T0 THE CÔTE D’AZUR - eDRH Sophia Antipolis · castify networks • orange lab • quescom

ATOS ORIGIN • ALTRAN • CAP GEMINI • ELG • ELSYS

DESIGN • EUROTORP • NUSIL • SAVIMEX • SCAI-TECH •

SIMULOG/ASTEK • SODITECH • STUDIEL • AKKA TECHNOLOGIES

• ARM • ASK • BROADCOM • CADENCE DESIGNSYSTEMS •

ICERA SEMICONDUCTORS • MENTOR GRAPHICS • MSTAR •

SEMICONDUCTORS PSI • ELECTRONICS QUALCOMM •

SCALEO CHIPS • SYNOPSIS • TIPCOM MOTOROLA • WIPRO

TECHNOLOGIES • YOGITECH • CISCO SYSTEMS •

F2E SYSTEMS • GÉOMÉDITERRANÉE-ACRI ST • GEOSAT

TECHNOLOGY • HITACHI LABORATORY • KUANTIC • NEXO

FRANCE – COBRA TECHNOLOGIES • NODBOX • OMNEON /

CASTIFY NETWORKS • ORANGE LAB • QUESCOM •

SENTEGRA • SITA-EQUANT • SMARTCOM • SEASATCOM •

SPACEYES – GEOIMAGE • TECHNOFI • TRUSTED LOGIC •

UDCAST • ULTICOM EUROPE • VISTEON SOFTWARE

TECHNOLOGIES • ATOS ORIGIN • ALTRAN • CAP GEMINI •

ELG • ELSYS DESIGN • EUROTORP • NUSIL • SAVIMEX •

SCAI-TECH • SIMULOG/ASTEK • SODITECH • STUDIEL •

AKKA TECHNOLOGIES • ARM • ASK • BROADCOM •

CADENCE DESIGNSYSTEMS • ICERA SEMICONDUCTORS •

MENTOR GRAPHICS • MSTAR • SEMICONDUCTORS PSI •

ELECTRONICS QUALCOMM • SCALEO CHIPS • SYNOPSIS •

TIPCOM MOTOROLA • WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES • YOGITECH

• CISCO SYSTEMS • F2E SYSTEMS • GÉOMÉDITERRANÉE-

ACRI ST • GEOSAT TECHNOLOGY • HITACHI LABORATORY •

KUANTIC • NEXO FRANCE – COBRA TECHNOLOGIES •

NODBOX • OMNEON / CASTIFY NETWORKS • ORANGE LAB

• QUESCOM • SENTEGRA • SITA-EQUANT • SMARTCOM •

SEASATCOM • SPACEYES – GEOIMAGE • TECHNOFI •

TRUSTED LOGIC • UDCAST • ULTICOM EUROPE • VISTEON

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES • ATOS ORIGIN • ALTRAN • CAP

GEMINI • ELG • ELSYS DESIGN • EUROTORP • NUSIL •

SAVIMEX • SCAI-TECH • SIMULOG/ASTEK • SODITECH •

STUDIEL • AKKA TECHNOLOGIES • ARM • ASK • BROADCOM •

CADENCE DESIGNSYSTEMS • ICERA SEMICONDUCTORS •

MENTOR GRAPHICS • MSTAR • SEMICONDUCTORS PSI •

ELECTRONICS QUALCOMM • SCALEO CHIPS • SYNOPSIS •

TIPCOM MOTOROLA • WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES • YOGITECH

• CISCO SYSTEMS • F2E SYSTEMS • GÉOMÉDITERRANÉE-

ACRI ST • GEOSAT TECHNOLOGY • HITACHI LABORATORY •

KUANTIC • NEXO FRANCE – COBRA TECHNOLOGIES •

NODBOX • OMNEON / CASTIFY NETWORKS • ORANGE LAB

• QUESCOM • SENTEGRA • SITA-EQUANT • SMARTCOM •

SEASATCOM • SPACEYES – GEOIMAGE • TECHNOFI •

TRUSTED LOGIC • UDCAST • ULTICOM EUROPE • VISTEON

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES • ATOS ORIGIN • ALTRAN • CAP

GEMINI • ELG • ELSYS DESIGN • EUROTORP • SCAI-TECH •

Invest in Côte d'Azur, the Blue Chip Coast

T0 THE CÔTE D’AZUR

WELCOMEGUIDE

1▶Côte d’Azur, The Blue Chip Coast

Dear Newcomer,

Adopt the Blue Chip Coast Attitude!

Bienvenue sur la Côte d'Azur, the Blue Chip Coast!You've come to live and work in one of the most beautiful andexciting places in the world.

First of all, a few words about the name Côte d'Azur - the AzureCoast. Its origins lie in the title of a book by the poet StephenLiegeard, published in 1887. You will also hear the term «Alpes-Maritimes". It's in the Alpes-Maritimes that the Côte d'Azur is situated.

Renowned for decades as a tourist's heaven, this region has nowalso gained a world-wide reputation as a centre of excellence in thedevelopment of cutting-edge activities in Information Technology,Life Sciences and Fine Chemistry as well as Environmental Sciences.

High-tech activities are especially concentrated in Sophia Antipolis, Europe's foremost sciencepark but also in Antibes, Cannes, Grasse, La Gaude, Nice, Villeneuve-Loubet , to name only a fewof them.

In Europe, the Côte d’Azur, has become a reference for high-value, high-growth companies andworldwide activities. We are the first French region for R&D investment from foreign companiesand 95% of the foreign investors who relocate here are Blue Chip companies! That’s why top managers call us “The Blue Chip Coast”.

This guide and its addendum have been written to help you and your family settle into your new environment. It will not only guide you through the various administrative steps youmay have to undertake; it will also give you lots of helpful advice on day-to-day life.

The main guide provides you with an extensive overview of many different facets of living on the Côte d'Azur. For each chapter of the book, the addendum lists specific details, relevantaddresses, information sources, etc.

Once again, welcome to the Côte d'Azur! We do hope you will enjoy living in our area. We also hope that this book lives up to your expectations and will help you in the next few monthsas you settle in.

Jean-Pierre MascarelliPresident of Team Côte d’Azur

www.investincotedazur.com/fr/vous-implanter/team/

2 ▶Côte d’Azur, The Blue Chip Coast

Team Côte d'Azur is a member of Agence Française pour les Investissements Internationaux (IFA). Team Côte d'Azur is a member of French International Enterprise Development Association (FRIEND).

www.investincotedazur.com

Team Côte d'Azur is a joint initiative of the Alpes-Maritimes County Council and the French Riviera Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

MAJ July 2014

TEAM CÔTE D'AZUR HEADQUARTERS

400 Promenade des Anglais

06204 NICE CEDEX 3 - FRANCE

Tel: 33 (0)4 92 17 51 51

Fax: 33 (0)4 93 80 05 76

E-mail: [email protected]

Team Côte d'Azur in Paris:

Patrick GEORGES - CDID18, rue Guynemer 92380 Garches

Tel.: 33 (0)1 47 95 21 75 E-mail: [email protected]

Yves KRAEMER - LATONICE INCWilshire West Executive Center11925 Wilshire Bd Suite 214

LOS ANGELES, CA 90025Tel: 00 1 310 251 43 59

E-mail: [email protected]

Team Côte d’Azur is your confidential connec-tion to the Côte d’Azur and your personal part-ner to ensure that your start-up or expansion isefficient and trouble-free.We are experienced in helping corporations eva-luate the potential of the Côte d’Azur region andSophia Antipolis Science and Technology Parkto set up or expand their business.

REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES


Team Côte d'Azur in the United States:

▶ I The Côte d'Azur Economic Show Room:


The Côte d'Azur Economic Show Room:

The economic and interactive Côte d’Azur on large screens

Thanks to its unique multimedia platform, the Côte d'Azur Economic Show Room helps you analyze theeconomic Côte d’Azur and its assets in less than 2 hours. From a database of economic and statistical information, you can obtain a fully personalized and convivialpresentation of the accurate data related to your project.

The Côte d'Azur Economic Show Room:400 Promenade des Anglais – BP 3185 – 06204 Nice cedex 3 – Francee-mail: [email protected] – www.investincotedazur.com

Before Leaving1. Administrative procedures - 2. Documents you need to prepare3. What to bring with you - 4. Customs requirements

Starting Out In France1. The French administrative structure - 2. Official documents - 3. Obtaining a French driving licence4. Importing a car - 5 .Finding accommodation - 6. Temporary accommodation - 7. Renting - 8. Buying property9. Moving in - 10. The social security system - 11. Banking - 12. Taxes - 13. Keeping important documents

Employment1. Preliminary steps - 2. Job search - 3. Organizations and agencies - 4. Temporary employment5. State benefits - 6. Training - 7. Starting a business - 8. Employment law

Miscellaneous Contacts1. Contacts - 2. Telecommunications - 3. Practical information

Education & Childcare1. Children below school age - 2. The French education system - 3. Enrolling children in school4. Primary and secondary education - 5. Higher-level education - 6. International schools 7. Distance learning - 8. Examinations - 9. Financial assistance

Health1. Medical practitioners - 2. Hospital services - 3. Chemist’ shops - 4. Pregnancy and childbirth5. What to do in an emergency - 6. Social coverage - 7. How to get reimbursed - 8. Sickness and work

Transport1. Driving, hiring and owning a car - 2. Buying and selling a car - 3. Motorbikes, mopeds and scooters4. The highway code - 5. Bus services - 6. Taxis - 7. Travelling by train - 8. Air travel - 9. Ferries

French Lifestyle1. Politeness - 2. Personal relations - 3. Tipping - 4. Festivals and traditions - 5. Gastronomy

Shopping & Leisure1. Categories of shops - 2. Where to shop - 3. Policies - 4. Alternative methods of shopping 5. Consumer rights - 6. Media - 7. Going out - 8. Sightseeing - 9. Attractions - 10. Leisure sports 11. Meeting your compatriots - 12. Events

Appendix1. The metric system - 2. Speed - 3. Temperature - 4. Time and date - 5. Clothes and shoe sizes

Index

CO

NTE

NTS

5


Note to ReadersThis guide comes in two separate volumes:• The main Guide which contains general infor-

mation• The Addendum which provides addresses and

contact details, etc.

References to the Addendum in the main guide areflagged by the “see Addendum” icon .

Contact details in the Addendum are listed andorganised chapter by chapter.

Example:In the Guide, under the heading “Before Leaving”,you will find the flag “See Addendum” in thechapters “1 - Administrative procedures" and“4 - Customs Requirements”.This means the contact details are listed in theAddendum for the “Before Leaving” heading underthe reference of both these chapters.

We also advise you to look in the Yellow Pages at:www.pagesjaunes.fr

Validity of information:We have tried to make sure this information is up-to-date. We have proofread and checked our docu-mentation several times but we are aware that someinformation may quickly become incomplete orobsolete .

Team Côte d'Azur can, in no event, be held res-ponsible for any errors or omissions which mayhave found their way into either of the documents,which should be updated annually in the case of theAddendum and biennially in the case of the Guide.

Royalties and copyrights:Team Côte d 'Azur grants the user the right to usethe contents of the Guide and the Addendum pri-vately, non-collectively and non-exclusively.Any networking, redistribution or reproduction of apart or all of these two documents (Guide andAddendum), in any form – even partial – and in anyelectronic medium whatsoever is strictly forbiddenwithout specific permission from Team Côte d’Azur.

The reproduction of text from the Guide andAddendum is permitted on paper and electronicallyunder the following four cumulative conditions:• Free distribution: this document may only be used

for non-profit-making information purposes.• The integrity of the documents reproduced must

be respected: no modifications or alterations ofany kind may be made to either of the documents.

• The source of information must be clearly and legibly mentioned in the following form:“Source: This document is taken from the “Welcome to the Côte d’Azur” Guide published byTeam Côte d’Azur – www.investincodedazur.com.- All reproduction and distribution rights reserved”.

• It must be used in accordance with the legislationin force and with the recommendations of the CNIL(National Data Processing and Freedom Com-mission), instituted by law N° 78-17 dated6.1.1978).

Team Côte d’Azur reserves the right to withdraw thispermission at any time.For any other use, please contact Team Côted’Azur.

See Addendum for adresses

1 - Administrative procedures 82 - Documents you need to prepare 93 - What to bring with you 104 - Customs requirements 10

BEFORELEAVING

7

Obtaining a visa fornon EU residents Depending on your nationality,the length of your stay in Franceand the reason, it may be neces-sary to obtain a visa before youleave. Obtaining a long-term visabefore you depart is essentialand will then enable you to applyfor a temporary residence card.

Long-term visas are obtainedfrom the French authorities in thecountry in which the personwishing to settle in Franceresides. Contact details are avai-lable on the “France Diplomatie”web site.

Your employer in France will sub-mit an application to the “Préfec-ture”, which will be forwarded toyour nearest French Consulateonce it has been approved. Youand your family may then have toundergo a medical examinationin the recruitment country.

If you are from outside the Euro-pean Community, or if you haveprivate health insurance, find outif you can extend your currenthealth insurance policy to coveryou and your family abroad.

It will no longer be necessaryonce you are covered by theFrench “Sécurité Sociale”although this may depend onyour specific needs.

No visa required for EU residents • As a citizen of the European

Union, you do not need a visato enter France.

• Simply presenting a valid pas-sport or a national identity cardentitles you to stay in France inorder to work. However, for aperiod exceeding three months,a residence permit must beobtained.

• Obtain an E111 form (EU coun-tries only). This provides reci-procal health care for E.U.residents on a temporary basis.

The form becomes redundantonce you work in France, as wor-king in France implies automaticcoverage by social security.

1 I Administrative procedures

BEFORE LEAVING I ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES



2 I Documents you need to prepare

BEFORE LEAVING I DOCUMENTS YOU NEED TO PREPARE

This list of documents is not exhaustive. It is possible that you will be asked for furtherpaperwork, so if in doubt, bring letters of reference from banks, schools, employers,doctors and any other relevant institutions. Generally speaking, each member of yourfamily will need the following documents to register in France:

• Passport,• National identity papers (if

applicable),• Birth certificate with parent

names written on it, or a “Fiched'état civil”,

• Marriage certificate or proof ofcohabitation,

• International driving licence iffrom outside the EU. A transla-tion in French can be useful,but is not obligatory,

• Identity photos: you will needthese to obtain documentssuch as a residence permit.

Translating officialdocuments Within an official context involvingFrench administration, the trans-lation of official documents mustbe carried out by an official trans-lator recognised by the lawcourts (i.e. certificates of birth,marriage, divorce, death of aspouse, etc). The complete list of official trans-lators is available: on the “Pré-fecture des Alpes Maritimes”web site; in town halls (see YellowPages under “Mairies” or “Admi-nistrations régionales, départe-mentales et locales”); from theC.E.T.I.J., the association of experttranslators/interpreters approvedby the Court of Appeal in Aix-en Provence “Compagnie desExperts Traducteurs Interprètes

Judiciaires près la Cour d'Appeld'Aix-en-Provence”, an associa-tion subject to the 1901 law.

Insurancedocuments • Life-Health, • For your car: A letter of reference is neededfrom your insurance companystating how many years you havehad the policy and presenting asummary of any claims.

Bank details It's a good idea to keep your bankaccount open until you have anaccount in France. Visa and otherinternational bank cards arewidely accepted in France.

The following will help youwhen opening an account: • A letter of reference from your

present bank, • Account details, • Statements of any loans.

Education You're likely to get asked forcertificates, so make sure youbring with you: • Any certificates that you have

been awarded (diplomas,degrees, etc.),

• Confirmation of attendance

from establishments that youattended but that awarded nocertificate.

Work • Work contract, • Wage slips,• Diplomas.

Health • Your personal health file, • Vaccination certificates,• Details of any major illnesses,

or those which need ongoingtreatment, (written up by yourdoctor).

Animals • Vaccination certificates, • Veterinary file with details of

major illness/operations, • Certificate of origin and health:

must state that the pet haslived for at least 6 months (orwas born) in a country free ofrabies for three years or more.

Furniture Storage If you ship your furniture overbefore you have found a per-manent place to live, you canhire containers or space forstorage on a monthly basis.See the Yellow Pages under“Déménagements”.



BEFORE LEAVING I WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU

3 I What to bring with youYou will, of course, have to decide for yourself what youconsider essential to bring with you, and it's worth takingtime to reflect. However, some things will be of absolutelyno use to you in France, and it will be more practical to buyothers once you're settled in.

Electrical Goods Electrical goods operate on 220volts (50 amperes). You can buyadapters before you move sothat equipment is ready to plug straight in. Larger electricalequipment may not be compati-ble, so check this out beforeleaving. Televisions in France usethe SECAM standard, so if yourset is only PAL or NTSC it willnot work. You can buy multi-

4 I Customs requirementsSetting up yourmain residence onthe French territory If you are bringing items of valueto France, you must declarethem to the relevant authorities.This applies whether they aretransported by plane or boat,although the requirements differaccording to whether you arefrom inside or outside the E.U.

If you do not comefrom a EuropeanUnion country You may benefit from exemptionof duties and taxes on the impor-tation of your personal posses-sions if you have been staying inanother country for at least 12months and if you wish to transferyour main residence to France.Exemption applies to certain ofyour personal possessions that

standard televisions and videorecorders in France, which youwill then be able to use outsideFrance.

Medicines It is a good idea to bring enoughmedicine to last a couple ofmonths – prescription and over-the-counter – as you will notnecessarily be able to obtain thesame brand names in France. If

you wear glasses or contactlenses, bring your prescriptionwith you in case you need emer-gency replacements.

Pets In order to bring your pets toFrance you will need the certifi-cates listed in section 2 “Ani-mals”. If the pet can travel in atravelling bag, you may take it ona plane with you, otherwise it willbe transported in a cage in thebaggage section. It is importantto maintain health records (a“carte de santé” for your pet, asanimals will not be accepted inkennels in France without one.

have been used on a private basisfor at least six months before resi-dence transferral whether taxeswere paid or not when the goodswere purchased. For all furtherinformation, contact the CustomsInformation Centre “Centre deRenseignements des Douanes”.

If you come from a country within the European Union As of July 1993, goods cancirculate freely within the Euro-pean Union. Fiscal and customsformalities linked to crossingintracommunity borders havebeen abolished. There are nolimits in either terms of quantityor value to the goods you maybuy in another E.U. memberState for your personal use.

