sciences or arts, human and social sciences too.
You should tell the Brits in France not speaking any word of French and still complaining the locals don’t speak English. I think it’s time for them to comply or move back to England.
Generally speaking, it is considered that you need to know 3000 words to be "intermediate" and 5 to 6000 to be fluent in a new language ( with the grammar of course)
We're loosely at A2 now and have 3-4 years before any move. It's difficult at 50+, but i can't fault France for upping language requirements. It's the least we can do for the privilege of moving there.
Very reasonable requirements...and tbh, probably saving people from having a challenging time of living in France. You have to get to B1 imo before "tasting French life".
Absolutely. It's not a mean thing, it's a supportive thing and an important support for one's mental health all the way around. Add it to the list of "love in public" France has a good handle on in the category of laws.
Language is culture. They are united. They are not detached from one another. Without the language, one will not be able to fully comprehend the culture or society without them. Also, when permanently moving to a country - not when simply traveling - you must not only be able to say and understand substantially more than « je voudrais une baguette, s’il vous plaît» , but you should be able to explain the baguette.
⏩⏩⏩As a French, if I were gonna live in the UK or the US on the long term, I wouldn't see myself getting there without a B1 at least. I mean, if your plan is to live in another country, it meens you wanna share the culture, you wanna or will have to interact with people over there, etc etc, so it seems perfectly obvious to have a real decent level in the language. In France, we see so many British people living in the Aquitaine region and barely being able to speak very basic French after being here for years, sometimes decades. What's the point ? They're just stuck around with other Brits, like a closed community, not making any efforts to get integrated and be part of France...
I had heard that some time ago, they dropped the French language requirement for applying for French citizenship, for people over 60 , but Macron reinstated it. Do you have any information about that?
Whatever the country, language is a basis for integration and understand another culture. For any people who wants to live in a country, knowing the law, the rules and part of the history of it is a strict minimum. So it’s a good thing France starts to define some more restrictive rules about the language, even if French is definitively not the easiest language to learn.
Hi, so just saying “Oh, je suis vraiment désolé, je ne comprends pas le français, je suis américain. Veuillez parler en anglais?” Does this mean that this will not work for you anymore? Just asking.
Hi Lisa, micro-entreprenur a tax status of your business, which is different than your personal immigration status. I think sometimes people us the terms interchangeably, but they are two different things.
So I'm here on a spouse visa, which is technically called a "family and private life visa", it wasn't one of the visas you listed. I haven't read up on the new laws, I'm about to end my first year of a 10 year residency. But when I first got here, in the first year (a 1 year visa, even for a spouse, I know, lol) I was here, we had to take a language test if we didnt score at A1 level we were required to take government sponsored language classes, (we also had to have a health physical and do 4 full day classes of civics classes), even if we had done all that we were only allowed a 2 year visa, if we took a DELF (no expiration date) for A2 or tested at A2 or higher on the TCF (only lasts for 2 years), we could then apply for 10 year residency, I now qualify to apply for nationality, but they highly recommend being on the 10 year residency before applying for nationality, the language requirement for that used to be B1, but I'm hearing it is changing to B2. Since I only took the TCF, I have no idea if I need to take another test if I want to renew my 10 year residency since the TCF is expired, but the plan is I try to study and take the DELF at B2 level in the next few years then I won't need to think about it again since the DELF is equal to a diploma.
The funny part is that there is no language requirements for French citizens. I am French, married to an American, and two of our children have a French passport but don't speak the language because they were born in the US, never lived in France or studied in a French school abroad. They have no intention to move to France, and if they would latter in life, they will need to learn French. But as the French passport is a European passport, they can live or study in Ireland whenever they wish.
@@ResisterExister We have some independentist movements in France, particularly in overseas territories (New Caledonia is the most serious one, but also French Polynesia to a lesser extent). The ones in Brittany and Corsica are real, but without much traction. No perspective of citizenship there, just more autonomy and preserving local languages and traditions, which are not threatened anyway. I am more interested in California citizenship than Brittany one, but very slim chances of happening in both cases.
No, EU citizens don't need to apply to any visa or residence card to reside and work in France, only their valid national passport is requested and no need to demonstrate any french language competency (although it is advisable).
Thanks for this. I am working on my French but am 76 years old and it is hard. Are you sure about the age waver for the 10 year visa? I had heard that it was going away. Also I have heard that once you get the 10 year visa you can work in France. Is this true?
No, EU citizenship would already equal freedom to be wherever you want in EU. People from EU don't need to get a visa for other EU places; that's pretty much the perk of EU citizenship.
My comment isn't related to this video, but I don't know where else to ask this question. I tried to go to your website, but the page that popped up said "Access denied -- the administrator has blocked your IP from accessing this website." I have all sorts of malware protection on my phone so don't know if that's the issue. I hesitate to click the button labeled "Unlock Me" that also pops up because I've never seen that before. Suggestions?
suggestion : maybe VPN, if you have one! sometimes you dont access sites abroad ( even French sites..) because of VPN, i have that pb! So i stop it and it works.
I don't know many businesses that you could move to or start in France without speaking better french than level A2, honestly. Maybe if your business is online and you're moving headquarters without changing anything else?
A quick question, would my spouse (American Citizen) be required to take these tests since I'm an EU citizen (Irish by birth and nationality, but now living in the USA)?
