Make Moving to Paris Easier: Expert Tips for a Seamless Relocation

Flying your pet to Paris
Flying your pet to Paris

Make Moving to Paris Easier: Expert Tips for a Seamless Relocation

Living in Paris is a dream for many; the appeal of romantic streets, Haussmannian architecture, and delicious food is bound to draw attention.

So, why do so few people actually take the leap?

The short answer is: Moving to Paris can be complicated, confusing, and hard if you don’t know what you’re doing. The good news is, we’ve partnered with the experts at Your Friend in Paris, a relocation agency that has been helping expats make France their home since 2009, to give you all of the insider tips and tricks to make your move to Paris easy!

Table of Contents

Planning your move to Paris – what are the first steps?

So, you’ve decided it’s time to make your Parisian dream a reality, but where do you start? The first step is to take a look at your situation and decide on a few things:

  1. Who is moving with you? Are you bringing a spouse or kids? Are you moving with pets?
  2. What will be your professional situation in Paris? Will you be employed by a company? Will you start your own business?
  3. What is your budget for your move?

Once you have determined these factors, you can start researching your options for visas, housing, and schools if you are moving with children.

What kind of visa do I need?

One of the first things Your Friend in Paris recommends researching when planning your move to Paris are your visa options. If you are moving with children, you will actually want to start by looking into schools for them as they will need proof of enrollment to get their visas.

Determining which visa is right for you starts with the question “Will I work while in Paris?” If the answer to this is no, then the visitor’s visa is most likely the best option for you. If you are planning to work in France, you then need to decide if you want to work for a French company, or if you want to start your own business.

For those who want to work for a French company, you will want to start applying for jobs immediately as you will need a contract of employment to begin your visa process. If you have a degree at the masters’ level or higher, you can qualify for a RECE visa (Recherche d’Emploi / Creation Enterprise) which allows you to come to France for one year to either find employment or set up a business.

For those who looking to be self-employed, you have the options of the passport talent – business creator visa or the entrepreneurial/freelance visa. You can learn more about those kinds of visas in Your Friend in Paris’s article on them here.

Do my pets need visas?

Moving with a pet can be complicated, and information online can be confusing. But, don’t worry, you’re in the right place! After 25 years of helping clients fly internationally with their pets, we know exactly what you need to make Paris your pet’s new home too. You can read more about what documents are needed to fly with your pet to Paris by clicking here!

Where should I live in Paris?

Deciding where you want to live in Paris can be determined by 3 main factors:

  1. Your budget
  2. Where you work / where your kids go to school
  3. What will be your main form of transportation

Determining your budget

If you will be working in France, the amount you are allowed to rent for can be determined by dividing your household’s monthly income by 3. For example, if you make €6,000 a month, the maximum you will be allowed to rent for will be €2,000 a month. This amount can also be increased by savings, pensions, and investments.

When determining your budget, you should also factor in additional one time fees and monthly fees. One time fees can include agency fees (usually either 1-2 month’s rent, or 12% of your annual rent), and the security deposit (usually 2 month’s rent). Monthly fees will vary depending on where you decide to live, but may include utilities (electricity, gas, internet, home insurance), building fees (a regular monthly fee that is added to your rent to cover water, common area maintenance, garbage taxes, etc.), and guarantor fees (4.5% of monthly rent).

Deciding where to live in Paris

Now that you know your budget for your new home in Paris, you can start looking at what areas will be good options for you. The experts at Your Friend in Paris recommend you check out this chart with the average price per square meters for apartments in each arrondissement to get an idea of your options. If you are looking for cheaper options with more space, you may also want to consider living outside of Paris. Living in the suburbs outside of Paris are also a great option for those with families, pets, or a car.

If you are moving with young children, the location of their school will be one of the biggest determining factors for where you decide to live. In France, parents/caretakers are expected to walk their children to school each morning. While public transport is great in Paris, we do not recommend sending children alone on metros or buses. When deciding where to live in Paris, we recommend taking this morning commute into account, along with your commute to work.

Let’s make it happen!

Now that you have done your research, know what visa type you need, and know what area you want to live in, it’s time to make it happen!

Getting your visas

The first step of making it happen, will be either finding schools for your children or starting immigration procedures depending on your situation. The earliest you can apply for any French visa is 3 months before your planned arrival date (the start date on your visa). French administrations are notorious for being slow, and requesting more documents. So, if you are going to attempt these procedures on your own, we recommend starting as early as possible!