Free circulation of goods The prices you pay for goodsinclude tax. Tax is charged at therate applied in the country of pur-chase except in the cases ofmail-order purchases and newcars; these are subject to VAT inthe country of delivery. Limits tothe exemption regime have beenabolished. You can transfer yourresidence from a Union State orreceive an inheritance with nolimitations. However, certain particularly sen-sitive products remain subject tocontrols and/or declarations andsome other restrictions do exist.Contact a customs office to findout more.




STARTING OUTIN FRANCE

1 - The French administrative structure 12 2 - Official documents 153 - Obtaining a French driving licence 184 - Importing a car 185 - Finding accommodation 196 - Temporary accommodation 207 - Renting 208 - Buying property 229 - Moving in 2310 - The social security system 2311 - Banking 2412 - Taxes 2513 - Keeping important documents 26

11

STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I THE FRENCH ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

1 I The French administrativestructureAn understanding of the administrative system in Francewill prove helpful in obtaining the necessary papers

The OverallOrganisation ofPublic Institutions

France is a very old country witha centralised Unitarian structureand a strong and omnipresentState – even in the domain ofeconomics. Since 1982, however,an important wave of decentrali-sation has seen certain powers

President of the French Republic

FRENCH CITIZENS

PrimeMinister

The Prefect Presidentof the County council

NationalAssembly

Senate

CountyCouncil

STATE

REGION

The PrefectPresident

of the County councilGeneralCouncil

DEPARTMENT

Mayor

TownCouncil

COMMUNE


and jurisdictions – that up untilthat time had belonged to theState – transferred to diverselocal authorities [regions, depart-ments (or countries) and com-munes], now administered byelected representatives.Refer to the Addendum fordetails and look in the YellowPages under “Administration del’intérieur” for addresses.



The Commune The “commune” is the mostelementary unit in the Frenchadministrative organisation.Above and beyond managingcommunal patrimony, decen-tralisation laws recognize thecommunes' rights to power inthe following domains: • Town planning, • Primary education, • Local cultural action, • Marinas, • Economic, and social matters, • Medical and hospital-related

matters.

Each year, the Town Councilvotes the communal budget anddeliberates on matters fallingwithin the jurisdiction of thecommune. The Town Council iselected by voters in the com-mune every 6 years.

Each of the Municipal Council'sdeliberations, every municipaldecision and every publiccontract must be transmitted tothe Prefect to be enforceable andthe Prefect verifies that the localauthorities' actions are in keepingwith the law.

The Town Council gathers in ordi-nary sessions at least once eachquarter. But the mayor can alsoconvene extraordinary sessions.

Sessions are public, presided bythe Mayor – or failing the Mayor,by a Deputy – but the publicdoes not have the right tointervene. The mayor has localpolicing powers.

A list of “Mairies” (town halls) canbe found in the Yellow Pagesunder “Mairies” or “Administra-tions régionales, départemen-tales et locales”.

The Department (or County)There are 102 “departments” inFrance (the code of the Alpes-Maritimes department is 06).Each department’s name reflectsthe geographical names linked tothe territory it covers.

Two administrations co-exist at adepartmental level:• The department level adminis-

tration, directly by the presidentof the “Conseil Général” (coun -ty Council),

• The State Department, underthe authority of the Prefect,who represents the State.

The General – or County – Coun cil(“Le Conseil Général”)The “Conseil Général” delibe-rates and decides upon mattersfalling within the jurisdiction of theDepartment.

One councillor (“Conseiller Géné-ral”) per canton (an intermediaryadministrative division, betweenan arrondissement and a com-mune) is elected by universalsuffrage to join the “ConseilGénéral” for a period of 6 years.

They participate in the work of spe-cialized permanent committees andgather in a plenary assembly onceeach quarter. Extraordinary ses-sions can be convened by the officeor by 1/3 of councillors. “Con seilGénéral” sessions are public.

The following are voted in plenary sessions:• The election of the president of

the “Conseil Général” for aperiod of three years, and theelection of the vice-presidentsof the assembly – the “office”,

• The annual vote on the depart-mental budget. This is its majorrole.


The President of the “Con seilGénéral” is the head of theexecutive office:• He prepares and enforces

“Conseil Général” delibera-tions.

• He prepares the budget andauthorizes the department’sspending.

• He manages the depart-ment and in this capacityhas policing powers.

• He manages the depart-ment fire and rescue service“service Départementald’incendie et de Secours” –(S.D.I.S).

• He is head of the Depart-ment-level administrationdepartments.

Decentralisation laws definethe Department’s jurisdiction:• Management of the department,• Medical and social affairs,• Secondary education (“Col-

lèges”- secondary schools),• Economic affairs,• Commercial marinas,• Works (departmental roads),• Cultural affairs.

The Prefect (“Le Préfet”)• Represents the Prime Minister

and each of the ministers in theDepartment,

• Is responsible for the interestsof the nation and the respect ofits laws,

• Is solely qualified to take mea-sures relating to law and order,to security and to public healthand safety in situations whosescope exceeds the territory ofa commune.

The Prefect is assisted by aDirector (political affairs), aPrefectoral General Secretary(Administration), Sub-Prefects in




each arrondissement and headsof the state’s external affairsdepartments.

Department leveldirectorates ofgovernment officesWithin the department, theyrepresent and act on behalf ofthe principal ministries – underthe orders of the Prefect andeach respective minister. TheDepartment of Education isrepresented by the regional Edu-cation Authority (“le Recteur del’Académie”).

The RegionJust like the commune and thedepartment, the region is another ofthe Republic’s territorial authorities.

It is freely governed by an elec-ted council: the Regional Council(“Le Conseil Général”).

In 1956, France was divided into 22regions, each one comprisingseveral Departments (the Alpes-Maritimes, Department 06, is partof the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’AzurPACA region). Up until 1982, theyear of decentralisation, the region’sstatus was that of a “regional publicestablishment”, with the Prefect ofthe region as it executive.

The region has jurisdiction overpromoting the economic, social,medical, cultural and scientificdevelopment of its territory, aswell as land development.

Decentralisation laws strengthenthe region’s role in questions of

land planning and development,of initiatives that encourageapprenticeship and professionaltraining, of responsibility forsenior schools, and of the crea-tion and the running of river portsand canals.

The Regional Council deliberatesand decides upon affairs withinthe region’s jurisdiction. It meetsin ordinary sessions once eachquarter.

The number of members variesaccording to the economicimportance of the region (from 41to 197); they are elected by directuniversal suffrage for a period of6 years.

The Chamber Of Commerce And Industry (C.C.I.) The Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a public administrative establishment. It is placed under the administrative supervisory authority of the Ministry forIndustry and Commerce.

It represents enterprises registered in its district’s Register of Companies.

The law of April 9th 1898 entrusted Consular Chambers with the tasks or representing the generalinterests of Commerce and Industry and of creating and managing services that would facilitateenterprise development.

It consists of an assembly of heads of enterprises – elected by their peers – and a permanent team.

It manages a budget composed of fiscally generated resources and commercial revenue generated byestablishments of an industrial or commercial nature that it manages and that are financially autonomous.

The Chambers of Commerce and Industry in France constitute a consular network.




STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

2 I Official documents

Team Côte d’Azur ServicesTeam Côte d'Azur is the Regional Economic Development Agency of the Côte d'Azur.We provide assistance in obtaining a Residence Card and Work Permit for yourself andyour foreign employees.

BEFOREHANDTeam Côte d’Azur offers assistance in defining the need to build an international team:• Personalized meetings to analyze the situation and projects at hand.• Administrative recommendations on the status of foreign workers in France.

DURING HIRINGWe act as an interface with French authorities to validate the conditions to deliver administrativedocuments (work permits, residential cards, etc.) for non-European foreign workers. In addition, we offer:• Qualified and validated information regarding recruitment and hiring procedures, as well as the status

of foreign workers and their families.• Follow up on all formalities regarding residential cards (in partnership with the Alpes-Maritimes

Prefecture).

OTHER SERVICESTeam Côte d’Azur also provides:• Information and training for your administrative services to learn how to deal with the formalities linked

to hiring foreign employees.• Conferences for HR managers on international mobility themes, given by experts in the field.• Training sessions on French social and fiscal laws regarding expatriation and foreign detachments.

SPECIFIC CASESTeam Côte d’Azur offers assistance in specific status cases:• Follow up on formalities for foreign minors.• Integration of researchers via scientific reception protocol.

Team Côte d’Azur organizes short seminars for companies hiring foreign employees to help them withthe integration into their new environment:• Sessions on the French legal and administrative system regarding issues such as social coverage,

housing and schooling.



Where to pick upyour resident card Your resident card can be pickedup either at the Prefecture of theAlpes-Maritimes, the ANAEMoffice, the city hall or your localpolice station. You will be notifiedby mail as to the place where youhave to go to pick it up.

Refusal to grantauthorisation to workAuthorisation to work can be refu-sed to a foreigner for reasons ofthe present and future state of theemployment market in the profes-sion requested by the foreign wor-ker and in the geographical zonein which he or she intends to carryout this profession. Authorisationcan be refused even if you presenta work contract or an undertakingto employ you.

Family MembersVisas for family members are tobe obtained at the French consu-late in your country of origin priorto coming to France. As far asresidence is concerned, partnersin unmarried couples are regardeddifferently to spouses, and thishas particular repercussions forpeople from outside the EuropeanUnion. Spouses and Partnersfrom outside the E.U. wishing towork in France should first of allobtain their residence card, or“carte de séjour”. The next step isto go to the “Direction Départe-mentale du Travail et de l’Emploi”to obtain a form to be filled in by aprospective employer. This givesyou the right to work.

See Addendum for adresses See Addendum for adresses


Residence Card (“La Carte de Séjour”) This is a very important docu-ment. You are allowed to remainin France for 3 months beforethis permit becomes compulsory.During these three months, youmust apply for a permit. Once thethree month period has elapsed(commencing from the date youarrived in France), you must be inpossession of a residence card. A long-term visa is therefore man-datory prior to your arrival in France.

Long-Term VisaApplicationThe procedure commences inyour country of origin at the initia-tive of your future employer whosubmits a dossier to the Depart-ment Level Office of Work,Employment and ProfessionalTraining (DIRECCTE). You will thenbe summoned to the FrenchConsulate in your country of originto obtain a long-term visa whichwill allow you to come to France.Once in France, your employer willarrange a mandatory medical visitfor you at the OFII (Office Françaisde l’Immigration et de l’Intégra-tion). Your employer will also senda residence card request to thePrefecture.

When applying for aresidence permitfor the first time The following documents mustbe submitted:• Valid passport with a long-term

visa and a stamp of your arrivaldate in France

• Certificate of the medical vist atthe ANAEM


• Work contract approved by theDepartment Level Office ofWork, Employment and Profes-sional Training

• Birth certificate translated inFrench

• Marriage or divorce certificatetranslated in French

• 4 recent identity pictures(3.5x4.5cm)

• Proof of residence in the nameof the interested party drawn upwithin the past three months(leasing contract, EDF or FranceTelecom bill, notarial deed, etc.)

If you are housed by a thirdparty, you must provide:• Sworn proof of housing by

the person concerned• Proof of residence in the

name of the person housingyou

• Photocopy of the residencepermit (“carte de séjour”) ofthe person housing you

TemporaryResidence PermitOnce your request for a residencepermit has been submitted to thePrefecture, you will receive atemporary carte de séjour (areceipt). This document is validfor a period of three months untilthe final permit has been issued.It can be renewed if necessary.

For all formalities, contact:The relevant office at the “Pré-fecture” at the “Sous-Préfecture”at the town hall (“Mairie”) or atthe police station (“Commissariatde Police”).Look in the Yellow Pages under“Administration de l’intérieur” foraddresses.

For more information, contact : CCI Nice Côte d’Azur - Business Pôle1047 Route des Dolines - Allée Pierre Ziller - Bat B - 06560 Valbonne - Tel: 04 89 06 72 19Email: [email protected]


Depending on your status youneed either:• An employment contract,• A letter from your partner

saying that he or she is finan-cially responsible for you, inwhich case the spouse’sincome is given,

• Proof of income (student grant,etc.),

• A declaration of cohabitation ora P.A.C.S. contract. Partnersand spouses from E.U. mem-ber States also need to applyfor a residence card (“carte deséjour”).

As well as marriage, Francerecognizes other statutes:• Cohabitation. An actual union,

characterised by the stabilityand continuity of life shared bytwo people of different sexes orof the same sex and who live asa couple. You are generallyconsidered to be unmarried.Certain administrations maygrant you the same advantagesas married couples (social secu-rity, family allowances, S.N.C.F.,etc.). You will need to prove thatyou live as a couple and supplya declaration of their honor witha proof of address. To establishthis joint declaration, contact the

municipal registry of births, mar-riages and deaths in the com-mune where you live.

See Yellow Pages : “Mairies”or “Administrations régionales,départementales et locales”.• P.A.C.S. (Pacte Civil de Solidarité)

is a contract drawn up betweentwo adult persons of differentsexes or of the same sex with aview to organising their life toge-ther. P.A.C.S. can be establishedif you do not wish, or you are notable to marry.

P.A.C.S. does not affect the rulesof filiation and parental authority.It does not give you the right toadopt a child together, or, if youlive with a partner of the samesex, to benefit from medicallyassisted pro creation. P.A.C.S.creates rights and obligationsbetween the partners.You can sign P.A.C.S. and makea joint declaration in the lawclerk’s office at the appropriatepolice court, or in the FrenchConsulate if you reside abroadand one of the couple is French.Consult a notary or a solicitor.These professionals will adviseyou of your rights and your obli-gations and will help you toformalise your contract.

How to register as a job-seeker (“un demandeur d’emploi”)Partners and spouses who want to work will need to register at the “Pôle emploi”, which manages thepayment of benefits and provides information on any help to which you are entitled.To register, you must fill out a document entitled “Inscription comme demandeur d’emploi” (job-seekerregistration) which can be obtained by telephone or from an “Pôle emploi” office.

See Addendum for details of the “Pôle emploi” office nearest to you. Your job search should commenceat your local employment agency. This is called the “Pôle emploi”.Look in the Yellow Pages under “Administration du Travail et de l’emploi” and see the chapter entitled“employment” for further details.



Work Permit

As mentioned in the chapterentitled “Before Leaving”, someadministrative procedures mustbe completed before you leavefor France if you are from a coun-try outside the EU.For detailed information regar-ding procedures concerningwork permits, contact the consu-late in your home country beforeyou leave for France. You mayalso contact the “Prefecture”.

STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I IMPORTING A CAR

3 I Obtaining a Frenchdriving licence

4 I Importing a car

You hold a driving licence issued by a State that is anon-member of the EuropeanUnion:You must request a licenceexchange within one year ofacquiring residence in France.You will be invited to go to therelevant department at the Pré-fecture as soon as you obtainyour first residence permit, or, inthe case of a French citizen,during the first twelve monthsfollowing your return to nationalterritory. Go to the “Préfecture” orthe “Sous-Préfecture” once you

have your “carte de séjour”. Eachcase is studied on an individualbasis.

You hold a driving licenceissued by a State that is amember: Driving licences issued by memberStates are considered to be validon French soil as long as they havenot expired and have not beenissued in exchange for a licenseissued by a country outside theEuropean Union with which Francehas no reciprocal agreement. Anexchange is compulsory if the dri-

ver has committed an offence onFrench soil that has led to restric-tive measures, suspension, can-cellation, of the right to drive or thewithdrawal of points.

Anyone holding a licence issuedby a State that is part of theEuropean Union, may, if they sowish, register their licence. Inreturn, they will receive a confir-mation document that facilitatesprocedures in the case of alost or stolen licence, and willpossibly simplify dealings withinsurance companies.

You must transfer your possessions within twelve months of transferring your mainresidence and must clear them through customs as soon as they enter France. We advise you to get your vehicle registered in France very quickly because you only havethe right to drive with foreign number plates for four months. Go to the main “Préfecture”in Nice, or the “Sous-Préfecture” in Grasse, with the following documents:

VehiclesOriginating fromwithin the EUUsed carsThe documents you need totake with you are:• Certificate of acquisition with

tax receipt,• Certificate 846 A (obtained

from customs),• Registration document,

• Confirmation issued by themanufacturer, the manufactu-rer’s agent in France, or the“D.R.I.R.E” (“Direction Régionalede l’Industrie, de la Rechercheet de l’Environnement”) that thevehicle com plies either with thenational standards, or standardsin the European Community,

• Application to register thevehicle in France,

• Proof of identity and address(Residence card or visa, proof

of address in the name of theinterested party dating fromwithin the last three months:leasing contract, bill from yourelectricity or telephone supplier,etc.),

• A stamp of the required value(can be purchased at the “Pré-fecture”),

• A “contrôle technique” (theequivalent of an M.O.T. certifi-cate) if the car is over 4 yearsold.


STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I FINDING ACCOMMODATION

5 I Findingaccommodation

There are different types ofaccommodation to suit dif-ferent situations. You may be surprised byhow different propertiesare in France, especiallytheir size.

New carsIf you are importing a new carfrom an E.U. member State,the documents you need topresent at the “Préfecture”are as follows :• Proof of acquisition issued by

the tax authority of origin,

• Invoice and sales certificates,• Provisional registration number,• Confirmation issued by the

manu facturer, the manufactu-rer’s agent in France, that thevehicle com plies with eithernational standards, or standardsin the European Community,

• Application to register thevehicle in France,

• Proof of identity and address,• A stamp of the required value

(can be purchased at the“Préfecture”).

Rooms in a property are called“pièces”. In a property description,a “pièce” is any room excluding thekitchen, the bathroom or the hall.So a 4-bedroom house with alounge, bathroom and kitchen is a“5 pieces”. The size of the propertyis measured in square metres (m2). There are specific terms to describethe floors in an apartment building:• Garden level: “Rez-de-jardin”

(R.D.J.),

• Ground floor: “0 or “Rez-de-chaussée” (R.D.C.) ,

• 1 st floor: “1er étage”,• 2nd floor : “2ème étage”, etc..,• Underground parking, • “Sous-Sol” , “S.S.” or “-1”, • Cellar: “cave”.

Where To Look Being a tourist area, short-termlets are available (although quiteexpensive!) whilst you look forpermanent accommodation.There are plenty of estate agen-cies, called “Agences Immobi-lières”, for renting and buying.Most will speak English, Italianand possibly other languages. For addresses, look in the YellowPages under “Immobilier”.