WHAT "French visa"? When I travel to France I get a Schengen visa. This covers me for travel for up to 90 days in a 120 day period within most of the countries of Europe, including France; the Schengen-zone countries. There are no border restrictions when travelling between these countries on the terms of this visa and certainly no language restrictions.
Unfortunately, the test at that link is very buggy. It often does not show the response options, or does not show the button to advance to the next question.
Does the over 65 exemption work with the professional visa ? Am planning on moving there when 65 1/2, and buy a large BnB or small hotel. I speak minimal french, but took 4 years in school where i was also a basic writter and reader. I beleive i will pick it up again quickly, but i do have tinnitus, so hearring another lanquage when they speak fast will make it harder. It will just take me longer i believe.
Yes, it's going up to B2 for citizenship next year, and while there are exceptions from proving French level for citizenship in certain cases, age is only one in some situations. It's not a blanket waiver as it is with 10 year residency cards.
Do you have a video on how long the long stay visa process takes? Also interested if investments (e.g. trading stocks, options, ....) can be done under a long stay visa versus setting up a business? Is your UA-cam and consultancy under your long term stay visa or do you need the business visa? Thank you!
If each of these elementary levels is too hard, you'd want to stay where you are instead of moving, as going to a new country is like being an infant and relearning everything again except with an adult ego (harder :(). Language learning is the least of the adjustments.
I live in France and hold a Carte de Séjour residency card. Day to day, basic French is fine but when dealing with their endless admin, unless you are fluent, you will be lost. The only reason why France demands language competency is because they live for their admin
Just a quick reminder for all fellow Brits, those new requirements will obviously not apply to any EU citizens. They are still free to do whatever they wish. So, here's another Brexit gift that keeps giving...
Forgive me if you have already answered this, it I assume the requirement applies to both members of a couple. In other words, I can’t pass the test and sneak my wife in…..She must pass as well?
Correct. Assuming you both have the requirement for your individual visa or residency card, you both must achieve it individually. If you have different types of visas or residency cards, you may have different requirements.
I love you guys. Unlike a channel hosted by 2 youngish people from NJ who gave up living in France because they never tried to integrate into French society, you are working hard to become French language proficient, & to be a part of French daily life.
You’re also helping others who want to be in your shoes make it happen. Bravo!
I did not understand those two. What did they hope to do?
Weird. What was the name of their channel ?
I don't think they really wanted to live in France. Rather It was a 2/3 months vacation on the French Riviera.
@@gabelov That's sorta what it looked like to me. Didn't the guy get in trouble for videoing on the tram? He was kinda rude to the cops on top of it.
That's not entirely fair. She was pregnant and missed not having family & friends around + the language barrier w/doctors and medical staff. They acknowledged that it was tougher than they thought. I found it helpful to emphasize the importance of the lesson they learned the hard way.
❤ I began learning French at 75 years old ❤ I am now 81 years old ❤
Language learning is my main hobby. Great for the brain. It is cerebral excercise.
Exercise the body. Exercise the brain. Live life to the fullest.
As Shakespeare said in Julius Ceasar:
That we die, we know, ... Tis but the time, and the carrying it out.
We all gotta do something. So let's do something. ❤
According to AI, learning new languages is great for staving off dementia. I am not sure if it applies to languages you have spoken for many years.
Love this, I am also on that journey as well. It is such a big piece of understanding the culture in France, the nuances are in the language.
We just received our long stay visitor visas. Arriving in France mid-March. Though both of us are +65, we are determined to learn the French language and do our best to integrate into French society.
You only need , bonjour , merci, au revoir , excusez moi je ne parle pas français, parlez vous anglais.
@@stephen10. vous oubliez: croissant, pain, vin fromage !!! c'est très important.😉
@cn8208 : that's the spirit
@@kathyacemoi hahaha oui c'est vital.
It's less hard than you think. 29% of words in modern English come from French. Season/seasonal; different/differently; secret/secretive; commencer/ to commence; arriver/to arrive; finir/finish; clore/close; etc... fortune; large; cliché; admission; confinement; court; etc...
En France ou que vous alliez et quoi que vous fassiez dites simplement, bonjour, merci et au revoir avec un sourire et bien tout ira bien 😉
Je ne sais pas pourquoi, je suis Français vivant en France, mais je regarde toutes vos vidéos.
🤩 nous avons adoré ça ! Merci.
c'est vrai!
Je suis Français vivant en Allemagne et je suis pareil!
J'adore comment ça me remet en perspective...
Bonjour. I have the same advice for anyone willing to learn french : listen to the radio, while cooking or whatever.
Oh la la ! Il faut déjà être très bon pour pouvoir profiter de la radio.
@jean-michelvanpruyssen936 Certes, mais c'est mieux que rien. Et contrairement à la télé, on peut faire autre chose en écoutant la radio...
Great advice!
In particular the news, as the subjects are dealt with for a day or two, you have time to understand even if you don't get it on the first time.
I just can't imagine moving to France and not knowing at least A2.
When I moved to France in 2009 I always needed to buy 2 baguettes and 2 croissants. Not because I needed them but because I could never remember if it is "un baguette et une croissant" or "une baguette et un croissant". I moved from the UK pre Brexit so needed no language skills for entry. But I needed them for my own self esteem (and to save money on only buying one item instead of 2). It took me four years to get to B2, and I now have dual citizenship.
