Citizen Guides for Foreign residents of France

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Citizen Guides for Foreign residents of France

A foreign citizen living in France can contact the Consular section of their Embassy for help with a number of services. Consular offices manage the renewal and replacement of passports, registration of births and deaths, information and documentation relevant to marriage and other services. Citizens of the USA, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia living in France are particularly well catered to by the Consular sections of their Embassies.

See Consulates & Embassies for contact information on Consulates and Embassies from Mainland Europe, the North American countries, anglophone countries of the Southern Hemisphere, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

US Citizens

The Embassy of the United States in Paris has a website with up-to-date news on matters of relevance to American citizens in France.

The services include

• Passport renewals and replacement
• Registration of intended residence
• Registration of births, marriages, deaths
• Employment issues for the employer and employee
• Housing, vehicle buying, selling and registering
• How to vote in American elections and so on

The US Embassy in Paris has jurisdiction over the region. There is also an issuing post in Bordeaux.

• Embassy of the United States, Paris
  At: 4 avenue Gabriel, 75382 Paris Cedex 08
  Metro: Concorde
  Tel: 01 43 12 22 22
  Fax: 01 42 61 61 40
  e-mail
• Bordeaux (American Presence Post)
  At: 1, rue Fernand Philippart, 33025 Bordeaux
  Postal address: 10 place de la Bourse, BP 77, 33025 Bordeaux Cedex 
  Tel: 05 56 48 63 85
  Fax: 05 56 51 61 97
  e-mail

The Embassy of France in the United States is a rich resource of relevant information for Americans planning a visit or move to France. It includes information and guidelines on living, working and driving in France, the metric system, marriage in France and more:

• Embassy of France in the United States

US citizens living overseas in France are eligible to vote by absentee ballot in the General Presidential Elections. 

• See the INFOrmation Page: Voting in the US Presidential Elections

UK Citizens

The British Embassy of France has up-to-date news on matters relating to French-British relations, as well as issues of politics, health and safety and immigration. The website of the British Embassy and British Consulate has a "Living in France" section with articles catering specifically to UK residents in France.

The services include: 

• Replacement and renewal of passports (Application forms are available for download on the British Embassy website. All requests should be sent to the British Embassy in Paris.)
• Registration of births
• Information on transferring money between the UK and France
• Providing help in the event of accident, hospitalisation or violent assault 
• Providing details of local lawyers, interpreters, doctors and funeral directors; 
• Offering support and contacting friends in a variety of other extreme or distressing situations

The UK Consulate-General in Bordeaux has jurisdiction over the region. 

• British Consulate, Bordeaux 
  At: 353 boulevard du president Wilson,
  33073 Bordeaux Cedex
  Tel: 05 57 22 21 10
  Fax: 05 56 08 33 12
  Tel (after hours Emergency Service only): 06 85 06 38 32
  Open to the public: Monday to Friday, 9:30-12:00 and 14:00-16:30
  e-mail
• British Consular Services, Paris
  At: 18bis rue d’Anjou, 75008 Paris
  Metro: Madeleine (line 8), Concorde (line 1) or Saint Augustin (line 9)
  Postal address: British Embassy, BP111-08, 75363 Paris Cedex 08 
  Tel : 01 44 51 31 00 
  Fax: 01 44 51 31 27
  Tel (after hours Emergency Service only): 01 44 51 31 00
  Open to the public: Monday to Friday 9:30 to 12:30 and 14:30 to 16:30
  e-mail
• British Embassy
  At: 35, rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75383 Paris Cedex 08
  Tel: 01 44 51 31 00
  Fax: 01 44 51 41 27
  Open: 09:30-13:00 and 14:30-18:00
  e-mail

Canadian Citizens

The Canadian Embassy in France website has some very useful checklists and notes for Canadian citizens planning a move to, or living in France. The information includes notes, checklists and tips on all aspects of the move, from planning the departure, life in France and the return. 

• Embassy of Canada
  At: 35, avenue Montaigne, 75008 Paris
  Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt or Alma-Marceau
  Tel: 01 44 43 29 00
  Fax: 01 44 43 29 99
  Open to the public: Monday to Friday, 09:00-17:00
• Embassy of Canada, Paris Consular Services
  Tel: 01 44 43 29 02
  Fax: 01 44 43 29 86
  Tel (after hours Emergency Service only): 01 44 43 29 00
  Open to the public: Monday to Friday, 09:00-12:00

Australian Citizens

Australian citizens in France may obtain some advice and assistance, including obtaining emergency passports, from the Australian Embassy.

• Australian Embassy
  At: 4, rue Jean Rey, 75724 Paris Cedex 15
  Metro: Bir-Hakeim (Line 6)
  Tel: 01 40 59 33 00
  Fax: 01 40 59 33 10
  Tel (after hours Emergency Service only): +61 2 6261 3305
  Open to the public: Monday to Friday, 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-16:00
  e-mail

The Southern Cross Group is a global organisation that exists to "Promote mobility in the Global Community", and communicate with expatriated Australians throughout the world. Their work includes lobbying for changes in laws that improve or simplify the life of Australians abroad. The website has detailed information on the legal and practical aspects of: citizenship, voting, visas, health insurance, taxation and more.

• The Southern Cross Group
• The Southern Cross Group in France

Related Information

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a complete list of all foreign Embassies and Consulates in France: Click here

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