Importing a car from inside andoutside the E.U. are very differentissues. If you’re thinking of impor-ting a vehicle from outside thecommunity (e.g. the U.S. orCanada, it’s worth consideringhow much you really want tobring it, as the procedures arevery cumbersome). For example,the safety standards are different,which may mean changing seatbelts, headlights, etc. And fur-

thermore, the cost of transporta-tion is prohibitive.

The documentation you needto provide is a follows:• Préfecture, • Certificate 846 A (obtained from

customs),• Certificate of purchase or receipt,• Registration document or offi-

cial confirmation that the regis-tration document has been

taken by the authorities in yourcountry of origin,

• Request for registration certifi-cate in France,

• Proof of identity and address,• A stamp of the required value

(can be purchased at the “Pré-fecture”),

• A “Contrôle Technique” (theequivalent of an M.O.T. certifi-cate) if the car is over 4 years old.


Importing A Car From Outside

Private owners are called “Par-ticuliers” and if you negotiatewith them directly, you do notpay agency fees. The bestplaces to look for adverts, or toplace your own advert, are: • Nice Matin, classified section, • Local free papers (“Top

Annonces and Paru Vendu”), • Specialised press (“Nice Matin

Immo, Logic Immo, De Particu-lier à Particulier, Le Particulier”),

• Ads in local shops can oftenbe a good source.


For more information, contact e-drh - Aide au logementSite: www.edrh06.com

STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION

6 I Temporaryaccommodation

7 I Renting

In general, the choice of tem-porary accommodation is: • Fully furnished apartments and

villas – everything is included,down to kitchen utensils,

• Furnished rooms in villas, • Hotels, • Holiday apartments (compri-

sing studios and apartments

equipped with a corner-kitchenand basic equipment, pluscommunal services),

• Hotel residences (which pro-vide accommodation on amore commercially orientedbasis: “résidence hôtelière,résidence hôtel, hôtel-rési-dence, village- club, etc”),

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Maisons et chambres meu-blées”, “Résidences de tourisme,résidences hôtelières” and“Hôtels, hôtels-restaurants”.

Paperwork Lease agreement The landlord or agency mustgive you a lease (“bail”) for theduration of the rental period. Thelease is a written contract, gene-rally a ready-to-use printeddocument, and usually establi-shed for a lease period of 3years. However, any preciselyspecified duration is possible. The lease will be drawn up induplicate, and each party keepsa copy; take care to read allclauses, or have them explainedto you in your own language,before signing. Note that thereare pre-printed leases onto whichfurther clauses can be typed orhand-written.

Married couples: the husband/wife is automatically co-leaseholder.

This can be useful if you haven't yet decided where you want to live. In July and August,prices can double and lets are difficult to find because of strong tourist demand.


You can either rent through an agency or directly from a land-lord. • Agencies: you will be charged a fee (“Ies honoraires”) to cover

the agent's costs of finding the accommodation and administra-tion. The fee usually amounts to the equivalent of 1 month's rentexcluding charges (see page 17 for an explanation of charges),

• Private landlords (“particulier”): often demand more paperworkthan agents.

Apartments and villas for long-term lets are usually rented out unfur-nished, in which case there are no kitchen appliances or fixturesand fit-tings: the bathroom is equipped with a toilet, bath and/orshower, but in other rooms there will simply be bare walls withelectrical sockets to connect appliances. If you need a short-termor temporary let, (see page 15, "Temporary Accommodation" below)the accommodation is usually fully furnished (“meublé”).



STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I RENTING

Couples living together: if bothpartners sign the lease, theybecome joint leaseholders. If onlyone partner signs, he or she isthe sole tenant and the otherdoes not have any rights.

Termination oflease If you want to terminate theagreement before the end of thelease period, it is usual to give 3months' notice. Check that yourlease has a clause allowing youto do this without incurringpenalty charges. The noticeperiod is usually just one monthif you are transferred for workreasons (“mutation”) or if you loseyour job (“Iicenciement”).

Inventory An inventory (“état des lieux”) isdrawn up. It describes the stateof the property, listing anydamage, and is checked beforeyou get your deposit back. Theagent, or landlord, and the tenantprepare this document togetherwhen the keys are handed over,and do so again at the end of therental period when the keys arehanded back. The documentmust be signed by both partiesto make it valid.

Documents you will need: • Pay slips (or other proof of

income) and tax declarations.Your income is expected to be3 times your rent,

• Proof of identity – passport andnational identity card,

• Bank details – in France this iscalled a “relevé d'identité ban-caire” (also referred to as aRIB). You'll find one at the backof your chequebook.

Payment Don't pay anything in the way ofa deposit until you have a writtenagreement from the landlord.Then pay by cheque and ask fora signed and dated receipt (“quit-tance”).

When you sign the lease youwill have to pay: • 2 months' deposit (“caution”),

which you get back when youleave, assuming there is nodamage,

• One month's rent in advance, • Month's charges (see below) in

advance, • Agency fees (if applicable).

Extra charges The monthly rent does not includecharges, which are quoted sepa-rately: these charges coverexpenses such as building main-tenance, the cost being sharedequally between all the residentsin the building. The amount thatyou pay in charges must be sta-ted in the lease and is paid on amonthly basis, although a sup-plement may be added at theend of the year.

Charges typically include thefollowing :• Lift maintenance,• Water and heating,• Shared facilities, internal and

external,• Cleaning,• Television aerials,• Refuse collection.

The landlord is responsible formajor repair work, but everydaymaintenance and small repairsare at the expense of the tenant.

Rent increasesRent may be increased once ayear if your lease has a clause tothis effect. If it does not, the rentremains the same throughout theperiod of the lease. If your land-lord does not give you notice toquit when your lease comes toan end, the lease carries on forthe same length of time onceagain, according to the condi-tions stipulated in the contract.

InsuranceAccording to French, law thetenant is responsible for insuringrented property; this is obligatoryand insurance coverage muststart from the date you sign thelease, not from the date youmove in (in case of accidentwhen the property is empty).

You may choose your owninsurance company, and thepolicy should at least coverthe following:• Fire,• Storm and flood damage,• Window breakage,• Civil liability,• Third-party claims.

To find an insurer, look in theyellow Pages under “Assurances”.


GaragefacilitiesIf your apartment does notcome with a garage or parkingfacilities, you can rent garagespace through an estateagent or independently.Look for adverts in the classi-fied sections of local papers,or in your local shops.


STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I BUYING PROPERTY

8 I Buying propertyIn France, the procedurefor buying a property maydiffer considerably fromthat in your country of ori-gin. It’s best to find out thefacts first. If you’re not afluent French speaker, takesomeone along with youwho is, or find an agentwho speaks your languageso that no misunderstan-dings occur.

Where To StartIn France, the legal representa-tive who does the conveyancingis called a notary (“notaire”).

Be aware that French inheritancelaw is very strict in favour ofdependants, so you should lookinto this carefully with a notarybefore buying a property. Onemust be particularly careful if theproperty is already occupied.

There are two main ways:• Real estate agents (“Agents

Immobiliers”),• Directly with the owner.

Real estate agents charge com-mission, which they set them-selves (usually 5% + VAT) andwhich the vendor pays. They willgive you an idea of a fair price fora property, and the benefit oftheir experience in navigating theFrench system. It’s best to optfor an agent who speaks yourlanguages until you are comple-tely sure of your French, as thingscan get very complicated.

NegotiationThe asking price will generally

have a built-in-negotiatingmargin, so make an offer ratherthan, immediately agreeing to thefull asking price.

Moving CostsThe purchase pays the notaryfees – essentially taxes –, whichamount to approximately 10% ofthe purchase price if the propertyis over 5 years old, or has beensold before.New properties and those under5 years old which have not beenpreviously sold have conveyan-cing costs of around 3%.

Contracts Once you decide on a property,you can sign a pre-contract or anundertaking to sell or to buy.However, as the final deed must besigned in the presence of a notary,it is advisable to sign this prelimi-nary document with his help. Itinvolves making a down paymentof 10% of the purchase price,which is then held in a blockedaccount by the notary. If the depo-sit is not made, the promise to sellis invalid, even if it has been signed.At this stage, both vendor and pur-chaser are committed to the sale. Ifthe purchaser pulls out, he losesthe 10% deposit; if the vendor pullsout, he has to pay 10%, so thewould-be buyer gests his 10%back plus 10% from the vendor.

Loan not grantedThe pre-sale contract (“promessede vente” or “compromis devente”) must state whether or notthe price will be paid with thehelp of a loan. If it mentionsrecourse to a loan, you have aminimum period of one month(two to three months is practice)to obtain your loan.

What happens tothe sales contractif the loan is notgranted?If you cannot obtain a loan tofinance your real estate project,(the purchase of an apartment, forexample, or the acquisition of landon which to construct a house)you may waive the presale con -tract or pre-contract at no cost.

Reimbursement ofthe down paymentIf you do not obtain finance withinthe given period, the vendor hasto reimburse you the entire sumyou paid him, with no stoppagesand no indemnities. As of the15th day following the requestfor reimbursement, the sum inquestion will earn interest.

In the case of any dispute or for fur-ther information, you can contactthe Order of Notaries (“l’Ordre desNotaires”) or refer the matter to thedepartment level Competition,Consumption and Fraud Repres-sion Authority (“Direction de laConcurrence, de la Consommationet de le Répression des Fraudes”),or to local consumer associations.



FinanceEstate agents can advise you onfinancing the purchase of yourhome. They often work withbanks that specialise in propertyfinance. It is usually easy to bor-row up to 50% of the purchaseprice and it’s possible to borrowup 80% with proof of appropriateincome. As a general rule, yourincome should be at least 3times your repayment.


STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I MOVING IN

9 I Moving in

10 I The social security system

• Electricity and gas,• Telephone.

“France Télécom”, privatised in1997, no longer enjoys a mono-poly position. Other companiesnow compete to supply overseas

and national call facilities. Howe-ver, “France Télécom” still hasthe monopoly for the installationof domestic fixed phones.

To register with “France Télé-com” you need to phone or go toa France Télécom office with anofficial identification documentsuch as a passport (you do notneed a “carte de séjour” to havea telephone account) and proofof your address. If there is a line

in your home already, the processis simple: you simply adviseFrance Télécom of the old tele-phone number. Otherwise, atechnician will come and install aline – a process that is usuallycompleted within a few workingdays.

• Internet suppliers can alsoinstall a phone line.

As soon as you arrive inyour new home, you needto register with the follo-wing service suppliers:

Your Partner And Children

If your partner does not work, youwill be considered responsible forhim/her, as you are for your chil-dren. They will therefore be regis-tered on your Social Security card.

Obtaining a CardYour company will send all thenecessary documents to “laSécurité Sociale” and you willreceive your card by mail. Theprocedure for obtaining the reim-

bursement of medical expensesis explained in the chapter entit-led “Health”.

Other Benefits

Assistance with paying one’s rentis available to those who canprove that their family’s totalincome falls below the legally fixedceiling and therefore warrants aid.This benefit is called “Allocationlogement”. Enquire at your local“Caisse d’Allocations Familiales”(CAF).

“La Sécurité Sociale” is the body that reimburses medical expenses and pays pensionsand other social benefits. Each person working in France legally is given a personalSocial Security number and a card with personal details marked on it. It is essential thatyou have a social security card if you work in France.




STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I BANKING

BanksThe main French nationalbanks are:• BNP Paribas,• Société Générale,• LCL – Le Crédit Lyonnais,• Crédit Agricole,• Banque Populaire,• La Caisse d’Epargne,• HSBC,• CIC…

All of the main international banksare represented in France, parti-cularly on the French Riviera andin Monaco.Opening times vary, but tend tobe around 8:45 am to 12 noonand 1:45 pm to 5:00 pm. Someopen on Saturday mornings butin this case they are closed on

Monday mornings. Most bankshave cash dispensers from whichyou can withdraw money usingVISA and other major bankcards.

Post Offices also offer bankingservices, and usually provide thesame services as bank do.Some Post offices also havecash dispensers.

French bankingcustomsFrench banks operate on a per-sonal, branch level. All banks offerfairly standard facilities: a chequebook, a credit card (a visa card or“Carte Bleue” which is acceptedeverywhere), an overdraft facility,standing order arrangements,loans for current expenses butmainly for real estate.

In France, it is an offence to writea cheque with inadequate clearedfunds in your account – called “unchèque en bois”. As well as facingheavy fines, your details are sentto the Bank of France and you areforbidden to write cheques untilthe penalties have been paid andyour account is put back in order.Such incidents will seriously affectyour credit rating.

Furthermore, if you sell a car to aprivate person, for example,insist on a cheque certified by thepurchase’s own bank, a “chèquecertifié”.

Opening an account When you open an accountyou will need :• Proof of identity,

11 I Banking

If you are eligible, you receivepayments for:• Children up to the age of 16

(who are considered to bedependant upon their parentsup to school leaving age).

• Children up to the age of 20 ifthey remain in the education sys-tem and are truly in your care.

The family allowance office willprovide further information –consult the Yellow Pages under“Allocations familiales”.

Additional benefits areawarded according to cer-tain criteria:• Income.

• Number of children.• Age of children.• Situation of spouse (working

or at home).

For further information, contactthe “Caisse Primaire d’Assu-rance Maladie” and “la Caissed’Allocations Familiales”.

• “Prime à la naissance ou àl’adoption” – benefit foryoung children.

• “Le complément de libre choixd’activité” – help with raisingyoung children.

• “Le complément familial” –family subsidy.

• “L’allocation de soutien fami-lial”- family support.

• “L’URSSAF” and “la Caisse d’Al-locations Familiales” will be ableto provide further information.

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Administration de la santé etdes affaires sociales” or “Alloca-tions familiales”.

For help with finding a “crèche”,nursery or mother’s help, go tothe Town Hall and consult theAddendum to the Education &Childcare chapter.

This allowance is administered by the “Caisse d’Allocations Familiales” (CAF), withwhich you should register. It takes the form of monthly payments for families with atleast 2 children. The amount you receive depends on your financial circumstances andhow many children you have.

Family Allowance



STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I TAXES

• Proof of address (a bill or letterfrom your electricity or tele-phone supplier),

• Pay slips or other proof ofincome. It is usual to opena savings account (“compted’épar gne”) at the sametime as a current account.

LoansBanks will normally arrange loanson application, according to yourcircumstances.There are also credit companiesthat finance large purchases inreturn for monthly repayments.

12 I TaxesIncome taxIn France, tax declarations are filledout once a year in February. Incometax is not deducted from your salary;it’s up to you to put money aside topay the amount stated on your taxdemand. You will receive a self-assessment form by mail that youmust complete and return. Neversend payment with your tax form.

You will receive a demand forpayment later. If you do not payyour tax bill on time, you will becharged a penalty correspondingto a percentage of your bill.

This penalty increases the longeryou delay payment. In France,income tax is paid the followingyear: once you are registered fortax, you will be able to choosewhether you pay in monthly ins-talments or in 3 payments spreadthroughout the year. Ask yourlocal “Trésorerie” for details.

As long as you are a resident inFrance – even if you do not receivean income or if you earn too littleto be eligible to pay tax – you arestill required to fill out a tax return.

Remember, as long as you are aFrench resident, you are required todeclare all of your income, fromFrance or abroad. You should ask

for advice on any obligations youmay have in your country of origin.To find the address of your localtax office, look in the YellowPages under “Administration del’Economie et des Finances”.

Tax On Accommodation (Taxe d’habitation)

A tax that is invoiced once a yearto cover local amenities. Fordetails, you should contact the“Trésor Public”, or look in the yel-low Pages under “Administrationdes Impôts, du Trésor Public”.

The amount of tax is determinedaccording to where you live. Thistax is always charged to theoccupant, whether the occupantis a tenant or the owner.

During the course of the lastquarter, you will receive a billthat states:• The elements used to calculate

the tax,• The amount to be paid to the

Treasury,• The deadline for payment.In addition to the “Tax on Accom-modation”, you will receive at thesame time the :

Television Licence(Taxe sur la RedevanceAudiovisuelle)Television tax is charged auto-matically per household. If yourhousehold does not have atelevision, you should notify theregional centre (Centre régionalde la redevance) in writing.

The licence fee is levied onlyonce per household – even if thehousehold owns several TV sets. • Annual price: € 133 (as of

January 1st, 2014).

Real Property TaxA yearly tax that only needs to bepaid if you own a property. Fordetails, contact the “Trésor Public”.This tax is charged to the owner ofthe land or real estate. The amountis determined according to thelocation of the property.

During the course of the thirdquarter, the owner receives a billthat states among other things:• The elements that make up the tax.• The amount to be paid to the

treasury and the deadline forpayment.

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Administration des Impôts, duTrésor Public”.

CurrencyThe European currency :Euro (€) is split into thefollowing denominations ofnotes and coins:• Centimes: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50• Euros coins: 1, 2• Notes: 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200,

500



STARTING OUT IN FRANCE I KEEPING IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS

InsuranceYou must keep the followingdocuments for two years:• Premium receipts or, failing

these, premium notices editedby your insurance companyplus proof of payment,

• A copy of your letter requestingthe cancellation of your insu-rance plus the acknowledge-ment of receipt,

• Correspondence with yourinsurer concerning the settle-ment of any claim.

Liability InsuranceNever throw away insurancecontracts covering you forliability, especially:• Automobile,• Householder,• Professional.

Liability InsuranceIf you have been a victim in anaccident, make sure you keepthe following until you havebeen fully compensated:• Bills,• Expert reports,• Medical certificates,If you have been seriously inju-red, keep your dossier safethroughout the rest of your lifebecause after-effects can cometo light several years later.

Goods InsuranceKeep the following for as longas your personal estate orreal estate is insured:• Insurance contracts,

• Copies of correspondence withyour insurer,

• Bills for the purchase of furni-ture and valuables,

• Bills for repair work on all ofyour possessions, includingyour car,

• Bills for the purchase of equip-ment you carry.

Life Insurance and whole-lifeinsuranceKeep premium advice notes andproof of payment of policies thatbenefit from tax reductions for atleast four years.

Should the capital of a whole lifeinsurance policy be paid in yourfavour, keep your dossier for fouryears. This means you will beable to prove that the sum youreceived was not subject to inhe-ritance tax.