@@timrobertson1571 You could do as a friend of mine, who didn't know if it was "un sandwich" or "une sandwich", who asked for "deux demi sandwiches".
@@zappow2827 I wish I had thought of that at the time! I'm long past it now.
@@timrobertson1571 You should be proud welcome
When I met my French husband and moved here in 2007, I didn't speak any French (and he didn't speak English) but you learn
Thank you for the updated information, practicing my A1/A2 level now. French is a beautiful language, I'm enjoying the challenge.
good luck with learning french, we know it is not an easy one to learn.
If you are going to university in France and the classes are in French, you will struggle with a B2 level but you can succeed if you work really hard. B2 is really the minimum level for a university education. If you succeed you will have a C1 level. C1 and C2 are the advanced levels of the CEFR.
And if you want to be a translator or a French teacher : C2
Agreed! Yes this is why you never do a uni exchange across language countries until you have completed intermediate (2 yrs) USA uni language course.
Oh my word, thank you! There is so much misinformation about this topic going around Facebook and UA-cam communities right now! Bravo!
I am pretty sure you can find all this on proper french governement websites in many languages. I have no idea why you would look for this on social media.... makes zero sense whatsoever.
I bought an old house in Brittany in 1995. Moved there in 1997 then found work (source of income).
During my working life here, built onto my basic schoolboy French to become fluent. (B1/B2).
Eventually gained my French naturalisation.
Since Brexit was such a disaster for most Brits., my life here has become a fortunate lifestyle improvement. Tenacity included.
Personnaly , I would never move to a country without learning the language; First because i want it, second because its ur best way to integrate, third cos i find it insulting for the people who welcome u in their country.
Agreed, even if language is big part of the integration process, cultural understanding ( visit regularly before moving ) is not in books
Nobody would move anywhere if that was the case. I moved to France with no French and just immersed myself in everything . I now have many French friends.
ok Terry, glad it worked for u, but question : when u prepare to move abroad, u prepare whats material ( sell house, car, make luggagge,close bank account, open new bank account, whatever...) . So what dont you prepare whats most important for your future life, YOU? who' s gonna speak to the locals the first months (years) if u dont speak a word of the new local language, your new car, your luggage?
A bit harsh. I moved to Paris knowing very little French. Enough to be polite. Immersing yourself in day to day life in a new country is how you learn. Learning French in a classroom in a country other than France is very different than hearing locals.
To be able to prepare your move is the hight of privilege. Ideally I'd have sorted accommodations, a job/income, a friend group and a support system let alone learnt the language before I set foot anywhere but LIFE HAPPENS. Last time I had to move internationally I had three months to get there or my visa is revoked. The one before I just fell in love and made do. I, of course, had the choice to do nothing, stay put and give up on life decisions. We're not talking about people who have to flee with the shirt on their back, but most people don't have YEARS to plan and prepare either. It just happens and you make do.
Too many expat move to France and the last thing they want to do is deal with French people and integrate (and speak the language). That's why those laws exist unfortunately. I follow a few channels of English expats in France and many of them come up with so many (different) excuses as to why they don't speak French even after so many years. It's just sad.
I think it's even worse in Spain. There were several reports during Brexit showing huge English communities who only watched English TV, only spoke English among themselves, and complained about the number of people around them speaking Spanish...
@@alexandrelarsac9115 There's a channel where the guy (English) explains that he picks the stores he goes to based on whether the clerk speaks English or not, he only goes out with groups of English expats, etc .. And he avoids as much as he can any contact with French people. Like he's trying to rebuild his own England in France.
Es cierto¡¡¡¡¡ en España es una verguenza, nadie habla español es que ni lo intentan, por favor que los echen a todos, sobre todo los ingleses y nórdicos es una falta de respeto¡¡¡¡ Pero vamos a ver a mí no se me ocurre ir a Inglaterra sin saber inglés pero ellos se creen que sí¡¡
@@jeanmas4197. That sounds sad actually.😌
@@jeanmas4197 ce sont souvent les mêmes qui se plaignent des immigrés qui ne veulent pas s'intégrer dans leur pays..
Anyone that is outside of France now but wants to practice their French language skills - as an American who has only learned the language through integration and no formal classes, and is now six years into his life in France (j'habite en Ariège) - I would recommend doing as much listening to French radio programs as possible. It's been said in other comments to do the same, but to help further, the France Radio (think of it like USA's NPR or UK's BBC) application is really comprehensive and has a great variety of programs. On top of that, FIP is one of the best, eclectic music channels one could ever find in the world, so when you need a break from language listening you can listen to great music too.
quebec radio is also a good option. different accent, but still french.
My husband and are avid fans of your videos. Thank you for this IMPORTANT update. We are dreaming of/planning to retire to France. We are currently studying the language and fully intend to know it as well as we can when we arrive. But, this is very good to know. Merci.
Watch french UA-cam with subtitles.
We're doing our visa interview next week in Toronto. Being Canadian, we have a little headstart in French, and we have been studying daily for a couple of years. Even with all that, I would rate myself as ~maybe~ B1? I have told people that learning a language at my age is like trying to squish a cucumber into a brick; no matter how hard you try, a lot of cucumber ends up on the floor.
