Things You'll Need:
- Passport
- Work permit
- Visa
- Place to work or group to work for
- Plane flight to France
- Living arrangements while in France
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Step 1
Obtain a passport. You can visit the U.S. Department of State's official passport site and find out more information (listed in the resources). To obtain a new passport, you have to go in person to a passport acceptance facility with your driver's license, two passport photos, and proof of United States citizenship. You can get the application ahead of time and fill it out, so you have it ready when you arrive.
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Step 2
Find your job in France. You want to find out where you will be working before you apply for your work permit because the job you get will dictate what type of work permit you need. You can either apply yourself to companies by finding jobs on the Internet and then applying directly with a resume, or you can go through an organization that employs people overseas. One great organization is InterExchange Working Abroad program, which offers jobs in many countries including France. See the Resources section for a link.
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Step 3
Obtain a work permit to work in France. There are two types of work permits. One is the Detachement work permit. With this type, you would be working for a non-France company, and be paid outside of France even though working there. You generally get this type of work permit if you will be engaged in some type of technical skill, such as training the French how to use a new computer program. The second type is the Introduction work permit, used when you get an actual job in France that will last over 18 months, with executive level skills.
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Step 4
Get your work visa. You can either obtain a short-term work visa for up to three months, or a long-term visa for longer employment. You must submit an application to the Office des Migrations Internationales (O.M.I) and then go in person to the French consulate. More information can be found on the site listed in the Resources section.
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Step 5
Find housing. If you gain employment through an organization such as InterExchange, they will help set up your housing for while you are working with them in France. Otherwise, if you apply for a job through a private employer, you will need to find your own housing. You can search the internet for home listings or apartments listings in the city where you will work, or you can go through a website that provides home/apartment listings. One such is the Paris Apartment Listings site listed in the Resources section.
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Step 6
Get to France. You will need to get a flight to France. If your length of stay in France will be less than a year, you can generally book a round trip flight. If you don't book a round trip flight, be prepared to have the appropriate documentation when going through customs to show your work permit and work visa, and proof that you do plan to return to the United States within a certain period of time. You may wish to contact the Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Department of State for assistance.
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Step 7
Once you arrive in France, you want to apply for a residency visa if you will be staying for more than three months. For more information on how to do this, see the site listed in the Resources section.