House InsuranceYou must keep the followingdocuments:• Water bills: for two years,• EDF-GDF bills: for ten years,• Telephone bills : for two years,• Estate agency bills: for ten

years,• Chimney-sweeping certificate:

for one year.

If any work is carried out,keep documents relating tothe following for ten years:• The order, the contract, delivery

of work,• All damages and instances of

bad workmanship that havearisen,

• Entrepreneur and architect bills.

Beyond these time limits, the lawno longer holds them responsible.

TenantLeaseKeep this document throughoutthe entire length of the rentalperiod and for five further yearsafter leaving the accommodation.

Throughout the entire lengthof the rental period, keep:• The inventory of the state of the

premises and the building,• The certificate of official mea-

surement.

Throughout the entire lengthof the rental period:• Correspondence exchanged

with the lessor,• The insurance contract,• The guaranty,• The heating maintenance con -

tract and bills,• The telephone contract,• Inventory of furniture in the

case of furnished rentedaccommodation.

Beyond the rental period andup until the security deposithas been reimbursed:• The inventory of fixtures,• The receipt for payment of the

security deposit and all subse-quent modifications.

13 I Keeping important documents



Once the rental period is overand up until reimbursement,keep for five years:• Rent receipts,• Bills pertaining to improvements

and facilities that you suppliedto improve the dwelling.

And for ten years:• Bills for various repair work if

the repairman is registered onthe commercial register.

OwnerProperty deed: keep this until yousell the property. Should you loseit, you can contact the notarywho must keep a copy.

Notarial bills:• Five years as far as his fees are

concerned,• Two years for the taxes and

expenses that were incurred.

Where applicable keep for tenyears:• The residence regulations,

• The residence accounts, cor-respondence with the organi-sation that manages theproperty (“le Syndic”) minutesof general meetings.

Social Security-HealthYou must conserve the follo-wing documents:• Proof of payment of social

security and family allowancecontributions for five years,

• Proof of documents that wereused to calculate contributions(wage slips, etc.) for three years,

• Advice notes accompanyingfamily allowance payments andbreakdowns of social securityreimbursements: for two years.

OccupationalaccidentsIt is wise to keep related docu-ments indefinitely.Then you will be able to requestthat your pension is reviewedshould your situation worsen.

Proof of payment ofmedical expensesand feesYou must keep them for twoyears. Doctors, midwives andpharmacists have the samelength of time to collect sumsowing to them.

You must keep the followingmedical documents:• Vaccination certificates and

booklets: throughout the wholeof your life,

• Blood group card: throughoutthe whole of your life,

• “Carnet de santé” (healthrecord): preferably to be keptthroughout the whole of yourlife and at least until you reachadulthood,

• Prescriptions: for two years,• Medical examinations, analysis

and x-ray results: for as long asnecessary.

BirthAs a rule, there is no limit onvalidity of a birth certificate.However, in certain cases (parti-cularly in view of a forthcomingmarriage), birth certificates musthave been issued within the last3 or 6 months.

AdoptionThe adoption order must bekept throughout your whole life.In case of loss, the court willsupply a copy.

Recognition of a child born outof wedlock. The recognition deed must bekept throughout your whole life.

MarriageThe following must be keptthroughout your whole life:• The prenuptial agreement; in

case of loss, contact thenotary who drew it up,

• The “livret de famille” (familyrecord book); in case of loss,a copy can be obtained fromthe town hall (“Mairies”),

• Documents relating to pos-sessions brought into themarriage or acquired duringthe marriage by means of adonation or legacy.

Divorce orseparationThe divorce or separation order

must be kept throughout yourwhole life; in case of loss thecourt can supply a copy.

Non-marital unionand P.A.C.S.Contestation may arise when anon-marital union comes to anend. Keep all documents rela-ting to the union for thirty years.

WillYour whole life long. Docu-ments relating to inheritance:no time limit for keeping them,particularly if the inheritanceinvolves real estate.

Family



DocumentsRelating to yourProfessional LifeYou are anemployeeTo be kept for thirty years andat least up until your retire-ment:• Wage slips,• Work contracts and letters of

appointment,• Redundancy letters,• Copies or receipts for full

settlement,• Employment certificates,• Notice of suspension of work in

case of illness or accident,• Social security benefit receipts.

Why these documents needto be kept:• You may need to use them

when you start to collect yourpension,

• A time limit of five years is sti-pulated for proceedings con -cerning salary claims (i.e. youhave five years to claim unpaidsalaries from your employer),

• Sums that are not salaries(redundancy payments, forexample) are subject to a 30-year time limit.

You are unemployedKeep the documents concerningyour unemployment benefit for atleast five years. If you have notreceived your unemploymentbenefit (or have not received all ofit) you have two years to makeyour claim. The “Pôle emploi”, onthe other hand, has a period offive years in which to claim sumsof money unduly paid to you.

Taxes & BankingIncome taxIt is wise to keep the follo-wing documents until the endof the third year following theyear for which tax is due:• Your income declaration forms

and the proof of reductions anddeductions requested in theseforms,

• Your tax bills.

Bank and GiroAccountsCheque validity periodA cheque is valid for a period ofone year and one week in thecase of a bank cheque and for aperiod of one year in the case ofa Post Office cheque. Beyondthis time limit, the bank does nothave to cover the cheque.

You must keep:• Cheque stubs and bank and

postal account statements forten years, because they consti-tute prima facie evidence incase of litigation,

• Direct debit orders during theperiod of their validity.

Keep payment and transfer ins-truction slips until these transac-tions have been charged to youraccount, or for a period of tenyears.

Disputing transactionsFor Giro accounts, complaints relating to transactions areadmissible for one year, but for apost office cheque convertedinto a money order, the time limitis two years.

BalanceYou can claim the balance ofan account that has not beenthe subject of any transaction:• For thirty years, if it is a bank

account,• For ten years, if it is a Post

Office current account.

Important! Money orders thathave not been claimed within twoyears fall to the Post Office admi-nistration. For all information,contact the “info banques” coun-ter at a branch of the Banque deFrance.

The different offices mustmake their claims for the reim-bursement of sums paidunduly to you within two yearsof the date on which paymentwas made, except in cases offraud or false declarations.

Claims by AdministrativeDepartments

If you have problems filling outadministrative forms or writingimportant documents, youmay call upon the services ofan “écrivain public”, availablein most towns. Your local townhall will give you more details.

Help WithFilling OutAdministrativeDocuments



1 - Preliminary steps 30 2 - Job search 30 3 - Organisations and agencies 32 4 - Temporary employment 33 5 - State benefits 336 - Training 34 7 - Starting a business 35 8 - Employment law 35

EMPLOYMENT

29

EMPLOYMENT I PRELIMINARY STEPS

1 I Preliminarysteps

2 I Job search

This chapter is specifically aimed at employees’ families (spouses, partners, children)who are looking for work. The chapters headed “Before Leaving”&”Starting out in France”explain how to go about obtaining the papers that give you the right to work in France,and how to register as a job-seeker (“un demandeur d’emploi”) at the “Pôle emploi”(“Association pour l’Emploi dans l’Industrie et le Commerce”). As soon as your areregistered, you are given the address of the “Pôle emploi”, or job centre, that you shouldreport to for help in your job search.

Before launching headlong intoyour search for a job, it’s worthtaking the time to consolidateyour skills and assess your suita-bility to French employmentmarket; its structure and needsmay differ considerably fromthose of the market you’ve comefrom.

Making an Assessment

You may decide to seek the pro-fessional advice of a skill profileexpert. Help is available from theState and often comes free – private career consultants can beexpensive!Read on to find out how.However, until you are confidentin French this is not an easy task:if you’re not, take someone withyou who is.

Looking For Work There are a number of ways inwhich to look for work: you canreply to advertisements, send spon-taneous applications and registerwith agencies. Different methodssuit different types of work.

Answering an advert You can consult job adverts ina number of different ways: • The regional daily newspaper

“Nice-Matin” carries job advertson Thursdays and Saturdays,

• Professional magazines (e.g.“Le Monde informatique” for IT,

“Moniteur du Bâtiment” forconstruction) are sold in books-hops or by subscription,

• Job centres “Pôle emploi” have regularly updated notice boardsdisplaying job vacancies.

• Temping agencies (“agences d'in-térim”) often display vacancies.

Mini profilesIn France, the “Pôle emploi” is agood source of guidance andadvice. It organises mini-assess-ments, carried out by qualifiedconsultants. The assessmentstake the form of individual orgroup tests held at the job centeror in a company, and last frombetween one day and severalweeks. Your fist step should be toask for an interview with an “Pôleemploi” advisor. Explain yoursituation and ask for help in a per-sonalised approach. You will thenbe guided towards the mostappropriate plan of action.

Full profilesConstructing a true professio-nal profile is an intense and per-sonal project that requires thehelp of a consultant – rather likeundergoing psychoanalysis!

To obtain a complete skill profile,you should ask the “Pôleemploi” for help in conducting a“bilan de competences”. The“Pôle emploi” will then refer youto an organisation called the“C.I.B.C.” (Centre Interinstitu-tionnel de Bilan de Compé-tences). If the “Pôle emploi”refuses your request, you cango directly to the “C.I.B.C.” or toa private firm that specializes inthis field. The direct approachimplies paying some or all of thecosts. Look in the Yellow Pagesunder “Conseil en formation,gestion de personnel” for privatecompanies and See Addendum.

Consult the Yellow Pages:“Formation continue”“Formation continue: divers”“Formation Professionnelle”,and “Enseignement”.


EMPLOYMENT I JOB SEARCH

• The Internet can be useful, butas they are not regulated, not alladvertised vacancies aregenuine. The best places to lookare on “Pôle emploi” noticeboards, web sites and the like.

The company address usuallyappears at the bottom of the jobadvert. Sometimes, however, thecompany remains anonymousand asks applicants to send CVsand covering letters either to thenewspaper, to the agency thatproduced the advert, or to therecruitment agency in charge ofselecting suitable candidates.

The speculativeapproach Before approaching a companydirectly, you may wish to carryout some initial companyresearch. There are severalpotential sources of information:

• Daily newspapers carry generalcompany information in theirbusiness sections, and on

Tuesdays, “Nice-Matin” carries2 pages of information on com-panies in the region,

• Professional magazines (men-tioned above),

• Larger companies will oftensend out information packsand details of their businessactivities, on request,

• Company directories (Kompass,Dun&Bradstreet, etc.) are acces-sible at “Pôle emploi” officesand/or at the CCI (The Chamberof Commerce and Industry).

• The Internet and companywebsites are also helpful.

Hints• Send your application directly to

the manager concerned, or to therelevant department, not just tothe human resources department,

• Follow up your application afterabout 2 weeks,

• If you feel confident in yourspoken French, you can alsoapproach companies over thetelephone, as it is quicker andcan be more informative.

Making yourselfknownUsing contactsAs many jobs are never adverti-sed, it is advisable to take fulladvantage of any contacts youmay have. Let people know thatyou are looking for work and whattype of work you are interested in.Networking can be an effectiveway of finding employment, so talkto neighbours, friends, and useany other connections – eitherthrough a local sports club, or yoursocial life – as an opportunity tomeet people and make contacts.

Other ways of making your-self accessible to employers:• You can place ads in the

“Employment wanted” (“demanded’emploi”) sections of “NiceMatin”, or professional maga-zine, and also on the Internet,

• Register with recruitment agen-cies and temping agencies,found in the Yellow Pages under“Recrutement (organismes”) and“Intérim (agences)”.




Curriculum VitaeEven though you may have whatyou consider to be a perfect CVin your own language, theFrench have some formalitiesthat you should observe.

The headings are as follows: • Personal details (name,

address, date of birth, maritalstatus, nationality),

• Work experience,• Education,• Hobbies and pastimes.

It is, however, acceptable to pro-duce a thematic CV in order topresent yourself in a more positiveor original light (young graduate,

different professional experiences,re-entering the job market after along period of inactivity, etc.)

Covering letter This serves to shore up your CV. Itgives you the opportunity to high-light the skills which will be useful inthe position you are applying for,and to accentuate your strengths.The letter should be tailored towhichever company you're writingto, whether in response to anadvert or as a spontaneous appli-cation. Certain information will bestandard, of course. Show thatyou have really understood thecompany and how your profile fitsin perfectly with their requirements.

The French expect thefollowing formalities tobe observed: • The letter is often handwritten:

not only is this more personalthan a printed letter (and there-fore more polite) but yourhandwriting may be analysed forinsight into your personality. Gra-phology is sometimes used aspart of the selection process inFrance. However, with the com-mon use of the Internet, it is nowacceptable to send it by email,

• Make sure that your address isin the top left-hand corner ofthe page. The address towhich you send the letter mustbe at the top right.

Prepare The Necessary Tools


EMPLOYMENT I ORGANISATIONS AND AGENCIES

3 I Organisationsand agencies

Pôle emploiAlready mentioned above, the“Pôle emploi” is the place to startwhen looking for work, training orhelp on setting up your own busi-ness. It is a public service, open toeveryone, with staff to offer adviceand point you in the right direction.It is usual to go to the “Pôle emploi”office nearest to where you live(you can find the address at the“Pôle emploi”), but you can chooseto use any of them. If you havespecific skills, it may be useful tosee if there is an “Pôle emploi” thatspecialises in your field, as somespecialise in specific sectors ofemployment, such as hotels, cate-ring, cons truction or management.

See Yellow Pages under “Admi-nistrations du Travail et de I'Em-ploi” and the Addendum.

A.P.E.C. “Association Pour l'Emploi des Cadres”

This association is for executives(as defined by your past work experience, or if you have a university degree).

It gives you access to: • Personal advice,• Job search workshops (CV,

training),• Reference material (newspa-

pers, publications).

Job Seeker GroupsThese associations (“Groupes dechercheurs d’emploi”) are atten-ded by unemployed people in aneffort to make their job-huntingmore effective.

The groups operate like smallcompanies with a clearly definedrole for each person.

The groups organise works-hops on various themes:• CVs,• Letter writing,• Training, etc.

The groups approach companiesby sending information aboutthemselves or by canvassing forwork. They can be an excellentmeans of job-hunting as theyreduce feelings of isolation, pro-vide motivation and support, andact as a useful source of informa-tion for those who are less familiarwith the French system. Member-ship can be subject to certainrequirements; ex: approval byother group members, a smallcontribution to cover expenses orqualifications (professional or edu-cational). Ask at the “Pôle emploi”or “A.P.E.C” for contact details.

Organisations forunemployed people

These organisations do not directly help you to seek work butact as advisory bodies to helpunemployed people deal withbureaucracy and administration.In addition, the group can provideyou, with moral support. Ask the“Pôle emploi” for contact informa-tion. Or see Addendum for details.

There are a number of government (and also private)organisations that help those seeking employment.

TelevisionProgrammesNumerous French TV chan-nels broadcast programmesfor those looking for work,seeking training or wantingto set up their own company,among them:

• Cable TV channels “Demain!”,“La Télévision de l’Emploi, de laFormation et des Initiatives” orthe TV of Employment, Trainingand Action”: www.demain.fr,

• “France 2” broadcasts “TéléMatin”.

MagazinesThere is an increasing number ofemployment related magazinesthat can be found in bookshopsor obtained by subscription. “Rebondir” is a monthly maga-zine that gives advice and infor-mation on subjects such as training, useful addresses andbenefits. It also publishes practi-cal guides such as how to write aCV and a covering letter, workingfrom home, paramedical profes-sions, etc.





EMPLOYMENT I TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT

4 I Temporary employment

See Yellow Pages under “Interim”and “Recrutement”

Sources of Employment

Seasonal, temporary andpart-time work is often thekind that is easiest to comeby. These types of vacanciesare generally advertised in thefollowing ways:

• Temporary employment agencies: the agencies that needfluent English speakers are morelikely to be in Sophia Antipolis andMonaco (you need a differentwork permit for Monaco), look inthe Yellow Pages under “Interim(agences)”.

• Newspapers: Nice-Matin andthe local free papers such as“Top Annonces”, have job offersin their classified sections. It isalso possible to place an advertrequesting a job in these publi-cations,

• Radio stations: “Riviera Ra -dio” and some French stationshave job slots. Refer to the Addendum for details,

• Local shops: the shops in yourneighbourhood are likely to dis-play adverts on behalf of peoplelooking for part-time help withhouse-work and baby-sitting, etc,

• Employment agencies fordomestic staff: there is a highdemand for private cooks, gar-deners and other domesticstaff. Refer to the Addendumfor addresses of agenciesspecialised in this field,

• Yachting: there is seasonaldemand for foreign personnel towork on private and charteredyachts, especially around Antibes,

• Word of mouth: very importantin France when looking forwork. Make it known that youare seeking employment andyou may hear of someoneneeding your services.

See Yellow Pages under “Intérim”and “ Recrutement”.


As we’ve already mentio-ned, you may have to waitquite a long time beforefinding your ideal job. Soyou may be interested insomething in the mean-time, to earn some money.Or maybe you would ratherwork part-time.

5 I State benefitsFrance is seen by some to be generous in theassistance it provides tothe unemployed and thesocially disadvantaged.

The government ministry respon-sible for State benefits and forhelp with professional training isthe Ministry of Work and Employ-ment (“Ministère du Travail et del’Emploi”).It is represented at a regionallevel by the “DIRECCTE”.The “DIRECCTE” is therefore an

excellent source of informationfor anyone wanting help with trai-ning or starting up a business.

Social AssistanceUnemploymentbenefitThe state unemployment benefitpayment scheme (which workersand employers contribute to, aswell as the State) is administeredby the “Pôle emploi” . In order to

benefit from the “Pôle emploi”assistance you must be uninten-tionally unemployed, activelylooking for employment and beable to prove that you have wor-ked and contributed to theFrench social system for at least6 months.

If you qualify, the amount youreceive and the length of timeyou will receive it, is determinedby the State. The “Pôle emploi”will be able to help you further.



EMPLOYMENT I TRAINING

As a working person or as some-one who is unemployed you areeligible for training.There is a wide choice of trainingavailable in every conceivabledomain and at every level. Training isdispensed by public and privateorganisations. You can look for atraining course in a company or ins-titution you find appealing, or youcan ask an “Pôle emploi” advisor torecommend courses and organisa-tions and to help you in your choice.The main organisation for adult pro-fessional training is the “A.F.P.A”(Association Nationale pour la For-mation Professionnelle des Adultes)which has regional offices andnumerous training centres.