Good luck!
I think it's completely fair the French government asks for these language proficiencies, but then also provides the resources to learn. I just discovered that my own country only requires proficiency in one of our official languages for ages 18-54, in order to get citizenship. A whole segment of the population that cannot speak an official language--particular as they age into a group that generally requires more health care and social services--puts a drain on collective resources. Except in specific circumstances (political refugees, elderly relatives, etc) it is rather arrogant to expect to live in a country and not make some attempt at language.
You live in Canada that’s right ?
I speak both official languages but I only proved my French and service in French are convenient.
In France it is less convenient : all the services including services related to administration and law are in French so for beginner learners it is hard to know their rights in the country.
@@zelieeve8948 yes in Canada it's good because you need only one official language, not both. And I believe essential services are required to be in both languages. I understand what you are saying about France being more challenging for newcomers because I've lived there for a short time!
@@pjalexandra Oh OK ! Yes a lot of newcomers feel lost in France when they don't speak the language, but the problem is that resources provided to teach French are less valued compared to Canada. In English part of Canada and also Quebec, demand of bilingualism is so high than even French language teachers from France are demanded by Canada. In France they are demanded but Board of Education doesn't consider French as a Second Language as a proper subject to be specialised in teaching certificates compared to Canada (where I live).
@@zelieeve8948 thank you for clarifying! I learned something about my own country :)
De toute façon, parler français en France, c'est quand même plus facile pour la vie quotidienne.
La plupart des Européens parlent deux ou trois langues. C'est une preuve d'intégration. 😉
Bien dit!
ouais, mais tu sais, les vieux ça n'aime plus trop apprendre !
@@palupalu5647 A quel âge on est vieux ? 😉
Nous sommes toujours impatients d'ajouter des exigences mais mal à l'aise de fournir les moyens d'aider correctement les gens à répondre à ces exigences d'intégration. Assez frustrant.
Je parle le français, l'anglais, le belge, le suisse, et le wesh. Quand j'étais plus jeune, je parlais aussi le zarma, mais j'ai un peu oublié. Ca fait 6 langues quand même.
Bonjour ! THIS was wonderful! I am so glad I am 68 YEARS OLD!
I
Recently found your channel and enjoy the way you present info. It’s clear, concise and given more practical information. Restaurant reviews are a dime a dozen this feels less biased too. I’m retiring in a few years and contemplating moving to France and using your info to help me. Thank you
I am currently at A1 but definitely want to be fluent and be part of the culture. Can't wait to immerse myself!
So glad I saw this video! My wife and I are in France on Long Stay Visas, and I thought we would have to take a test when we renew in October of 2025 (we arrived at the end of last year). This is great news, because if I understand correctly, you apply for the 10 year residence card after having lived in France for 5 years...correct? Plenty of time to study if that is the case, since we wouldn't be applying for the 10 year card until 2029.
Hi, it's easy to explain the American health system to a French person in French: "c'est nul". You just confirm what everyone here thinks about it 😄😄.
Tu as raison.
Here now on my scouting trip. Emigrating from Texas end of May 2025 (T-minus 112 days!) on TLS-LS. 65, turning 66 in Mar h. 😊😊😊
I spent 32 years in restaurants and worked with people from all over the world. I was always impressed with their grasp of English. The rules of our grammar don't make sense and if they can learn our beautiful/horrible language then I can learn French. I think I'm about A2 verbally but I'll take the test and see.
If you're speaking of English, our grammar rules make a lot of sense(past, present, perfect, conditional tenses) but I think most native English speakers (like me) never studied the rules as we were learning to speak so we don't even realize they are there and why we are using them!
Hi !
I could have bet Jason was at least B1/B2 since when he managed to hold a full conversation on the phone.
And phone calls are the worst and hardest to hear after train/metro announcers and airports.
He doesn't give himself enough credit. 😉 I (Raina) think his comprehension is definitely B1.
@@BaguetteBound I agree. 👍
Closer to B2 as I could hear from the few times he spoke French.
@@BaguetteBound I'm C1, and now dual citizenship. UK/France. To this day I still have difficulty with phone conversations!
Native french don't understand train/ airport messages most of the time... 😁😁
@@northerngannetproject3147 Avec tous les micros et haut-parleurs modernes et hi-fi, ils sont même pas fichu de mettre le matériel audio à jour dans des budget rénovation de plusieurs millions ! 😓
As always, an excellent video. You guys are awesome!
Clearly and simply explained. Nice work.
Don't forget that as soon as you'll arrive you'll be in the best conditions to learn. Bienvenue les expats.
Thanks for your informative video on the new language requirements for emigrating to France. I first learned of this in the latest issue of International Living and have been a bit upset since then. You give a very detailed explanation of how the requirements apply to each visa category. I've been learning French on Duolingo since last April. It's a first exposure to the language. Plan on coming to France on a scouting trip in October.
Thanks again for removing my concerns about this.
Thanks for the apprendre tv5 monde resource - that looks amazing for learning materials as well as TCF practice.
Thank you for this important update!
You guys are great! I’m trying to get to France longterm, putting things in place.
It's easy to come. You can come by plane or by boat.
