Application

How to locate free drinking water fountains near you in France

Paris even has some points which offer sparkling water

Five things you can use the government’s new legal app for

Free application looks to expand access to French justice system with contact details and free simulations

Worry over process to obtain French residency card to prolong a visa

We give tips on online carte de séjour applications and what to do if things go wrong

Tourist app uses AI to recognise French landmarks

The ‘Shazam’ of landmarks allows users to take photos of monuments in Paris and Rennes and have instant access to information about the site

Mobile app helps blind hikers explore France

The Robert Louis Stevenson Trail in the south of France is now fully accessible to visually-impaired people, thanks to an app which reads out regular directions

Free app warns residents of local issues like burglaries and roadworks

Local authorities and police are using the new app to send alerts - check if your commune has signed up

French app can earn you €250 a month for accepting neighbours’ parcels

Welco enables you to nominate neighbours to take in your parcels, or to take in others’ deliveries yourself, preventing missed deliveries and cutting CO2 emissions

Phone app version of France’s carte Vitale to launch in 2023

The physical card will continue to function as normal but it is hoped the app will be more practical as people turn in greater numbers to digital solutions

Is a second French visa application process easier than the first?

A reader asks whether applicants who have already been granted a visa in the past can take any shortcuts the second time round

‘We’ve given up’: French visa application appointment delays continue

Readers report having to cancel or change their plans after not being able to get an appointment for up to three months

Moneysaver: We try out French app to source cheap shop and cafe food

Mobile app allows venues to sell left-over products at a heavy discount which would otherwise be thrown away

‘Stressful, nightmare, positive’: readers describe French visa process

Criticism includes long UK waiting times, unclear application instructions and inconvenient passport collections. However, some report a simple and easy system

How do I apply for a French visa if I live in Northern Ireland?

UK citizens hoping to obtain a French visa can submit their application at three different centres, none of which are in Northern Ireland

Tinder-style app matches user with ideal French presidential candidate

Elyze allows users to swipe left or right like with Tinder to agree or disagree with a series of policies. It is now the second-most popular free app in France

Long exchange time leaves foreign drivers in France without licences

Drivers are being asked to apply to swap when licences are ‘expiring’ or specifically in the case of UK ones, where there is less than six months to go; however the swap process can take nine months, a reader was told

May I apply for social housing and, if so, how?

How do you go about applying for council / social housing and can you have one if you are not French? SG

How can teenagers prove residency for French nationality application?

There are various routes to obtaining French nationality for children born in France to foreign parents. All children born in France automatically have the right to citizenship from the age of 18 but it is possible to obtain it before then

Supermarket deals, apps: How to find the best petrol prices in France

As prices continue to rise to new records, we look at supermarket offers and ways to find cheaper petrol stations around the country

Has the deadline for Britons to hold Brexit WA residency card changed?

There are several reports of an extension to the date by which Britons in France must have their cartes de séjour. We explain what is known so far

French Covid vaccine certificates set for EU travel update tomorrow

You may need to update your vaccination certificate so that the QR code on it functions with an EU system set to come into effect on July 1

French cities catch on to 15-minute order-to-door grocery apps

Rapid services operating in Paris, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Lyon and Lille. Services say shoppers now want to order groceries like taxis and not to set time delivery slots

French village’s action to stop Waze sending cars onto its rural roads

Villagers take action after sat-nav system guides thousand of drivers through country roads to avoid congestion on nearby busy autoroute

New app helps find Covid-19 vaccination appointments in France easily

The application is based on the online search tool Vite Ma Dose and allows users to search for the nearest available appointment in their department

France to release ‘more interactive’ StopCovid app

The new track and trace app is being launched in France on October 22 after only 2.6 million people downloaded the first version.

French PM ‘not ruling out’ second lockdown amid record cases

French Prime Minister Jean Castex has refused to rule out a second lockdown if Covid-19 worsens and announced further measures, as a record 16,000 cases are confirmed in 24 hours.

Applying for French nationality: What it's like

I am considering applying for French nationality and would like to know what it is like to go through the French naturalisation process

Covid contact tracing brigades in France: What we know

France is to have “brigades” of people who will trace contacts of people who test positive for Covid-19 after confinement ends, to help contain further spread of the virus. Here is what we know about them so far.

Covid contact tracing app: a risk to rights?

An official opt-in phone app to trace whether you have had contact with someone infected with Covid-19 is under review. Some say the risks are too high if rushed in

How to eat well, save money AND the world

Lucie Basch explains the inspiration behind the hugely successful Too Good to Go app, which lets users know when end-of-day food is being sold off for a song...

Cross-border banking is a mobile app away

French sell-by food app cuts costs

You can use free smartphone app Too Good To Go to save money on your shopping bill and fight food waste.

French Carte vitale card to be replaced with an app

The carte vitale green and yellow card which holds your healthcare insurance details will one day be replaced with a smartphone app

Revolut, a way to pay while in UK?

Online payment service Revolut has been recommended by several readers who say it is especially useful for people who travel regularly/make payments between the eurozone and UK.

French departments test new document paperwork scheme

A trial to reduce the amount of paperwork required to obtain a driving licence, vehicle registration, identity card, or passport is underway across four departments in France.

France gives young people €500 arts and culture pass

Young people in five French departments are to be given a free “culture pass” app pre-loaded with €500-worth of credit each, to improve their access to cultural and artistic activities in their area.

French law seeks to ban police check alerts

Online mapping apps such as Waze and Coyote may be banned from alerting drivers to police operations, including checks for drink driving, terrorism or kidnapping.

App forecasts relief for allergy sufferers

Suffer with hay fever and want an air quality forecast? There's an app for that

Drivers can now find cheapest petrol on their phone

Drivers in France can now use their smartphone to find the cheapest petrol in the area, thanks to the a new French government mobile site.