Guidebook of A.F.P.A. offices(Association pour la FormationProfessionnelle des Adultes),F.N.E. training courses (FondsNational pour l’Emploi) “Cadres”,catalogue of training courses

approved by the I.N.F.F.O. centre.If you are interested in a specificprofession, you can contact theChamber of Professions (“Cham-bre des Métiers and CCI NiceCôte d’Azur”). You can alsocontact the careers advice organi-sations that advise students“(D.R.O.N.I.S.E.P., C.I.D., C.I.J.)”.Refer to the Education & Childcarechapter for further information.

Find out about the cost of training.It may be free if you’re registeredas a job-seeker (“demandeurd’emploi”), but sometimes youhave to pay. In the latter case, youmight be able to get help with thecosts from:• The “Pôle emploi” (if you can

prove that you have worked for6 months in France),

• Other State organisations suchas the “Conseil Général” oncondition that you qualify forbenefits.

6 I Training

If you are thinking of setting up your own company, it may be of use to know that there are certainincentives set up by the State to encourage companies to employ certain categories of workers.

These categories include:• First time job-seekers,• Part-time workers,• Apprenticeships,• Job qualification contracts (for 16-25 year-old),• Your first employee,• Management schemes,• Handicapped workers.

If, as a job-seeker, you fall into one of the above categories, you should alert possible employers so thatthey can benefit from State aid. The “Pôle emploi” and “DIRECCTE” have further details.

Incentives to Employ Certain Categories Of Workers



Assistance with training

Unemployed peopleThe “Pôle emploi” may pay thetotal cost. If not, there are otherState Organisation such asGeneral and Regional Coun-cils (“Conseil Regional”) thatmay subside your training pro-gramme. An “Pôle emploi” ad-visor will give your more infor-mation about who to contact.

EmployeesIf you have worked for a com-pany for a minimum of 1 yearand your employer is in agree-ment, you can take a sabbati-cal. The training costs andcompensation for loss ofearnings are covered by theofficial organisation “O.P.A.C.I.F”and “F.O.N.G.E.C.I.F”.The personnel department ofyour company can give youfurther information.


EMPLOYMENT I STARTING A BUSINESS

7 I Startinga business

If your ambition is to work foryourself, your professional profileassessment will have weighed upyour chances of succeeding. Thenext step is to assess the feasibi-lity of your project by conductingsome market research; then puta business plan together. Notethat depending on your circums-tances, you may be eligible forgrants and other assistance fromthe state. Your first contact will bean “Pôle emploi” advisor who canpoint you in the direction of mostuseful services. There is an asso-ciation that helps new businessescalled the “Agence Nationalepour la Création d’Entreprise”(referred to as the “A.P.C.E.”. It

will give you more information onthe help you’re entitled to. Alter-natively, you can go to theChamber of Commerce (“CCI:Chambre de Commerce et d’In-

dustrie”), another useful source ofhelp and information.




Help with starting a business

The State fosters the creation of businesses with financial andlegislative assistance. You can also contact the “DIRECCTE” forinformation on the financial assistance you may be eligible for – according to whether you are unemployed or working.

• Employees: people already in employment can take unpaid leave(“Congé Création Entreprise”) for a period of one or two years inorder to create a business. After this period, they can return totheir previous job if they wish. The personnel department of yourcompany will give you further information.

8 I Employmentlaw

Official Organisations The Ministry of Work andEmployment applies governmen-tal decisions. It is represented ineach region by a “DIRECCTE”,which has the task of enforcingits directives. The “DIRECCTE”must also ensure that the lawsare respected in companies(through its Work Inspection Divi-sion – “Inspection du Travail”).

Employerorganisations • “M.E.D.E.F.” (“Mouvement des

Entreprises de France”), anational organisation,

• Employer unions (“UnionsPatronales”), national organisa-tions split into professionalbranches,

• “U.P.E 06.” (“Union pour l’En-treprises des Alpes Maritimes”),

• “U.P.R.PA.C.A.” (“Union Patro-nale Régionale PACA”).

Trade unions There are 5 major trade unions,all represented regionally: • “C.F.D.T.” (“Conférération Fran-

çaise Démocratique du Travail”), Democratic Wor-kers’ Federation,

• “C.F.T.C.” (“Confédération Fran- çaise des travailleurs Chrétiens”),Christian Workers’ Federation,

• “C.G.C.” (“Confédération Géné- rale des Cadres”) ManagementFederation,

• “C.G.T.” (“Confédération Géné-rale du Travail”), General Wor-kers’ Federation,


EMPLOYMENT I EMPLOYMENT LAW

• ”F.O.” (”Force Ouvrière ”), Wor-kers’ Federation.

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Syndicats et ordres profession-nels” and “Syndicats de salariés”.

If your company is large enoughit may have union representa-tives.

Application Of The LawIf you require informationabout employment laws, thefollowing organisations canadvise you:• The Ministry of Work and

Employment (“Ministère duTravail et de l’Emploi”),

• “DIRECCTE” Work InspectionDivision,

• Trade unions.

EmploymentcontractThis formalises your engage-ment with an employer. Youare likely to come across twotypes of contracts:• “CDI” – “Contrat à Durée Indé-

terminée”: this is a permanentcontract,

• “CDD” – “Contrat à Durée Déterminée” – a temporarycon tract, or a job creationcontract.

To find out more about the diffe-rent types of contracts that exist,contact the Ministry of Work andEmployment. (“Ministère du Tra-vail et de l’Emploi”).

LegislationThe laws governing employment have very differentorigins:

• The Labour Law (“Code du Travail”). This is applicable to allbusinesses and is based on government laws and decrees.Companies' obligations differ according to their size: the larger thecompany, the more constraints there is regarding their employees.

• Collective Agreements (“Conventions Collectives”). Fix par-ticular rules in certain business sectors (ex: clock makers, insu-rance).The collective Agreement that you must respect dependson the APE code of your company (the APE is the official cate-gory of activity your company is engaged in).

• Internal regulations (“Règlement intérieur”): These are fixedby the employer.

• Current practice and habits that are recognised as laws, but arenot formalised in writing. The labour law defines the minimumprotection to which employees are entitled.

Other rules (Collective Agreements and internal regulations) can bemore useful to employees than resorting to the law. Furthermore,international and E.U. legislation is increasingly important and canover-ride national legislation. Examples of this include:

• The treaty of Rome: The foundation of the E.U., which has at its corethe free movement of people amongst member states. The BrusselsCommission harmonies the laws that govern work within the E.U.,

• International Treaties: Bilateral (between two states) or multila-teral (adopted by the International Labour Organisation) law takeprecedence over national laws.

Some good sources of information about legislation affectingthe workplace:• Ministry of Work and Employment,• “DIRECCTE”,• “Le Journal Officiel”, official journal publishing all French legal texts.

Pay SlipYou receive a pay slip with yoursalary at the end of each month.It should detail all deductionstaken from your salary eachmonth (e.g. Social Security pay-ments, pension payments, sup-plementary health insurance).

Your pay slips are proof of yourcontributions to these institu-tions. You need them to benefitfrom Social Security payments.Keep them until you retire.Pay slips can be complicatedso, if in doubt, ask your per-sonnel department to explainthem.



MISCELLANEOUS

CONTACTS1 - Contacts 38 2 - Telecommunications 39 3 - Pratical information 39

37

MISCELLANEOUS CONTACTS I CONTACTS

1 I Contacts

Embassies & Consulates

Most Consulates are representedin Nice, with main offices in Mar-seilles. Look in the Yellow Pagesunder “Ambassades, consulatset autres representations diplo-matiques”.

ReligionThe dominant religion in Franceis Roman Catholicism. However,other religious beliefs are cateredfor, and the French Riviera hassome English speaking services.The Addendum contains addresses for non French reli-gious institutions. For furtheraddresses, look in the YellowPages under “Eglises” or “Cultes”or “Associations religieusesou philosophiques”.

Foreign Residents’Associations

The Addendum lists telephonenumbers for clubs on the FrenchRiviera representing most natio-nalities: some are home numbersof the private individuals who runthe clubs and associations, so itmay be necessary to call in theevening.

Clubs And Associations

There are too many to give anexhaustive list, and some comeand go. But a good reference pointis foreign language media: The“Riviera Reporter”, “Riviera Côted'Azur Zeitung”, “Riviera Radio”,(the addresses of these media arein the Addendum). There are socialclubs, special interest clubs andbusiness associations.

Help in the HomeBuilding and repairs

Companies and independentlegally registered “artisans” areinsured to carry out work in yourhome.They will normally provide a freeestimate (“devis”) for the work tobe done. The estimate shouldclearly state the amount of V.A.T.(“TVA”) and if so, is “TTC”(“Toutes Taxes Comprises”) orincluding taxes. If not, theamount is said to be “hors taxes”(before taxes) and VAT (TVA) atthe current rate will be added.

Here is a list of the mostcommon services:• “Maçonnerie” - builders,• “Plomberie” - plumbers,

• “Electricité” - electrician,• “Chauffage” - heating installa-

tion,• “Jardinage” - gardening,• “Dépanneur” - repairman (e.g.

TV),• “Vitrerie” - window replacements,• “Serrurerie” - locks and alarms.

Look in the Yellow Pages underthe service required.

A word of warning: French lawforbids you to knowingly hiresomeone who is not registered. Ifthey are injured on your premises,you will be held responsible.

The Côte d'Azur is a cosmopolitan area where lots ofdifferent nationalities co-reside. This means that manypeople are living away from their country of origin. Thereare times when you might want to meet people fromyour home country, and there are a great number ofassociations and contact groups set up to put youin contact with people, whatever your personalcircumstances and preferences.



“Accueil des VillesFrançaises”

“A.F.V.” are associations thathelp newcomers - French andforeign - to a town to integrateinto their new surroundings.They can help you find doctors,dentists and other professionalswho speak your language andcan point you in the right direc-tion to find schools, accommo-dation, etc. They offer basic-levelFrench conversation clas ses(“séances de conversation”) togive you enough knowledge ofthe language to go shoppingand find your way around.



MISCELLANEOUS CONTACTS I TELECOMMUNICATIONS

2 I TelecommunicationsMobile Phones Mobile phone are becoming lessexpensive in France, and manydifferent types of subscriptions areon offer. A “forfait” – or package –is often the best option.

The 4 main networks in Franceare basically providing the sameoffers:

• “Orange”,• “SFR”, • “Bouygues Telecom”,• “FREE”…

For more information regardingpackages and to find a locationnearest you, visit the website ofthe mobile operators.

See Yellow Pages under “Télé-phonie mobile, radiomessagerie,radiocommunications”.

The Internet There are plenty of Internetproviders, so the rates are rea-sonable and the choice is good.

There are, global providers suchas “Free”, “Orange”, ”Neuf”, etc.

The monthly packages usuallyinclude Internet, TV and phoneservices (landline). For more infor-mation, visit the website of theInternet providers.

See Yellow Pages under “Inter-net”: fournisseurs d’accès”.

3 I Praticalinformation

English LanguageLibraries

The Anglo-American library nextto the Anglican church in Nice(see Addendum for details) offersthe widest selection of Englishlanguage books. There is a smallsubscription fee on joining.

Larger French libraries also haveEnglish language books. Look inthe Yellow Pages under “Biblio-thèques, médiathèques”.

Evening Classes Your local town hall (“Mairie”) andthe Arts and Youth Centre (“Mai-son des jeunes et de la Culture(MJC)”) will have lists of eveningclasses in your area.If you cannot find what you’relooking for, look in the YellowPages under the name of yourinterest, or under “Enseignementprivé”.

Learning French

The Post Office

The postal service is called “LaPoste”.Post boxes are yellow and areoften found outside “tabacs” aswell as inside and outside PostOffices (“bureau de Poste”).Look in the Yellow Pages under“Administrations des Postes et desTélécommunications” or “Poste”.





MISCELLANEOUS CONTACTS I PRATICAL INFORMATIONS

Professionals WithLinguistic Skills

If you are looking for a lawyer, a notary, a chartered accountantor any other professional whocan provide services in a specificforeign language, contact:

• “L'Ordre des Avocats duBarreau” (the Bar) of Nice orGrasse,

• “L'Ordre des Experts Compta-bles” (The Order of CharteredAccountants),

• “L'Ordre des Notaires desAlpes-Maritimes” (The Order ofNotaries),

• “Team Côte d’Azur”.

Companies that need professio-nal services in a particular foreignlanguage may contact TeamCôte d’Azur for relevant contactlists.



EDUCATION &CHILDCARE

1 - Children below school age 42 2 - The French education system 43 3 - Enrolling children in school 45 4 - Primary and secondary education 46 5 - Higher-level education 47 6 - International schools 48 7 - Distance learning 49 8 - Examination 509 - Financial assistance 50

41

EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I CHILDREN BELOW SCHOOL AGE

1 I Children below school age

Full-Time Childcare There is a comprehensive systemof childcare for the children ofworking parents from the age ofthree months. The options are a“crèche“ or “garderie” (nursery/kinder-garten), a “nourrice” (nan -ny) or “assistante maternelle”(childminder), or an au pair.

“Crèche –Garderie”Demand for “crèches” and “gar-deries” is high, as they enjoy avery good reputation and havecompetent staff. It is thereforeadvisable to reserve a placeas early as possible in yourpregnancy. Crèches will takechildren from as young as threemonths if both parents are wor-king. They generally remain openduring school holidays, with thepossible exception of the monthof August. The amount you payis related to your income.

Most take children on a full-timebasis and provide lunch, whichparents may be asked to pay towards. Some offer half-day(morning or afternoon) facilities.

There are two types of “crèche”or “garderie”: the “crèche muni-cipale”, run by the “Mairie” (TownHall), and the “crèche parentale”,a crèche run by an association ofparents on a rota basis. For fur-ther details, contact your “Mairie”or look in the Yellow Pages under“Crèches”.

Nanny (“nourrice”)Childminder(“assistantematernelle”) A nanny will look after your child(and possibly others) at her ownhome (you may be able toarrange for her to come to yourhome). Some are registered(“Agréée”) and have to complywith strict criteria established bythe Office of Social Affairsconcerning Children and HealthDirection de I'Action Sociale deI'Enfance et de la Sante, or“OASES”), a government depart-ment. As such they are subject toregular controls. See the YellowPages, under “AssistantesMaternelles” or contact your“Mairie” for a list

“Au pair” This region understandablyattracts young people fromabroad wishing to work on a'live-in' basis as au pairs. An aupair is usually female, in whichcase she may be referred to as a“jeune fille au pair“.

Various legal obligations mustbe observed:To work in France legally sheshould have an au pair visa,which is valid for one year, andthere are various restrictions onher working arrangements.

For more information and addresses, contact the “A.V.F.”(see the Miscellaneous Contactschapter).

Part-Time Or Occasional CareOf Children Here, the choice is between aday nursery (“halte-garderie”) anda babysitter (“babysitter” inFrench!). To find a “hafte-garde-rie” or an organisation providingbabysitting services, look in theYellow Pages under “Garde d'en-fants”.

Day nursery(“halte-garderles”) “Halte-garderies” look after chil-dren on an occasional basis.Some expect you to book aplace in advance, others takechildren on a first-come, first-ser-ved basis each morning.

Babysitters Babysitters are usually paid incash at a rate agreed betweenyou. If they have no means oftransport you may have to pickthem up and take them home.

To find a babysitter, try thefollowing: • Look for advertisements dis-

played in your local shops, • Contact local schools (French

and international),• Visit the Tourist Information

Offices, (they often have lists ofstudents looking for work),

• Contact organisations offeringbabysitting services.



EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I THE FRENCH EDUCATION SYSTEM

2 I The Frencheducation systemEducation In France is the responsibility of the State, andis provided through a system of State schools. Privateschools are also available. “Le Ministère de l'EducationNationale” (Ministry of Education) manages all aspects ofeducation in France. Education is undenominational,compulsory up to the age of 16, and free until the age of18. The Ministry is responsible for the establishment andmaintenance of schools, for recruiting and training staff,defining education programmes, and the administrationof exams. In the name of the freedom of education, thereare also private schools – for the most part RomanCatholic establish-ments that have signed a contract withthe State.

The chequebooks are issued at no cost by thePost Office, banks, building societies and theTreasury. The employer simply has to write the cheque,stating the net salary, and to give it to the employee who puts it into his or her bank account.

The latter: • withdraws social contributions from the

employer's bank or post office account,

sending monthly statements plus an annualcertificate for tax declaration purposes,

• sends the employee an employment certificatethat serves as a pay slip.

A private person employing someone to work inthe home is eligible for certain tax reductionsand exoneration from employer social securitycontributions.

“Chèque Emploi"”The “Chèque emploi service universel” (CESU) is reserved for private individuals whoemploy someone for home-help tasks: cleaners, occasional gardeners, help withschool work, caring for the sick (excluding medical care), looking after children(except if the employer wishes to benefit from the “Benefit for Childcare in the Home”(“l'Aide à la Garde d'Enfant à Domicile” – A.G.E.D.).


The Youth Affairs and AdultEducation Inspectorate (“Ins-pection Générale de l’Educa-tion Nationale” or I.G.E.N.)plays a role in appraising staff

involved in inspection, manage-ment, teaching, education andgiving advice. It participates intheir training, their recruitment(participates in examination


EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I THE FRENCH EDUCATION SYSTEM

juries), the verification of theirwork and the evaluation of theeducational system in general.

The Regional EducationAuthority (“Le Rectoratd'Academie”): The Rector,Vice-Chancellor of Universities is

the regional-level representativeof the Ministry of Education,Research and Technology,

He or she is seconded in eachdepartment (or county), by anInspector who acts in the nameof the Regional Education Autho-

rity. The Côte d’Azur – -especiallythe area around the Sophia Anti-polis science park – is a very cos-mopolitan area and consequentlyhas a number of schools to caterfor this international community.


The school year runs from the beginning of September to the end of June. The summer holidays, knownas “les grandes vacances”, are in July and August. Apart from these, there are 4 other holiday periods:

The Academic Year

“Vacances de Toussaint” (All Saints)One week at the end of October or beginning of November

“Vacances de Noël” (Christmas) Two weeks starting in the second half ofDecember

“Vacances d'Hiver” (Winter) Two weeks in February or March

“Vacances de Printemps” (Spring) Two weeks in April or May

For the Winter and Spring holidays, France is divided into three zones, A, B and C, which stagger theirholidays.