You can try swimming but the olympic games are finished and there will be no medal in reward.
Very good video, thanks. Passport Talent visa holder here, as "Artiste", just renewed my initial 1-year VLS-TS visa and approved for my Titre de Séjour, giving a total of 4 years (until late 2028) - with no language requirement, although we (my wife and I, she with a Famille visa / now card via my status) plan to stay here permanently and are working on the language every day. We've both initially studied at AF in Paris, plus years of Duolingo beforehand to grasp foundational vocab; she's currently taking two classes back to back through a community org. every weekday and spending 6-8 hours a day on French. If you don't want to integrate, why move here in the first place? So we act as if we have to be fluent to stay even though my unique situation doesn't require it. We want to be part of the fabric of this great country and to be able to converse freely with our friends and neighbors.
Thank goodness I'm 66 years old. 😊 Although I am working on my language skills and plan to continue, it's just a relief not to have the pressure.
Thanks for always putting out good content.
Hi there! As a dual citizen who has lived on both sides of the pond, I really appreciate your videos. You don’t sugarcoat anything yet you show genuine appreciation of the French way of life. I have a question / suggestion: any chance you could give a talk on the “printemps de la musique” events and access to culture in general?
May I point out that the correct pronunciation is Alliance FrancAISE, not français, as alliance is feminine.
Yes, thank you. We caught that afterwards while editing the video but could not find a good way to fix it or improve the scene without re-filming. Thank you!
@@BaguetteBoundwe took many classes with them before moving to France. Really good, structured classes that helped a lot.
Senior discount for the win. Learning, but don’t need the pressure!
Interesting update. Thank you.
My courses on Babbel are divided into these levels. The live classes are especially helpful in seeing what you know and what you need to work on. Regardless of the language requirements, I want to be able to keep improving my French to enjoy the most out of living in France!
Yes any courses anywhere will be divided into these levels. In USA a uni course would be a level per semester for reference. I thought I'd do Babbel but their false advertising was just too much for me - the "round the clock live classes" when they only have a couple classes a day in any given timezone was just not a shadiness I wanted to deal with. Of all the formats (I've tried them all :D), I'm finding that Pimsleur is by far the fastest and most consistent way for me to use sentences every day instead of end up with a lot of vocab rolling around in my head.
GREAT CONTENT AS ALWAYS!!!!
SENDING ❤ TO YOU ALL!!!!
MERCI BEAUCOUP!!!!
I have my 10-year Resident Visa. I just renewed it for the second time last May. I will not have to renew again until I am 84 years old. Thank you for the update. It does not affect me but at least I am aware of what is expected now.
❤ Merci Beaucoup ❤
Learning French and German have been the hardest things I have done in my life. Especially speaking, writing, and understanding spoken language.
Speaking: Requires frequent practice. Speaking the same phrases over and over, for life if necessary. At some point the phrases are memorized. They have become fixed in long term memory, and no translation is required. All of this is due to usage and lots of practice.
With French pronunciation is difficult to non native learners. I have found it worthwhile to set aside a couple of months just to learn pronunciation. This will help with your language skills the rest of your life.
German and Spanish are spoken as they are written. It is really very easy to learn to pronounce words and phrases in those languages. In other words, it doesn't take as much time and effort to learn to pronounce German and Spanish. They are very consistent and uniform.
Not so with French language. Pas du tout ! Not at all ever.
Anyone that has studied French knows this. Pronunciation is hard to learn. It may take a lifetime. It may never be fully achieved. So, we may make pronunciation errors all our lives.
That's OK. We are at least communicating. We don't give up. We lose when we give up.
I cherish those words and phrases that I have memorized and made part of me.
I am beyond Je m'appelle and Bahnhof. It's just a matter of adding. Babies add words and phrases over time, as they grow up. It takes time to learn anything especially languages.
Learning to use our hands, for building things is easy. We just keep repeating the same thing over and over until we have muscle memory. We don't have to think any more.
We want to get that way with language learning. Not have to do all the in head translation and patching together short sentences. We want to gain fluency. Carry on conversations with ease. Know the language.
It is my dream. But, in real life, dreams like this only come true from long, difficult work.
I enjoy this work. I find gems and jewels every day in the French and German languages. ❤
❤ They add so much to my life and soul ❤ I continue forever ❤
@phillipmcduffie9353= Thank you for sharing.
You make me better understand why some of our foreign born & raised friends have kept their accent throughout a lifetime of living in France.
There is this marvelous story which my mother told about one of her friends, named Kate Lechaux. Kate had volunteered as a nurse in the WW I US Army and met in France a young military doctor, Jules Lechaux, who she married and with whom she settled postwar in the coastal town of Le Havre.
We are now in 1954, ten years after the awful bombing of the town by the RAF; economic life has resumed and Kate goes to a newly rebuilt department store, to buy a silk tie as a birthday present for her husband. She asks the young sales clerk: “Mademoiselle, je voodree une crevette pour Gioul's". Her accent is so thick that the young girl politely says: “Attendez ici, Madame, je vais chercher un interprète !” And an infuriated Kate cuts her, shouting: “Il y a trente-cinq ans que je vee dans cette payee, et vous voolay me donner une interprète !...".
She eventually bought her tie. __ .
@phillipmcduffie9353= Thank you for sharing.