If you are unfamiliar with French immigration processes, or if you are in a time crunch, we would recommend considering working with a professional to complete your visa. Our friends at Your Friend in Paris have helped thousands of clients secure all types of visas, and are experts in French immigration procedures. Not sure if working with a professional is right for you? Luckily, Your Friend in Paris offers free 30 minute quote consultations! You can schedule yours now by clicking this link.

Renting an apartment in Paris

Contrary to popular belief, renting an apartment in Paris will likely be the most difficult step in your relocation. With an extremely competitive market, impossible to contact agents, and confusing requirements, many expats struggle to rent an apartment.

Our friends at Your Friend in Paris have written articles on how to rent an apartment in Paris before your move! You can read all of their expert advice here.

Our quick tips for securing your apartment in Paris are:

  • Call the agency – Agencies are receiving hundreds of emails a day asking to rent one of their apartments, so the best way to make sure you get there first is to give them a call! Not getting an answer? Try reaching out by text or via WhatsApp as well.
  • Understand what you qualify for – Since agents are receiving so many requests to view an apartment, they may ask you about your situation and dossier type to make sure you are an ideal candidate for the apartment before they take the time to show it to you. Knowing whether you qualify for a residence principal or residence secondaire, and being able to quickly explain your situation can help a lot in these situations.
  • Be persistent! – You may be disheartened by absent agents, listings being already rented, and not having your dossier selected, but try, try again!

Sounds like a lot? Your Friend in Paris’s renowned house search team has you covered. You can let them do the hard parts, so all you have to do is choose your dream home and sign the lease! You can learn more about this service on their website or reach out to them directly at contact@yourfriendinparis.com to learn how they can best help you!

Booking your flights – make things easy with K9 JETS

You’ve got your visa, you’ve rented your apartment,
so now it’s time to book your flight!

Everyone knows that flying on commercial airlines can be a pain – bad food, sitting next to strangers, and worrying the whole time if your pet is being properly taken care of. Moving is already stressful enough, so why add to it?

K9 JETS offers a different experience. With our pay-per-seat charter flights, you and your pets can enjoy all the luxuries of a private jet without the private jet prices! As innovators in our industry, we have made a commitment to providing a comfortable, enjoyable, and relaxing experience to our clients by allowing them to fly with their pets, crate free, in the cabin of the air craft! With 25 years of experience under our belts, a perfect 5 star review score on Trustpilot, and thousands of happy clients, it’s easy to understand why pet lovers and world travelers alike choose K9 JETS for their airline.

Curious to learn more? Click here to read more about K9 JETS 2025 flight schedule, and here to learn more about how the whole process works!

Final tips and tricks

Before we leave you to plan this new chapter of your life, here are some final tips and tricks to help make your move to Paris easier:

  • Make your budget work – Making your budget work for you looks different for everyone. Deciding early on what matters most to you will help you to make decisions through out this process. Do you value comfort? Do you prioritize your timeline and leave some processes to experts? What matters most to you will help you determine the best way to manage your budget.
  • Keep your documents organized – Between visa applications, submitting your dossier for apartments, and making sure your pet is ready to fly, it can be easy to lose documents in the shuffle. Avoid this by keeping physical copies of all of your documents handy, and creating a clear organization system for your digital files at the start of your planning.
  • Be prepared for bumps in the road – You can plan every minute of your day and do all the research in the world, but there will always be surprises along the way. Keeping your cool with these unexpected challenges is key!
  • Know when to ask for help – While we love online expats forums and groups, what works for one person won’t always work for another. With certain processes and procedures it is best to work with a professional who knows what they are doing to avoid issues later. Some examples of this would be filing taxes as an expat, setting up a business in France, immigrating with a pet, and anything else that you are not sure on how to proceed.

FAQs

Flight prices vary based on your departure and arrival destinations, but you can find information on flights to Paris here and the flight schedule for 2025 here. While prices are higher than those from a commercial airline, our clients find that the peace of mind that comes from having their pet in the cabin with them is priceless!

Yes! However, it may make some processes more difficult such as renting an apartment or navigating the visa process.

 

Currently, there are 4 breeds of dog that are not allowed to enter France. If your pet belongs to one of these breeds or is mixed with one reach out to us to see what your options are:

  • Staffordshire Terrier
  • Boerbull (Mastiff)
  • American Staffordshire Terrier (Pitbull)
  • Tosa

This depends on a few factors, with the most important being the size of your pet. If you have a small pet like a cat or small dog, you should have no trouble renting an apartment as long as the agency/landlord has not specifically forbidden pets. If you have a larger pet, you should mention this to the agency when you look into getting a visit for an apartment. We would also recommend including this detail in your dossier when you apply for an apartment to guarantee that there are no restrictions.