Caen, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Zone A covers Montpellier, Nancy-Metz, Nantes, Rennes,

Toulouse.

Aix-Marseille, Amiens, Besançon, Dijon, Lille, Zone B covers Limoges, Nice, Orleans-Tours, Poitiers,

Reims, Rouen, Strasbourg.

zone C covers Bordeaux, Paris, Creteil, Versailles.

Diaries and calendars frequently carry the holiday dates for each zone, but for the mostreliable data:

• For your zone (Zone B for the French Riviera): contact the school or “L'lnspection Académique deNice”,

• For other zones: contact the “Ministère de I'Education Nationale”.


EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I ENROLLING CHILDREN IN SCHOOL

The School Timetable The school week in French Stateschools traditionally consists ofMonday, Tuesday, WednesdayThursday and Friday p.m. Wed-nesdays tend to be reserved forsports and other non-academicactivities. Some schools may fol-low a modified schedule, espe-cially for younger children, suchas no Saturday attendance. Theschool day begins between 8and 8.30 a.m. and ends around4.30 or 5.00 p.m. There is usually a two-hour lunchbreak starting at 11.30 a.m. duringwhich children are permitted to gohome, although schools generallyprovide canteen facilities. All children, even young ones, willprobably be given regular home-work.

Sports, Music These are seen as extra-curricularactivities and are not organised byall schools. It is therefore up to theparents to enrol their children insporting and artistic activities. Municipal sports facilities areusually very good and offer tuitionin tennis, swimming, skiing, etc.Contact your local Arts Centre(“Maison de la Jeunesse et de laCulture” “M.J.C.”) to register yourchild for artistic activities, and amusic school (“conservatoire”) formusical tuition.Look in the Yellow Pages under“Maisons de quartier, Maison dela Jeunesse et de la Culture”.

Private Schools Private education accounts for17% of pupils from infant schoolto the end of secondary educa-tion. They generally offer verygood quality, but are fee-paying

(and some are very expensive!).Most are recognized by the Stateand the State provides financialaid to some of them. In the privatesector, families must pay forschooling costs, and these varyfrom establishment to establish-ment. French private schools (seesection 6 below for internationalschools) essentially offer the samesyllabus as State schools and pre-pare children for the exams.

Private Or State –Making The ChoiceThe choice of school – private orpublic, French or international –needs careful consideration. Frenchschools offer the advantage of hel-ping children to speak Frenchfluently and to become accusto-med to French culture. Young chil-dren generally have no problem withsettling in, but integration may proveharder for some older children.

3 I Enrolling children in school

This should be done as soonas your arrive in France. Your“Mairie” is a valuable sourceof information.

Necessary DocumentsCertain documents are essen-tial and you will not be able toenrol your child without them:• School records: all docu-

ments, grades or confirmationof the level of studies attained,

• Your child’s birth certificate, • Medical certificate issued by a

French doctor (except in nurseryschool, where a medical exami-

nation is carried out at school),• Vaccination certificates: vacci-

nations are obligatory in Franceand you’ll need an up-to-daterecord.

For further information on manda-tory vaccinations, consult the regio-nal department of Social Affairs,address given in the Addendum.

Where To Enrol • Nursery school: at your town hall,• Primary school: at the school

itself,

• Secondary school: at the“Lycée” or “college” in question.

For secondary schools, look in theYellow Pages under “Enseigne-ment privé secondaire” and con -sult the Addendum for addressesof the school inspectorate.

• Higher education: the regis-tration department of therelevant establishment. Lookin the Yellow Pages under“Enseignement privé supérieurou public supérieur”.





EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I PRIMARY & SECONDARY EDUCATION

The following chart illustrates the different types ofestablishments for primary and secondary education, thenames of the classes and the diplomas awarded.

4 I Primary & secondaryeducation

Primary education – “enseignement primaire”

Secondary education – “enseignement secondaire”

AGE CLASS ESTABLISHMENT EXAMINATION OR DIPLOMA

3 -5 Maternelle infant school -

6 Cours Préparatoire (CP) “Ecole Primaire” (primary school) -

7 Cours Elémentaire 1 (CE1 ) “ -

8 Cours élémentaire (CE2) “ -

9 Cours Moyen (CM1) “ -

10 Cours Moyen (CM2) “ -

The “Baccalauréat”The “Baccalauréat” (known as the “BAC”) is an examination taken after 2 years of study after the legalschool-leaving age (16). A “BAC” is necessary for entering into higher-level education, similar to “A-levels” in England.

AGE CLASS ESTABLISHMENT EXAMINATION OR DIPLOMA

11 6e Collège (middle school)

12 5e “

13 4e “

14 3e “ “Brevet des Collèges”

15 2nde Lycée (high school)

16 1ère “

17 Terminale “ “Baccalauréat”


EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I HIGHER-LEVEL EDUCATION

the French Embassy in the coun-try in which you live, or, if youattend a French school abroad,directly from that establishment.

In all cases, first-time registra-tions for the first stage of educa-tion at a French university requireproof that you have the qualifica-tions that give you the right, inyour country, to undertake thestudies you have in mind (gene-rally a diploma marking the endof secondary education). At themoment, there is neither selec-tion process nor restriction on thenumber of admittances into uni-versity in France. However, medi-cal and dental studies involve aselection exam at the end of thefirst year, and some specialisedtraining – “Institut Universitaire deTechnologie (polytechnic)”,“Institut d'Etudes Politiques” (Ins-titute of Political Studies)” – setan entrance exam.

Registering for the secondand third stages of tertiaryeducationAs early as May-June, you canapply to the Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis via the ForeignStudent Department (“ServiceScolarité des Etudiants Etran-gers”) of your preferred esta-blishment. You can supply certified photo-copies and French translations ofyour diplomas, grades and studyprogrammes so that the Equiva-lence and Validity Commission(“Commission d’équivalence etde validation”) can study yourapplication. General studies (such as econo-

5 I Higher-leveleducation

Post “Baccalauréat”StudiesHigher-level education (“Ensei-gnement Supérieur”) is availableto those possessing a “Bacca-lauréat”. The choice is between auniversity, a school for professio-nal studies such as a BusinessSchool, and a private college offering a variety of courses.

The number of study years thatare undertaken at a higher level(ie. after the “Baccalauréat”), cor-respond to the following catego-ries which you will often see injob advertisements and otherprofessional situations.

• Diploma (“Diplôme”) BAC+2

• Degree (“Licence”) BAC+3

• Master's degree (“Maîtrise”)or qualification from a“Grande Ecole” BAC+5

• PHD (“Doctorat”) BAC+8

University Registration for the first stageof tertiary education: manda-tory admission request If you live abroad, you must collect a blank pre-registrationdossier between December and January of the year preceding thebeginning of the university yearand sit the French language testmentioned in the pre-registrationdossier. Dossiers are availablefrom the Cultural Department of

mics and literature), as well asmedicine and law, are taught atNice-Sophia Antipolis University.

The following diplomas areawarded for general univer-sity studies:

• Licence I• Licence II

After two years of study

• “Licence” (Bachelor's) IIIOne further year

• “Maitrise” (Master's) I• Master II

Two further years

• “Doctorat” (Doctor's) Three further years

Professionalstudies Studies that focus on profes-sions are provided by “Ecolesd'Enseignement Supérieur”,which can be either State-run orprivate.

Typical qualifications are: • B.T.S. “Brevet de Technicien

Supérieur”: courses providedby public or private “Ecolesd'Enseignement Supérieur”.

• D.U.T. “Diplôme Universitairede Technologie”: Course provi-ded by an "I. U. T." “InstitutUniversitaire de Technologie”(polytechnic): a college asso-ciated with a university.



EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

The “GrandesEcoles” “Grandes Ecoles” are collegesthat usually demand a preliminaryyear of study or an entry exami-nation before students are accep-ted. Therefore they are very wellregarded in France. Either forBusiness – called “GrandesEcoles de Commerce” (“E.S.C.” =“Ecole supérieure de Commerce”)or Engineers – called “GrandesEcoles d’Ingénieurs” (“E.S.I.” =“Ecole Supérieure d’Ingénieurs”).

Advice On HigherEducation

For further information onopportunities in higher edu-cation, contact one of the fol-lowing (their details areprovided in the Addendum):• O.N.I.S.E.P. – Produces a

range of general and thematicbrochures and supervises anetwork of C.I.O.s (“Centred’Information et d’Orientation”)

• C.I.D.J., “Centre d’Informationet de Documentation Jeu-nesse”,

• The “Ministère de l’EducationNationale”.

6 I InternationalschoolsBilingual Schools

If you wish your child to be wellimmersed in the French languagewhilst still retaining their English,then a bilingual (French/English)school may be the answer.These schools follow the Frenchcurriculum, but teaching is inboth French and English, inroughly equal proportions.Usually the schools cater forall ages and may include a pre-school nursery (“maternelle”).

See under “Enseignement privé”in the Yellow Pages.

• The “Ecole Primaire des Sar-toux” is a primary school withan international section offeringbilingual teaching. See Adden-dum for details,

• The international section of the“C.I.V” (“Centre International deValbonne”), based in theSophia-Antipolis science park, offers a bilingual French/English

curriculum leading to the Inter-national Baccalauréat (withsections English-American,Dutch, Spanish, Italian). It accepts children from 11 to 19years and offers a French envi-ronment to English-speakingstudents without totally immer-sing them in the French acade-mic system.

• A bus service operates fromNice and certain other towns.The school also has a boardingoption and excellent sports faci-lities.

• Further details concerning the“C.I.V”, can be found in theAddendum.

• The University of Nice offerslanguage tuition and courses inFrench literature and culture.Regular university courses arealso open to those who are fullycompetent in French, althoughthey may be required to sit anentrance examination.




EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I DISTANCE LEARNING

Internationalschools offering a Non-FrenchSyllabus

Three international schools in theregion offer a foreign (non French)syllabus.

I.S.N.: InternationalSchool of NiceThe I.S.N.(“International Schoolof Nice”) provides English-lan-guage education for childrenaged from 4 to 18, based princi-pally on the American curriculum.For older pupils tuition leading tothe International General Certifi-cate of Secondary Education(I.G.C.S.E) and the InternationalBaccalauréat is also available.The school is accredited by therelevant educational bodies in theUnited States and the UnitedKingdom.Lessons are in English but thereare daily compulsory lessons inFrench. Various sporting and cul-tural activities are also provided.There is a bus service for pupilsliving in various towns on the

Riviera. The school also has a pri-mary and a secondary section inMonaco, with the same curricu-lum as in Nice.

Mougins SchoolThe Mougins School is a privateday school for children from 3 to18 years and follows the UKNational Curriculum leading toG.C.S.E./I.G.C.S.E. and “A-level”examinations. Tuition is inEnglish, but French is taught asa regular subject: English is alsotaught as a second languagewhere required. Most of the stu-dents speak two or more lan-guages and originate from manydifferent parts of the world. Inaddition to the academic classes,the school offers a range of extracurricular and sporting facilities.

EBICAThe EBICA school offers both aninternational and French curricu-lum for children from 3 to 9 yearsold. Classes are taught in smallgroups from 8 to a maximum of17 students per group. As part ofthe curriculum, the EBICA schoolalso offers community serviceprojects.

Language SchoolsAnd Private TuitionThere is no shortage of languageschools in this region, some offe-ring full-time, intensive courseslasting several weeks, others justa few hours each week.For some people, a private tutormay be more convenient. You willneed to choose an arrangementthat suits your circumstancesand your budget.Quality varies so ask aroundespecially among your col-leagues.

Your company may be able tosuggest language schools andprivate tutors. The “A.V.F.”(“Accueil des Villes Françaises”)also offers basics languagecourses (“séances de conversa-tion”) and can recommendtutors.

For more contacts See in the Addendum or look under “Ensei-gnement : Langues” in the yellowPages for other possibilities.

7 I Distance learningIf you are unable to study in ateaching establishment you mayconsider distance learning. The“C.N.E.D.” (“Centre Nationald’Enseignement à Distance”), anorganisation devoted to thismethod of education for the

general public, may be able toguide you.There are also private organisa-tions – see the Yellow Pagesunder “Enseignement par corres-pondance et télé-enseignement”.



EDUCATION & CHILDCARE I EXAMINATIONS

If you are studying with an educational body or establishment theywill normally assist you in registering for examinations. However, ifyou are studying by yourself, you can register for a national exam asa “candidat libre”. To do so, you will need to contact the “InspectionAcadémique”.

Depending on your circumstancesand revenue, you may be eligiblefor financial help in con nection withyour (or your family’s) studies in theState education system.

For children between 6 and 18years :• “Allocation de rentrée scolaire”

(ARS) (Help with back-to-school expenses),

• “Aide à la scolarité au collège”(Help with middle-school tuitionfees). Contact your “Caisse d’Alloca-tions familiales” for more infor-mation. Scholarships (“Boursesscolaires”) may be available forchildren at “Lycée” or the “Ins-pection Académique”

• You may also qualify for a higher education scholarship

(“Bourses de l’enseignementsupér ieur” ) . Contact the“Service des Bourses” at theuniversity in question.

Details of other forms of financialassistance may be obtained from“C.R.O.U.S”.

8 I Examinations

9 I Financial assistance



1 - Medical practitioners 52 2 - Hospital services 53 3 - Chemist shops ("pharmacies") 53 4 - Pregnancy and childbirth 54 5 - What to do in an emergency 556 - Social coverage 55 7 - How to get reimbursed 598 - Sickness and work 59

HEALTH

51

HEALTH I MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS

1 I Medical practitioners France offers a wide varietyof medical professionals.

General Practitioners • Practitioners in general medi-

cine,• Acupuncturists, • Homeopathic practitioners,• Paediatricians.

In general these doctors areauthorised to prescribe drugs.You need to register with a parti-cular doctor if you want to be fullyreimbursed by the “SécuritéSociale”. However, you are freeto change to move from onedoctor to another as you wish.Your doctor can refer you to seea specialist (except an optome-trist, dentist and gynaecologistwhich do not require a referral). Ifyou see a specialist without areferral, you will pay a supple-mentary fee.

Specialists You may consult these doc-tors directly, without going viaa general practitioner: • Psychiatrists,• Gynaecologists,• Dermatologists,• Optometrists.

Paramedical Professions

These professionals are notdoctors. However, their fees arereimbursed by Social Security.

You may make appointmentswith them directly (but youwon’t be fully reimbursed): • Dentists, dental surgeons, • Chiropractors,• Midwives (“sages-femmes”).

The following services arereimbursed, when prescribedby a doctor: • X-rays, ultrasound scans, MRI,

scanner,• Pathology laboratories (blood

and urine tests, etc.),• Physiotherapists, speech the-

rapists (“orthophonistes”), • Nurses.

Other Professions Whether or not they are for-mally recognised, services pro-vided by the following are notreimbursed by Social Security: • Osteopaths, chiropractors, • Psychologists, psychoanalysts

For details on how to contactthe various practitioners, look inthe Yellow Pages under “Méde-cins”. The “A.\/.F.” (“Accueil desVilles Françaises”) can help youto find a doctor who speaksyour language. (See guide and Addendum –“Miscellaneous Contacts”chapter.).


The French medical

system is linked to the

Social Security services

(la “Sécurité Sociale”)

which deals with the

reimbursement of

medical expenses.

In this chapter you'll

find essential

information about how

the French medical

system operates.

HEALTH I HOSPITAL SERVICES

2 I Hospital services

3 I Chemist’ shop (“pharmacies”)

There are three types ofmedical institutions: hospi-tals, clinics and hospices.

Hospital A State-run institution offering awide range of medical services.All treatment is reimbursed bySocial Security.

Clinic A private institution offering spe-cialist services. Here, treatment isonly partly reimbursed.

Hospice A State-run institution for thechronically and terminally ill. Alltreatment is reimbursed by theSocial Security. If you have to gointo a hospital or a clinic for anovernight stay or longer, youneed to take your own nightwear,toiletries, toothpaste, shampoo,etc.

Dispensaries Pharmacists (Chemists) are healthprofessionals and are at your dis-posal for minor health problemsthat do not require a visit to thedoctor.

They are also responsible forchecking the prescriptions issuedby doctors, to ensure that thereare no undesirable interactionsbetween medicines.

Pharmacy opening hours are thesame as shops in general: 9a.m.to midday and 2p.m. to 7p.m.

Outside these hours, duty che-mists (“pharmacies de garde”)are available (see section 5).

Medicines Pharmacies deliver threetypes of medicine: • Medicines supplied on pres-

cription only – these are gene-rally reimbursed by the SocialSecurity,

• Freely available medicines, someof which may be reimbursable(aspirin, cough medicines, homeopathic treatments, etc.).

To qualify as reimbursable, itemsin the above two categories mustbe prescribed by a doctor.

• Cosmetic and other products(shampoos, creams, etc.).

Recently, “generic” drugs havebeen introduced as possiblereplacements for brand pro-ducts. Your doctor may prescribethese.

Vaccinations are prescribed andadministered by a doctor, but youbuy them yourself at a chemist's.

Ambulances The ambulance service is opera-ted by private companies and issolely a means of transport forsick people between hospitals orbetween home and hospital. The vehicles carry only basicmedical equipment (they shouldnot be confused with emer-gency ambulances, which aremore extensively equipped) –see section 5.



HEALTH I PREGNANCY AND CHILDBIRTH

4 I Pregnancy and childbirth

Childbirth Professionals

Your gynaecologist will look afteryou throughout your pregnancy.For the birth, you have the choiceof a public hospital or a privateclinic. In either case, you will beattended by a midwife (“sage-femme”) and an obstetrician,who may be your gynaecologist ifhe or she is qualified in obste-trics. If you opt for a public hospital, ahospital midwife will give antena-tal courses, and your labour and

delivery will be managed by amidwife. An obstetrician will beon-hand to assist in case of com-plications. At a private maternity clinic yourown obstetrician will be at thedelivery, assisted by a midwife. For antenatal courses you needto contact a midwife, either fromthe clinic or an independent mid-wife, see the Yellow Pages, under“Sages-femmes”. Note: Midwives are medical professionals who have obtaineda midwifery diploma and haveacquired appropriate hospitalexperience.

Pregnancy tests are sold over the counter in chemists. If the test proves positive, consult your gynaecologist whowill arrange a blood test for confirmation.