You make me better understand why some of our foreign friends have kept their sometimes heavy accent throughout a lifetime of living in France.
There is this charming story which my mother told about one of her good friends, named Kate L***. Kate had volunteered as a nurse in the WW I US Army and met in France a young military doctor, Jules L***, who she married and with whom she settled postwar in the coastal town of Le Havre. Over the years, she acquired a good command of French, although she could not master the pronunciation & took some grammatical liberties; this was of no consequence with her friends, who quite easily accepted her as she was.
We are now in 1954, ten years after the awful bombing of the town by the RAF; economic life has resumed and Kate goes to a newly rebuilt department store, to buy a silk tie as a birthday present for her husband. She asks the young sales clerk: “Mademoiselle, je voodree une crevette pour Gioul's". Her accent is so thick that the young girl politely says: “Attendez ici, Madame, je vais chercher un interprète !” And an infuriated Kate cuts her, saying sternly: “Il y a trente-cinq ans que je vee dans cette payee, et vous voolay me donner une interprète !...". She eventually bought her tie. __ .
By the way ... I heard that Americans can get refugee status as long as Trump plays president 😁😁😁.
😂😂 si ça continue , ça pourrait être le cas malheureusement.
English speakers refuse to learn the language of their new country. Yet this is the first thing other foreigners do and they learn quickly and seek to integrate. English speakers keep to themselves.
There's logic in those requirements. If you want to work in France, be part of the economic system, well of course you must speak a minimum French, not expecting others will always adapt to you. And why go live in a country (I'm not talking about some holiday trip here) and not speaking the country language... I know it exists: People from many different origins, I'm not talking about refugees here but about normal people who come to France to have all the things you described in your videos and don't make the effort of trying to communicate with the locals and sometimes even saying they dislike French people... That's a typical French issue. We don't have a lot of control on our immigration... like welcome! That's open day... Every day! No other country has that, even the most tolerant ones and the most open to other cultures... And so we have lots of immigrants that take advantage of the system and insult the country they're in. And if you point that out, you'll be pointed as xenophobic. Well, I'm not, I love diversity and people from everywhere as long as they respect me and my country when they are guests. I'm from mixed origins and my ancestors came to France with love and respect for this country.
Lately the French people are fed up with this and voted for politics that are fed up too. And that new law is a reaction to that and a logic consequence.
But honestly, for those who love France, and don't stay isolated in some small enclave, with other people speaking their language and buying everything on the net... (which is kind of weird) those levels won't be hard to reach because when you're immersed and you take pleasure communicating with the natives, your language level really rises fast. I mean really really fast... I've witnessed it numerous times, with neighbors and colleagues...
I was surprised yesterday when I looked into renewing my 10 year resident card. I agree the minimum is to understand a bit of the language for visas, and much more for long term. Since I have been here for more than 30 years, I likely would be in the B2, although I really wouldn't want to take a test. I will fall into the 65 years old within the time to apply so I don't need to in the end. Well explained thanks for sharing.
I passed the tests for my job and I'm B2 level in english. but I think that there's a major flaw: It's only about reading and listening. you don't say any word. so you can have a good C level in understanding being unable to talk fluently without tons of mistakes.
Yes that's why I haven't bothered taking any tests myself though of course all courses are set up with the level reference anyway so one knows basically where one is.
Requiring some level of the local language is not unreasonable.
I have worked in an international university, here in Thailand, for 30 years. We have on campus accommodation and all facilities for the faculty and staff, so a professor could have been living on campus for how many years and not be able to order a fried rice in Thai; it is a it extreme, but I can assure you there are such people. It was to the point that the local fresh market would reverse to speak English on Saturdays because that was the day that the spouses of the professors would go out of campus to do some extra groceries (other days the vendors would speak to me in Thai, they knew me and knew I can speak Thai, but not on Saturday, I had to ask why).
My very own test to know if you know a language: when you win a heated argument with a person in their language, you have it!
Great information! Merci Beaucoup!
If you come near Auxerre or Burgundy/Franche-Comté, I would be delighted to meet with you, as a French I miss the American culture sometimes though!
i was 16 when I went to the US as an exchange student - my english level then was far from fluent but because I already spoke fluent german it was quite easy for me to understand most of what was said to me and give a proper answer even with a few
mistakes - one month after my arrival, since I lived in an american family, one morning I woke up and everything was there,
I was fluent in english - ever since I kept up with my english ( american) by reading, singing, translating for fun, etc... I'm 70 now and I still speak fluent english, german, french ( of course) I studied Russian and Italian , and speaking several languages is the best way to train your memory, to meet people, to understand their jokes, and their spirit etc.... I'm still in contact with my host family in the US and they are just amazed that I still am so fluent ! People who travel abroad without trying to learn a minimum of the language miss most of what's interresting to understand abroad, no matter where !
The art and design industry in Paris do so much business with the U.S. and Americans that it’s pretty normal for them to speak English. As a New Yorker in the art and design business I have yet to go to a gallery or design showroom where English is not spoken. It definitely doesn’t help my French but it does make doing business a bit easier. And many love being able to practice their English and being bilingual. I request French be spoken at times just so I can practice. But language requirements when coming and going for business is different than actually moving and living there.
