TIPS BEFORE MOVING TO FRANCE

Be ready for a big change!

When I made the decision to move to France in 2017, I was totally ready and happy to leave my life and work in Singapore. I was aware that I will be giving up the city life for the country life and that I will be transitioning from working to a stay-at-home partner.

Although I know beforehand that I will be facing challenges when I move here, like for example the struggle with the French language, there are still things that I didn't know or expected when I finally settled here, but it wasn’t necessarily bad. So if you are moving to France antyime soon, here are the important things you need to know or expect prior to moving:

LEARN THE LANGUAGE SERIOUSLY. This is essential in your day-to-day life because not all French can speak English. People working in shops and restaurants are mostly French locals. 

I used Duolingo when I started to learn French. There are actually a lot of other online resources out there for free, like my favorite YouTube channel Learn French With Alexa, pages like Fun-mooc.fr, Frantastique.com, etc. 

Watch 'version française' movies and listen to French songs too.

BE MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY PREPARED, CAREER-WISE. It is not easy to find work here, especially the job that you really like, because most employers hire or prioritize fluent French speakers. My advise is that you just have to be patient and stay hopeful.

HAVE YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE READY. This is important especially if you are going to live in a place with limited public transportation. You need to drive to get around the town. So if you already have a driver's license, you are lucky! 

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Stay virtually connected with your family and friends to battle homesickness and to maintain a healthy relationship with them while you are overseas.

JOIN ONLINE GROUPS. There are a lot of supportive communitites online. I highly recommend French and Filipina Forum for Filipinos living in or moving to France.

BRING YOUR HOBBIES. Bring books, mini sewing machine, drawing/painting materials, or arts and crafts stuffs to keep you busy at home and productive at the same time.

Related blog posts:
HOW TO APPLY FOR A FRENCH LONG STAY VISIT VISA IN SINGAPORE
OFII & MEDICAL VISIT FOR LONG STAY "VISIT VISA" IN FRANCE
LONG STAY VISA (FOR SPOUSE OF FRENCH CITIZENS) APPLICATION IN THE PHILIPPINES
LONG STAY "SPOUSE VISA" OFII CONVOCATION PROCEDURE & MEDICAL VISIT