FormalitiesWhen your pregnancy is first confirmed, the doctor will give you a“Future Maman” or “Vous êtes enceinte” form, which you need to fillin and send to your Social Security office. Within a few weeks you will receive a booklet called a “Carnet deMaternité”, which contains information and claim forms. All costs are fullyreim-bursed, including the costs of your regular 'compulsory' check-ups. In general, the antenatal rest period is six weeks and post-natalconvalescence is ten weeks. These periods are extended if you are expecting twins or triplets, orif you already have two or more children. During this period, yoursalary is paid by Social Security. You may be entitled to receive “allo-cations familiales” (a monthly family allowance payment) starting fromyour first month of pregnancy until your baby is 3 months old. Subsequent payments will be made after check-ups at regularintervals until your child is 2 years old. The amount you receivedepends on your income. “Allocations familiales” continue beyond the baby's third month forfamilies with two or more children (see the chapter “Starting out inFrance” for more information). You should check with the embassy of your home country regardingresidency & citizenship status, immunisations, and any otherformalities concerning your new baby.


HEALTH I WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

5 I What to do inan emergency Depending on the nature andseriousness of the emer-gency, there are several pos-sibilities: • Go to the emergency depart-

ment of the nearest hospital(strains, sprains, cuts and inju-ries),

• Call the fire service (“pom-piers”) for serious accidents,injuries and other major pro-blems. They will deal withemergencies very rapidly andthey are trained in first aid. Theirvehicles are well-equipped foremergencies.

The emergency telephonenumber is 18.• Call the Emergency Medical

Aid Service (“S.A.M.U.” Serviced’Aide Médicale d’Urgence”).The S.A.M.U.” provide medicalassistance in emergencies.They can provide advice overthe phone, can send a medicalteam to the site if the matter isserious and can direct you tothe various other medical ser-vices that are available. Theyare usually not as fast as the“pompiers” in getting to thescene of an accident.

The emergency telephonenumber is 15.• Call a duty doctor (“médecin de

garde”) if outside normalconsulting hours (for cases ofinfluenza, fever, etc). Call yourlocal police station (“commis-sariat de police”) for this num-ber.

The European emergencytelephone number is 112You can call this number from atelephone or a mobile phone(even blocked, or without creditand SIM card).

Contact the duty chemist(“pharmacie de garde”). Somechemists remain open outsidenormal opening hours as wellas on Sundays and public holi-days to deal with prescriptionsissued by duty doctors. Call your local police station(“Commissariat de police”) forthis number.Details of duty doctors and dutychemists can also be found inthe “Nice-Matin” daily newspa-per, under the heading “InfosPratiques”.Your local “Commissariat de Police” can also advise you.



HEALTH I SOCIAL COVERAGE

6 I Social coverageSocial Security La “Sécurité Sociale”

France has one of the most effi-cient systems of social coveragein the world. Every salaried wor-ker, of French nationality or aforeigner, has the right to benefitfrom Social Security in order tocover health costs incurred incase of accident or illness. Thesebenefits are mainly financed byemployers and a contributiondeducted from employees' salaries. If you are a salaried worker, youpay these contributions automa-tically. When you become affilia-ted, you receive a number and a“carte d'assuré social” (SocialSecurity card) which will enableyou to be reimbursed for anyhealth costs incurred by you andyour dependents (providing theydo not contribute themselves,which is the case, for example, oftrainees at the C.I.E.S.). Your dependents are your spouse oryour partner and your children inyour care who are under 16 (orunder 20 if they are studying).

It is important to note that onlysalaried workers are affiliated tothe Social Security system. If youare a grant holder or if you bene-fit from an allowance, you are notconsidered as a salaried workerin France and you need to drawup a personal insurance policy(“assurance personnelle”) or beinsured in your country of origin.Benefits from the “Caisse Pri-maire d'Assurance Maladie(C.P.A.M.)” – Local sickness insu-rance fund. Providing you haveworked at least 60 hours duringthe last month or 120 hours overthe last 3 months (“délai de

carence”, qualifying period),French Social Security reim-burses its affiliates' and theirdependents' medical expensesat various, legally determinedrates. Costs covered includemedical and dental expenses(consultations and visits to GPsand specialists, tests, X-rays,etc.), medicine prescribed by thedoctor, hospitalisation fees (sur-gery, maternity, etc.). If you comefrom a E.U. or E.E.A. country andhave an E111 form, you arecovered immediately. The reim-bursement of daily contributions(50% of gross daily salary) onlystarts once you have worked atleast 200 hours during the 3months before you stoppedwork. In the first instance, youpay the full fees. Then you arereimbursed in part by the “CaissePrimaire d'Assurance Maladie(C.P.A.M.)” in your area. Thebalance, called the “ticket modé-rateur” (own contribution), andany fees over and above therecognized ceilings (“dépasse-ment d'honoraires”) may be paidby your complementary healthinsurance (“complémentairesanté”).

Social Securitydeals with Medical expenses: • Medical fees (including extra

costs charged by the practitio-ner for home visits and consul-tations at night, on Sunday, orpublic holidays),

• Medicines, examinations, • Hospitalisation and surgical

fees,• Maternity (medical fees and

salary compensation),• Invalidity,• Retirement.


HEALTH I SOCIAL COVERAGE

Doctors The majority of doctors and dentists sign an agreement withSocial Security, which sets anupper limit for their consultationfees – these doctors are“conventionnés” and are obligedto apply the set tariffs. Doctorswho have not entered into thisagreement (“non-convention-nés”) are free to set their ownfees (“honoraires libres”), whichmay often exceed the scalesdefined by Social Security. Onlyabout 1% of all doctors in Francefall into this category. It's worthchecking before visiting a doctorthat he or she is “conventionnés”.You will then be sure to obtain areimbursement of their fees fromSocial Security.

Dental care Charges for routine treatmentsuch as fillings and removingplaque are normally reimbursa-ble. On the other hand, ortho-dontic treatment (bridges, falseteeth, etc.) is poorly covered,except for children under 16years of age.

Ophthalmology Fees and products are generallywell covered – except for glassesand contact lenses.

Hospitalisation Social Security covers several ofthe costs involved in hospitalisa-tion, including daily charges andexpenses in terms of pharma-ceuticals, transfusions, the use ofapparatus, operating theatres,and delivery rooms. It coversmedical and surgical fees withincertain limits. Because the Social Security ele-ment may not cover all of yourhospitalisation costs, it is impor-tant to have the additional coverprovided by complementaryhealth insurance (“une mutuelle”).

Coverage includes• Your husband/wife and your

children • Others with entitlement

(“ayants-droit”)

Persons (other than your hus-band/ wife and children) livingunder your roof may benefitfrom social coverage, subject tocertain conditions, the mainone being that they are trulyand permanently in your care.The persons concerned are:your common law spouse, otherfamily members, and otherswithout a family relationship.When you register with Social

Security (see the chapter called“Starting out in France”), you willbe given a card ("carte d'assuresocial") bearing your referencenumber. This number is neces-sary for all administrative proce-dures related to your health. The“Tiers-Payant” (Third PartyPayment) system skirts aroundpaying fees for consultations,medicine, etc, that will be reim-bursed by the Social Security.The system operates thanks tocertain complementary healthcoverage policies (“complé-mentaires santé”) in establish-ments and with practitionersthat have signed an agreementwith a health insurance organi-

sation. This system is usedespecially in the case of anoccupational accident.Your Social Security card is aform of medical insurance, but itonly provides for partial reim-bursement calculated accordingto a detailed scale: the rateof reimbursement depends onthe type of treatment received.The amount that remains atyour expense is called the"ticket modérateur" (or "owncontribution" - we'll refer to itagain later). The "ticket modéra-teur" may be covered in part orin full by your complementaryhealth insurance policy, if youchoose to subscribe to one.


HEALTH I HOW TO GET REIMBURSED

ComplementaryCover “Mutuelle”:Complementaryhealth insurance

A “mutuelle” covers the “owncontribution” (“ticket modéra-teur”) element of health care, oreven all costs, depending on thenature of the contract you have.Social Security does not gene-rally reimburse 100% of healthcosts. It may be that the outs-tanding fees are high. In the caseof hospitalisation for example,80% of fees are reimbursed, but

the remaining 20% could stillrepresent quite a considerablesum. There are numerous comple-mentary health insurance poli-cies which guarantee near totalreimbursement of: on the onehand, outstanding fees (“owncontribution” and fees above therecommended ceiling – “ticketmodérateur” and “dépasse-ments d'hono raires”), and onthe other hand aspects of healthcare that are either poorly reim-bursed or not reimbursed at allby Social Security (vaccinations,spectacles, dentures etc.). Thecost of the “mutuelle” depends

on the cover you require. It maybe a company health insurancescheme (“mutuelle d'entreprise”)included as part of your employ-ment package, or it may be apersonal one (see the YellowPages under “Mutuelles”).

The reimbursement structure This chart illustrates why you need complementary medical cover:

“Conventionné” doctor “Non-conventionné”

Doctor’s fees

Reimbursed by the“mutuelle”

Reimbursed by the Social Security

(+/- 65%)

Reimbursed by the Social Security

(+/- 65%)

“Ticket modérateur”at your expense

(+/- 35%)

“Ticket modérateur”at your expense

(+/- 35%)

Classicalcontract

“Dépassement d’honoraires”Excess at your

expense depending onyour specific contract.

Social Security limit


HEALTH I SICKNESS & WORK

When you go to a doctor, dentist,etc, you pay them directly and inreturn you are given a form cal-led a “feuille de soins”. Thisstates the amount you have paidfor the consultations or treat-ment.On the front of the form (“feuille”)there are boxes to be filled withyour Social Security number,your name and addresses andother pertinent details.If you are given a prescription,take this, plus the “feuille desoins” to the chemist’s (“Pharma-cie”). The chemist will dispenseyour drugs and forward the paperwork to Social Security.Note that certain items may notbe reimbursed, and you will haveto pay the chemist for these. If

you are not given a prescription,send the “feuille de soins” to Social Security yourself. See yourSocial Security card for details ofwhere to send it. Social Security processes yourrequest and liaises with yourcomplementary health insurancecompany using a system calledN.O.E.M.I.E., Social Securityshould credit your bank accountwith the first part of your reim-bursement within 6 days. The reimbursement from yourcomplementary insurance com-pany (“mutuelle”) is paid into yourbank account four or five dayslater. You will receive a break-down of payments from SocialSecurity and your “mutuelle” bymail a few days later.

Sick Leave If your doctor considers that youare unfit to attend your place ofwork he will give you a sick leavecertificate (“arrêt de travail”). Thisinforms your employer and SocialSecurity of the situation, and youhave to act quickly (even thoughyou are sick!). You must send thefirst two pages to Social Securityand the third page to youremployer within 48 hours. Thesame procedure must be followedif your doctor decides to extendyour period of sick leave. Note thatyou are only permitted to leave

your home between the hours sta-ted on the “arrêt de travail”. An “arrêt de travail” is normallyrequired for any absence due toillness. Check with your managerif it is required for absences ofone day or less.

Social Security will reimburse youup to 80% of your salary, exclu-ding the first three days ofabsence (your employer maycover this loss of salary). Thissalary compensation is called“indemnités journalières” andmust be declared on tax forms.Social Security will send you noti-

fication of the amount they havepaid you for the year in question.

Occupational Accidents If you have an accident duringworking hours or travelling bet-ween your home and place ofwork, it is called an “accident detravail”. All costs (fees, medi-cines, examinations, etc., as wellas days of sick leave) are com-pletely covered by Social Secu-rity, and you have nothing to pay.The first doctor to treat you willprovide the necessary forms.

7 I How to getreimbursed

Vitale CardThis card is intended to replacethe reimbursement form (“Feuillede soins”). The health professio-nal in question transmits theirreimbursement details electroni-cally to the sickness insurancefund that then reimburses theinsured person directly. This willall happen thanks to two micro-chip cards that symbolisechange: the “Vitale” card for theinsured party, replacing the for-mer Social Security card paperand the health professional’s card(“carte de professionnel desanté”, C.P.S.”) that serves as anelectronic signature. This systemis gradually being set up throu-ghout France.

8 I Sickness & work



HEALTH I SICKNESS & WORK


Your personal detailsto be filled in by you

Consultation feesfilled in by doctor

1 - Driving, hiring and owning a car 622 - Buying and selling a car 633 - Motorbikes, mopeds and scooters 644 - The highway code 655 - Bus services 676 - Taxis 687 - Travelling by train 698 - Air travel 709 - Ferries 70

TRANSPORT

61

TRANSPORT I DRIVING, HIRING AND OWNING A CAR

1 I Driving, hiringand owning acar

Essential Documents

You must have the followingdocuments with you whendriving a car in France:• Driving licence (it may be useful

to have a translation if yourlicence is not in French),

• Registration document (“cartegrise”) for the vehicle,

• Insurance certificate (“carteverte”) and a green insurancesticker (“vignette”) on thewindscreen,

• Road tax disk (“vignette”) onthe windscreen, (for companycars only),

• Road test (“contrôle tech-nique”) certificate and sticker(“vignette”) on the windscreenif the car is more than 4 yearsold.

Driving Licence You are allowed to drive with adriving licence issued in a coun-try situated outside the E.U. for aperiod of approximately one yearcommencing on the date youarrived in France. If your countryof origin is a member of the E.U.,you do not have to exchangeyour driving licence for a French

one, but may do so if you wish. As in a number of other coun-tries, France uses a points sys-tem for driving offences. Yourlicence starts with a credit of 12points and offences may result ina deduction of points, possiblyleading to total disqualification.You can find out more about thesystem, including the scale of penalties, from the “Préfecture”or on the “Internet”.If you don’t have a drivinglicence, you can take a course ata driving school (“école deconduite”) or (“auto-école”) andobtain a French licence.

Vehicle RegistrationDocument (“Carte Grise”)

The French vehicle registrationdocument is called a “carte grise”(grey card). It contains variousdetails about the vehicle, inclu-ding its registration number(“numéro d’immatriculation”) andthe registered owner.The “carte grise” is obtained fromyour car, always take the cartegrise with you. It contains infor-mation about your vehicle thatwill help the dealer identify theright parts for your specific makeand model.



TRANSPORT I BUYING AND SELLING A CAR

2 I Buying and selling a car

Insurance Certificate(“Certificat d’assurance”)

French law requires that you haveat least third part cover “assu-rance au tiers”. It is usual to use a French insu-rance company, although it mightbe possible to use one from yourhome country. In any case, youmust carry a valid insurance cer-tificate in the form of a green card(“carte verte”) whenever you aredriving, with a correspondinggreen insurance sticker(“vignette”) clearly displayed onthe windscreen.Your insurer should also provideyou with an accident report form(“un constat”). These forms areavailable in various languages , all

with the same layout to facilitatecomprehension, so ask for one inFrench and one in your own lan-guage. Keep them in your vehicle.French motor insurers offer a no-claims bonus (the maximum rateis 50%) and will generally honourexisting counts, although youmay not get the same rate.Therefore, if you already havea no-claims bonus, ask yourpresent insurer for written proofof this.

Importing Your CarInto France

The procedures for importing yourcar into France are given in the“Starting out in France” chapter.

Hiring A Car(“Location de voitures”)

The procedure for hiring a car inFrance is similar to most coun-tries. You need to present a validdriving licence and to nameanyone else who may drive thevehicle. You usually have achoice of insurance options.You will find hire companies inmost towns in the region andalso at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.For their contact details seeunder “Location d’ automobiles”in the Yellow Pages.

Second-hand carsThe classified sections in “Nice-Matin”, the “Top Annonces” and“Paru Vendu” (the free localpapers) have a good selection ofsecond-hand cars. Specialist carmagazines are available fromnews agencies, and “RivieraRadio” advertises cars for sale fortheir listeners.

New cars If you’re buying a new car, it’sbest to go to a dealer for thewidest choice of makes. You’llfind addresses in the YellowPages under “Automobiles-agents, con cessionaires et suc-cursales”.

A good reference point for pricesis the magazine “Argus”, whichlists the value of all types of cars,new and used.

“ContrôleTechnique” (M.O.T.)This technical test, equivalent tothe British M.O.T. test, is com-pulsory for private vehicles andcommercial vehicles under 3.5tonnes over four years old.• The test is only valid for 2

years.If ownership of a vehicle is to betransferred, the test must havebeen carried out within the past6 months.

There are several avenues to explore when buying a car.


TRANSPORT I MOTORBIKES, MOPEDS & SCOOTERS

• When selling a car, the cur-rent owner, or vendor, mustobtain a transfer form – “uncertificat de cession” – fromthe “Préfecture”, the “com-missariat” or the Town Hall.The owner keeps a copy tosend to the “Prefecture” andgives another copy to thepurchaser.

• The vendor must then writeon the “carte grise” the datesold (“vendu le…”) and sign itbefore cutting off the upperright-hand corner.

• The vendor must also pro-vide a “certificat de non-gage” (no pledge certificate)which proves that the ven-dor is entitled to sell thevehicle. The vendor obtains

this certificate from his local“Préfecture”.

• If the car is over four years old,the owner must supply the pur-chaser with the vehicle’s“contrôle technique” certificate(the equivalent of an EnglishM.O.T). The certificate provesthat the vehicle is in goodcondition and has no hiddendefects.

As the purchaser, you then go toyour local “Prefecture” with thefollowing documents:• Proof of residence,• Proof of identity,• The “non-gage” certificate,• The “cession” certificate,• The “contrôle technique”, cer-

tificate,• The “carte grise” belonging to

the former owner.

You will then be issued a new“carte grise” in your name.

New cars When registering a new car, youwill need the same paperworkas above apart from the “con -trôle technique” certificate, andyou will be given a new platenumber by the “Préfecture”.

A garage or a specialist shopwill make the number plate foryou.Certain car dealers will handleall the administrative details foryou, but not all.

3 I Motorbikes,mopeds &scooters

You can ride a motorbike inFrance provided that you havea licence that corresponds tothe vehicle’s cubic capacity. Aswith other vehicles however,unless you have a licence froman E.U. member State, youmust exchange your existinglicence for a French one assoon as you get your full resi-dence card (“carte de séjour”).

gistered vehicles and can be dri-ven without a licence from theage of 14. However, it is nowobligatory to pass a road safetyexam (“brevet de sécurité rou-tière”). For more information youshould contact the “Préfecture”or look in the Yellow Pagesunder “Auto-écoles”.