As a Frenchman, I am positively surprised that this whole system kind of makes good sense and seems progressive enough for motivated people to easily pass the required level test.
As of students, several universities and graduate schools in France offer international programs that are entirely taught in English. You may find such programs in almost all the best engineering, business and economics, law schools, and some in fundamental sciences or arts, human and social sciences too.
This language rules for apply visa be made compulsory to every country. Atleast basic level. That's great strong step
You should tell the Brits in France not speaking any word of French and still complaining the locals don’t speak English. I think it’s time for them to comply or move back to England.
Generally speaking, it is considered that you need to know 3000 words to be "intermediate" and 5 to 6000 to be fluent in a new language ( with the grammar of course)
Thank you
This is really good. Anyone immigrating to a country that uses a different language than their own should have decent language proficiency.
Enfin .
Good is about time and then comes ETIAS visas for visiting the EU later this year. The US already has these.
Merci.
Merci!
We're loosely at A2 now and have 3-4 years before any move. It's difficult at 50+, but i can't fault France for upping language requirements. It's the least we can do for the privilege of moving there.
Very reasonable requirements...and tbh, probably saving people from having a challenging time of living in France. You have to get to B1 imo before "tasting French life".
Absolutely. It's not a mean thing, it's a supportive thing and an important support for one's mental health all the way around. Add it to the list of "love in public" France has a good handle on in the category of laws.
Language is culture. They are united. They are not detached from one another. Without the language, one will not be able to fully comprehend the culture or society without them. Also, when permanently moving to a country - not when simply traveling - you must not only be able to say and understand substantially more than « je voudrais une baguette, s’il vous plaît» , but you should be able to explain the baguette.
⏩⏩⏩As a French, if I were gonna live in the UK or the US on the long term, I wouldn't see myself getting there without a B1 at least. I mean, if your plan is to live in another country, it meens you wanna share the culture, you wanna or will have to interact with people over there, etc etc, so it seems perfectly obvious to have a real decent level in the language. In France, we see so many British people living in the Aquitaine region and barely being able to speak very basic French after being here for years, sometimes decades. What's the point ? They're just stuck around with other Brits, like a closed community, not making any efforts to get integrated and be part of France...
I had heard that some time ago, they dropped the French language requirement for applying for French citizenship, for people over 60 , but Macron reinstated it. Do you have any information about that?
Whatever the country, language is a basis for integration and understand another culture.
For any people who wants to live in a country, knowing the law, the rules and part of the history of it is a strict minimum.
So it’s a good thing France starts to define some more restrictive rules about the language, even if French is definitively not the easiest language to learn.
I listen to Peppa Pig every day in français to help tune my ear! Thanks for the update on requirements!
Hi, so just saying “Oh, je suis vraiment désolé, je ne comprends pas le français, je suis américain. Veuillez parler en anglais?” Does this mean that this will not work for you anymore? Just asking.
It doesn't "work" regardless, because it means one has put up a barrier for any additional acquainting with that person.
You do not need lessons. Buy a book with tapes. Use it everyday, watch french tv (no problem, it is as stupid as US one).
Hi Raina, I'm wondering why you chose Profession Liberale instead of the VLS-TS micro-entrepreneur visa?
Hi Lisa, micro-entreprenur a tax status of your business, which is different than your personal immigration status. I think sometimes people us the terms interchangeably, but they are two different things.
A2 ! Not too difficult imho
So I'm here on a spouse visa, which is technically called a "family and private life visa", it wasn't one of the visas you listed. I haven't read up on the new laws, I'm about to end my first year of a 10 year residency. But when I first got here, in the first year (a 1 year visa, even for a spouse, I know, lol) I was here, we had to take a language test if we didnt score at A1 level we were required to take government sponsored language classes, (we also had to have a health physical and do 4 full day classes of civics classes), even if we had done all that we were only allowed a 2 year visa, if we took a DELF (no expiration date) for A2 or tested at A2 or higher on the TCF (only lasts for 2 years), we could then apply for 10 year residency, I now qualify to apply for nationality, but they highly recommend being on the 10 year residency before applying for nationality, the language requirement for that used to be B1, but I'm hearing it is changing to B2. Since I only took the TCF, I have no idea if I need to take another test if I want to renew my 10 year residency since the TCF is expired, but the plan is I try to study and take the DELF at B2 level in the next few years then I won't need to think about it again since the DELF is equal to a diploma.
FWIW, I've never come across a spouse immersed n foreign country who didn't have B2+ within a year. Good luck!
The funny part is that there is no language requirements for French citizens. I am French, married to an American, and two of our children have a French passport but don't speak the language because they were born in the US, never lived in France or studied in a French school abroad. They have no intention to move to France, and if they would latter in life, they will need to learn French. But as the French passport is a European passport, they can live or study in Ireland whenever they wish.
Is there language requirement for Bretagne citizenship ?
@@ResisterExister We have some independentist movements in France, particularly in overseas territories (New Caledonia is the most serious one, but also French Polynesia to a lesser extent). The ones in Brittany and Corsica are real, but without much traction. No perspective of citizenship there, just more autonomy and preserving local languages and traditions, which are not threatened anyway. I am more interested in California citizenship than Brittany one, but very slim chances of happening in both cases.
Was just a joke... :)
Piece of cake!
If you have dual citizenship with EU citizenship, do the language requirements still apply in order to immigrate to France?
nope. If you have an EU citizenship, you have the right to live in any state member without any visa.
No, EU citizens don't need to apply to any visa or residence card to reside and work in France, only their valid national passport is requested and no need to demonstrate any french language competency (although it is advisable).
Thanks for this. I am working on my French but am 76 years old and it is hard. Are you sure about the age waver for the 10 year visa? I had heard that it was going away. Also I have heard that once you get the 10 year visa you can work in France. Is this true?
Do the language requirements apply to American citizens who also have EU citizenship? (That's the case for everyone in our family)
No. Irish citizen here, freedom of movement does not mandate language proficiency
No, EU citizenship would already equal freedom to be wherever you want in EU. People from EU don't need to get a visa for other EU places; that's pretty much the perk of EU citizenship.
Thank you! Merci!
My comment isn't related to this video, but I don't know where else to ask this question. I tried to go to your website, but the page that popped up said "Access denied -- the administrator has blocked your IP from accessing this website." I have all sorts of malware protection on my phone so don't know if that's the issue. I hesitate to click the button labeled "Unlock Me" that also pops up because I've never seen that before. Suggestions?
suggestion : maybe VPN, if you have one! sometimes you dont access sites abroad ( even French sites..) because of VPN, i have that pb! So i stop it and it works.
@@paulin1606 Makes sense since I have a vpn. I'll give your suggestion a go. Thanks!
I don't know many businesses that you could move to or start in France without speaking better french than level A2, honestly. Maybe if your business is online and you're moving headquarters without changing anything else?
You can if you're customers are english speaking, or japanese. Plenty of english speaking people create businesses aimed at British or Americans.
A quick question, would my spouse (American Citizen) be required to take these tests since I'm an EU citizen (Irish by birth and nationality, but now living in the USA)?
No, fellow Irish citizen here living in France. Freedom of movement in the EU does not mandate language proficiency
@@Sonorus52 but for my wife. Would she need language proficiency since she's not a US citizen?
I'm sorry, not an EU citizen.
@ Yes, she would need to conform to her visa requirements
Bonne nouvelle
WHAT "French visa"? When I travel to France I get a Schengen visa. This covers me for travel for up to 90 days in a 120 day period within most of the countries of Europe, including France; the Schengen-zone countries. There are no border restrictions when travelling between these countries on the terms of this visa and certainly no language restrictions.
That is not a visa. It's actually the visa waver system, an agreement with certain countries for tourists.
They are referring to any longterm visa. They shared in the video which visas they are referring to, and the are also captioned.
Unfortunately, the test at that link is very buggy. It often does not show the response options, or does not show the button to advance to the next question.
This is using Firefox.
What if I just FEEL over 65 for the VLS-TS!?! Am I still exempt? 😂
Another warm, crusty, delicious video from my favorite American expats in France! 🥖
😂🤣😅
😂
Merci Tommy!
Wonderful journey of you both. Could you share me your great 👍 idea about student visa from India to France please.
So, the French are really smart.
They're gods.
Now that you're there, do you want to get permanent residency or eventually return to the U.S.?
Does the over 65 exemption work with the professional visa ?
Am planning on moving there when 65 1/2, and buy a large BnB or small hotel. I speak minimal french, but took 4 years in school where i was also a basic writter and reader. I beleive i will pick it up again quickly, but i do have tinnitus, so hearring another lanquage when they speak fast will make it harder.
It will just take me longer i believe.
Just curious if you know - did the language requirement for citizenship go up to B2 and is there a waiver for age 65 or above on that?
Yes, it's going up to B2 for citizenship next year, and while there are exceptions from proving French level for citizenship in certain cases, age is only one in some situations. It's not a blanket waiver as it is with 10 year residency cards.
@BaguetteBound thank you! Guess I better start studying!
Bear in mind citizenship only allows voting, there is no otherbenefit to it relative to longterm visa.
But if you thrive in France, learning the language should be your topgoal so that you can explain the American health service in French😁
Do you have a video on how long the long stay visa process takes? Also interested if investments (e.g. trading stocks, options, ....) can be done under a long stay visa versus setting up a business? Is your UA-cam and consultancy under your long term stay visa or do you need the business visa? Thank you!
That is on their channel and at the top of this video.
Boy, this sound difficult! Learning it when you are in 50s is hard.
If each of these elementary levels is too hard, you'd want to stay where you are instead of moving, as going to a new country is like being an infant and relearning everything again except with an adult ego (harder :(). Language learning is the least of the adjustments.
I live in France and hold a Carte de Séjour residency card. Day to day, basic French is fine but when dealing with their endless admin, unless you are fluent, you will be lost. The only reason why France demands language competency is because they live for their admin
Just a quick reminder for all fellow Brits, those new requirements will obviously not apply to any EU citizens. They are still free to do whatever they wish. So, here's another Brexit gift that keeps giving...
these guys are so french !!!
Forgive me if you have already answered this, it I assume the requirement applies to both members of a couple. In other words, I can’t pass the test and sneak my wife in…..She must pass as well?
Correct. Assuming you both have the requirement for your individual visa or residency card, you both must achieve it individually. If you have different types of visas or residency cards, you may have different requirements.