In France, you have to wear acrash helmet when you ride anymotorbike, moped or scooter.If you have had a driving licencefor more than two years, itcovers you to drive a motorbikeup to 125 cc. You can take les-sons at a driving school toobtain a motorbike licence fromthe age of 18. Scooters andmopeds up to 80 cc are unre-

Procedure for Used Cars



TRANSPORT I THE HIGHWAY CODE

In this region, there is an interes-ting mix of elderly (slow) drivers,fast drivers and tourists who don’tknow where they are going – anyof them may stop suddenly orchange direction without warning!

You will also encounter mopeds,scooters and motorbikes travel-ling at speed and weaving in bet-ween, other vehicles. Don’t betaken by surprise, this style of dri-ving is very common. So makegood use of your mirrors, parti-cularly when driving in town.

You can also expect to be hoo-ted at, especially if you hold thetraffic up. Stay calm – this sort ofreaction is almost a reflex actionin France!

For more information about trafficconditions, planning your routeand road safety, see “Internet”.

Priority From The Right

“Priorité à droite” means priorityfrom the right in France. Essen-tially, a driver coming from theright always has priority unlessthe intersection is marked other-

wise. Even if you are driving onwhat you consider to be the mainroad, do not assume you haveright of way at any intersection –and be prepared for vehicles infront of you stopping to give wayto emerging traffic.You will frequently encounterroundabouts (“rond-point”): here,vehicles already on the rounda-bout have priority. Signs bearingthe words “Vous n’avez pas lapriorité” and “Cédez le passage”mean essentially the same thing– ‘you do not have right of way’.

Fasten Your Seat Belt

The wearing of seat belts in frontand back seats is compulsory:you will be breaking the law if youdon‘t, and can be fined. Youngchildren must be seated in therear of the car, in an approvedchild seat. These can be found indepartment stores, the largersupermarkets and in someshops specialising in items forchildren.

Speed LimitsThe national speed limits are:• 50 km/hr in urban areas, • 90 km/hr outside urban areas,

• 110 km/hr on motorways(“Autoroutes”).

The latter two are reduced to 80km/hr and 110 km/hr respecti-vely in case of rain, snow or fog.Other speed limits are indicatedby appropriate signs where appli-cable.The start of an urban area is indi-cated by a sign with a red border,bearing the name of the town –the urban speed limit appliesfrom that point. The end of thearea is a similar sign with a blackdiagonal line through the name.Radar speed checks, unmarkedpolice cars and cameras arecommon: speeding offencescarry heavy fines and may resultin the deduction of points fromyour licence.

Winter DrivingIn winter, if you are planning to goto the mountains for skiing andother winter sports, it is a goodidea to buy snow chains for yourtyres as there may well be snowand ice on the road. Chains maybe purchased from supermarketsand car spares shops.

4 I The highwaycode The French highway code is called the “Code de la Route”and is available in bookshops. Get a copy and study it, evenif you don’t need to take a French driving license. You maydecide to find a driving school with an instructor whospeaks your language and take one or two ‘lessons’ tofamiliarise yourself with your new environment.



TRANSPORT I THE HIGHWAY CODE

Drinking & Driving

Drinking and driving is still a majorcause of accidents in France. Thelimit for drinking and driving is nowvery strict (the legal limit is 0.5grammes per litre of blood) andthe punishments are severe –including the immediate surrenderof your licence. Spot-check brea-thalyser tests are common and atest may be carried out routinely ifthere has been an accident, espe-cially if there have been injuries orfatalities.

Motorways “Autoroutes” in France are tollroads and are designated by an“A” number on a blue board.Thus, the French Riviera is ser-ved by the A8 “Autoroute” whichlinks with “Autoroutes” servingcentral France, Spain and Italy.Signs giving directions to “Auto-routes” are dark blue with whitelettering. You may also see theword “péage” (toll).The amount of toll is determinedby the distance travelled. Onsome sections of “Autoroute” youpay on entry, on others you sim-ply collect a ticket at the begin-ning of the section and pay at theend. On long stretches of “Auto-route” you may travel throughseveral sections and thus payseveral times. The word “péage”is also used to denote the tollbooth: in most cases, severallanes (for cars only) are equippedwith automatic coin collectingequipment – look for the sign“Avec pieces de monnaie”. Theother lanes are manned and havethe sign “Tous usagers” (all users).Toll booths give change andaccept all euro coins (except 1, 2and 5 cents). Most also acceptcredit cards and international tra-vellers’ cards, except for verysmall amounts.

Parking

The French Riviera towns tend tobe very crowded and you willoften find it easier and quicker touse a public car-park than tosearch for a parking space on thestreet. In most car-parks youreceive a ticket when you enter.Keep it with you – don’t leave itin the car – and pay when youreturn to the car-park, before col-lecting your car.Even if you choose to park in thestreet, there is a chance you willhave to pay. Parking spaces willoften be marked “payant” andticket dispensers (“horodateurs”)will be found nearby. However,check the information on the dis-penser before paying: at certaintimes and on certain days par-king is free.Watch out for painted kerbstones! Generally speaking theymean ‘Don’t stop here!’ Brokenyellow lines means ‘No Parking’;a solid yellow line means ‘NoParking and No Stopping’.

Parking fines If you get a parking fine, buy a “tim-bre amende” for the appropriatesum from a “tabac”, stick it ontothe parking ticket and send it to theaddress given on the ticket. Failureto do this within the specified time-

limit will incur substantial extracharges. If you have the misfortuneto have your car towed away it willbe taken to a car pound (“four-rière”), which may often be a consi-derable distance from where youleft it. You will have to pay a fee torecover the car (and you will stillhave to pay the fine on the ticket!).

Accidents In the event of an accident, bothparties should complete thesame declaration (“constat”).They should both sign it andsend copies to their respectiveinsurers. If necessary, use a“Constat” in your own languageas a guide, and make sure youunderstand exactly what hasbeen written by the other party. Ifyou are in doubt, don’t sign it, orbetter still add your own obser-vations in your own language.The emergency service (“pom-piers”) must be called to thescene of an accident if there areinjuries. In the case of minordamage, such as broken lights,the guilty party may offer to paythe cost of repair on the spot incash, in order to avoid losinghis/her no-claims bonus. Beforeaccepting such an offer, makesure that there is no hiddendamage to your vehicle!

Facilities For Regular Users If you are a regular user of the “Autoroute”, it may simplify yourjourneys to subscribe for a “télébadge” from the “Société del’Autoroute Esterel-Cote d’Azur” (“ESCOTA”). This is an electronicdevice which you fix to your windscreen, and which triggers thebarriers as you approach them. Special lanes are reserved for “Télépéage” subscribers at major tollpoints and will considerably speed up the toll-crossing process foryou. Subscribers receive a small discount on tolls.

For more details contact “ESCOTA” or see “Internet”.



TRANSPORT I BUS SERVICES

Theft Never leave anything in your carand always lock the doors andboot (trunk). If you have to leaveobjects in the boot of the car, tryto ensure that no one sees youputting them there. Car radios /CD players are attractive tothieves, so if possible installremovable ones (and take themwith you). Certain cars are morelikely to be stolen than others,particularly those without anautomatic disabling device, andsporty or luxury ones. To mini-mise the risks, park wisely, and inwell-lit populated areas.

Compensation fromyour insurancecompany No trace of forced entry. If,once your stolen vehicle is found,it exhibits no signs of forced entry(anti-theft device intact, locks notforced, etc.).Your insurance company mayvery well refuse to compensateyou as it considers that there isno proof of theft.

The same applies if the vehi-cle has not been moved.You must supply maximumamount of proof (witnessaccounts, expert reports).As a last resort, if no agreementcan be reached, only a court cansettle the matter.

For all information, contact:• Your insurance company,• The Insurance Documentation

and Information Centre (“Cen-tre de documentation et d’in-formation de l’assurance”).

Regular Services

In most of the Côte d’Azur townsthere is a regular local bus ser-vice. Timetables are available atbus termini and in Tourist Infor-mation Offices. If you are a regu-lar user of those services, youmay be eligible for special reduc-tions season tickets, studentfares, elderly persons’ fares,etc.), so ask for details. Contactdetails for the various bus com-panies are given in the Adden-dum.

Inter-City-Buses

In addition to the local services,there is also a network of intercitybuses serving the major towns ofthe Côte d’Azur. These includeconnections between Nice andCannes, Menton, Vence, Grasse,Eze and Beausoleil. The Cannes-Nice route alsoserves Nice-Cote d’ Azur Airport:some are direct links via the“Autoroute”, others take thecoast road (RN7) and stop at

Antibes, Juan-Les-Pins andGolfe-Juan.Details are available from TouristInformation Offices and the Yel-low Pages under “Transportsurbains et régionaux de voyageurs.”

Ski Resorts During the ski season, severalcompanies operate services toski resorts in the Southern Alps.Tourist Information Offices cangive you the relevant details.

Breakdowns

It is wise to keep the phonenumber of your garage orbreakdown service in your carin case you have a breakdown.Also check with your insurer:many French car insurancepolicies include breakdowncover. Try not to break downon an “Autoroute”: recoverycharges are high! If you doneed assistance, there are freetelephones at regular intervals.

5 I Bus services



céparou06.fr: For informations about public transport

TRANSPORT I TAXIS

6 I Taxis/carpoolingTaxis are plentiful on the Côted’Azur, but tend to be veryexpensive. Taxi ranks abound intowns and cities, but you canalso book a taxi by phone. Thecost of the journey is indicated bythe taximeter: bear in mind thatthere may be supplements, suchas for baggage, animals, a fifthpassenger and for night journeys.Tariffs between the airport andlocal towns are fixed, so the meters may be switched off forsuch trips.Numbers for local taxi operators(Tel: 04 93 13 78 78) can befound in the Yellow Pages under“Taxis”.

Taxi coupons are availablefrom Nice Côte d’Azur Airport. They are valid for onetaxi journey under the follo-wing conditions:• 4 passengers only (including

babies), • A maximum of 4 pieces of

luggage, • 1 drop-off point only.The coupons can be purchasedin advance from the transport offices in each Terminal, and arehanded to the taxi driver. Theyguarantee the price of the taxiride, however long it takes.

To purchase coupons, or forfurther information: Tel: (33)04 93 21 30 83 Coupons are on sale in the trans-port offices situated in the coachstation at Terminal 1 and outsideTerminal 2.

Destinations Distance from Approximate Faresthe airport In Euros*

Antibes 15 km 50 €Cannes 31 km 70 €Grasse 38 km 75 €Menton 39 km 85 €Monaco 37 km 70 €Mougins 32 km 60 €San Remo (Italy) 65 km 150 €Sophia Antipolis 23 km 50 €St-Tropez 100 km 250 €The centre of Nice 7 km 25 €Ventimiglia (Italy) 55 km 130 €

Approximate taxi fares from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport to:



ottoetco.org: Facilitate carpooling

on the Riviera

TRANSPORT I TRAVELLING BY TRAIN

7 I Travellingby train Rail services in France are ope-rated by the “S.N.C.F” (“SociétéNational des Chemins de FerFrançais”). On the French Rivierathere are frequent local and inter-city trains between Cannes,Antibes, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Nice,V i l le f ranche, Monte Car lo ,Menton and Ventimiglia (Italy) .

Intercity services also operate tovarious other parts of France.The region is connected to Paris

via Marseille, by the high speed“T.G.V.” (“Train à GrandeVitesse”).

Various types of accommodationare available for long journeys,especially overnight journeys: aseat, a “couchette” (bunk bed) incompartment, with blanket provi-ded or a sleeping car (more com-fortable but also more expensive).

Tickets and informationThe main “S.N.C.F” stations (“gares”) in the region have informa-tion desks that provide timetables, season tickets (“abonne-ments”) and reduced fares for families, groups and young people.Staff at these desks generally speaks English.

Train schedules change from time to time, especially betweenthe summer and winter seasons, so keep an eye out for newtimetables.

There are electronic display boards at the head of each platform,giving information about the next train due. As well as the tradi-tional ticket windows (“guichets”) there are automatic ticket machines at most stations: you can pay by cash or with a VISAcredit card.

In France, you punch (“composter”) your ticket prior to boardingyour train, using one of the machines (“composteur”) at the plat-form entrance: simply slide your ticket into the slot. Failing topunch your ticket at all – can result in an on-the-spot fine (even ifyou honestly didn’t have time to buy a ticket and even if you offerto pay).

Train information and reservations are available at stations byphone and on the Internet.




TRANSPORT I AIR TRAVEL

8 I Air travel

9 I Ferries

Airport

Nice Côte d’Azur Airport isFrance’s second busiest airportafter Paris. International flightsdepart from Terminal 1, with mostAir France and domestic flightsleaving from Terminal 2. The Nice-Paris route is thebusiest in Europe (carrying bothtourist and business traffic) andthere are hourly flights to Paris.Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is easyto reach, just 7km from the centreof Nice, with its own “Autoroute”exit. There are shuttle buses andtaxis connecting it to Nice and

other main towns. There areseveral car-parks (short and long-term), including guarded garageparking, at both terminals. There is also a small airport at

There are regular ferry servicesfrom Nice to Corsica. Severalcompanies operate this routeplus services to other destina-tions such as Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.

Crossing time to Corsica is 5 to10 hours on a traditional ferry(depending on whether it is a dayor night crossing) and 4 hours onthe high speed “N.G.V.” (“Naviresà Grande Vitesse”)

For more details contact the NiceTourist Information Office, your tra-vel agent, or see the Yellow Pagesunder “Transports Maritimes”.

HelicoptersRegular services operate between Nice Côte d’Azur Airport and Monaco, Cannes and St-Tropez. Charter flights are also availablefrom Terminal 1 & 2. Nice-Monaco (twice an hour or more): 7 mn Nice-Cannes (several flights per day): 10 mn Nice-Sophia Antipolis: personal request. Ask at the information desk.

For the helicopter companies, see the Yellow Pages under“Transports aériens” and in the Addendum.



Cannes-Mandelieu, which ismostly used for private flying andfor freight.


1 - Politeness 722 - Personal relations 723 - Tipping 734 - Festivals and traditions 735 - Gastronomy 75

FRENCHLIFESTYLE

71

FRENCH LIFESTYLE I POLITENESS

1 I Politeness

2 I Personal relations

Politeness is important to French people – as children aretaught at an early age – and it is helpful to learn the formsof address and accepted codes of behaviour so that youdon't appear either too familiar or too distant.

In Public Places

When you enter a shop, an offi-ce or any place where you are likely to have individual contactwith one of the people there, youshould say "Bonjour" without addressing anyone in particular(called in French “cantonade”).So you would say, for example,“Bonjour” or similarly, on leavingyou should say “Au revoir” or “Aurevoir Messieurs-dames”.

There's no need to say anythingwhen you enter a neutral placesuch as a train or supermarketthough!

Meetings & Greetings

When you are introduced to someone, or if you introduceyourself, it's customary to offer ahandshake. This gesture is usedeach time you say “Bonjour” or"Au revoir" to the person. Onceyou know the person, it is usualto greet them with a kiss on eachcheek (known as “bisous” or “labise”). People from other regionsof France may offer three or evenfour kisses.

In France, the code of conductconcerning relations betweenadults is quite formal. The firstcontact is made by a handshakeand the verbal address is “Vous”(formal “You” – the use of thisform address is known as “vou-voyer”).If the relationship subsequentlybecomes more informal orfriendly, the form of address becomes “tu” and “toi” (informal,personal ‘You’ – tutoyer).

“Vous” & “Tu” The use of “vous” is a sign of respect and of ‘distance’, “tu” is, bycontrast, a sign of friendship and closeness (it is also a gesture ofdisrespect from or to someone such as a stranger).If a person with whom you are dealing starts to use “tu/toi” towardsyou, feel free to use it toward her/him also. If you would like to use“tu/toi” towards someone, suggest it – out of politeness she/he willprobably accept.

An exception here is the case of children and teenagers, whom youmay address as “tu/toi” from the outset.


One of the delights

of coming to another

country is the

opportunity to

observe and

participate in

unfamiliar traditions.

France has its own

traditions and

customs – some of

them may be quite

different to what you

have been used to.

FRENCH LIFESTYLE I TIPPING

3 I Tipping

4 I Festivals & traditions

“Le Pourboire”

The French word for ‘tip’ is “lepourboire”. Tips are quite com-mon in France, given to thosewho have been of service to you.You are under no obligation to tip(the recipients receive a salaryanyway) but give one if you arepleased with the service and ifyou expect to return to the esta-blishment.

The principal places and ser-vices for tipping:• Restaurants and bars,• Hotel service,• Home deliveries,• Taxis,• Hairdressers,• Cinemas and theatres (only if

an usher or usherette showsyou to your seat),

• Public toilets. The attendantwho supervises the toiletsgenerally receives no salaryand is only paid in tips.

“Les Etrennes”

It is usual to give a Christmas tipor Christmas box (“les étrennes”)to those who have been of ser-vice to you throughout the year,such as the “concierge”.At Christmas time, the postman(“facteur-factrice”) firemen (“pom-piers”) and refuse collectors (“ébou -eurs”) will come to your dooroffering calendars and asking fordonations. It is normal to give thema tip at Christmas and you are freeto give whatever you wish.

Feast Days & Traditions Numerous religious and historicalfestivals are celebrated throu-ghout the year. Some are publicholidays (“jours fériés”); thereforenon-working days, and othersare simply traditions. There is ine-vitably some form of gastronomiccontent in each celebration.

Traditions

“Bonne fête! Bon anniversaire!”Each day of the year is associa-ted with a particular saint (listed,for example, on the calendar yourpostman left you at Christmas!). Itis customary to wish a “BonneFête” to anyone with the saint’sChristian. Generally a verbalgreeting suffices, but childrenoften receive a greetings cardand perhaps a present. Thepractice of celebrating birthdayswith a card and present is a tradition in France. “Bon Anniver-saire” means “Happy Birthday”.

GreetingsIt is customary to exchange NewYear greetings. This is eitherdone by telephone or by sendinga card any time during the monthof January. Christmas cards arenot generally sent.


FRENCH LIFESTYLE I FESTIVALS & TRADITIONS

January 6. “Epiphanie” or la “Fête desRois” is a religious festival, the'Feast of the Three Kings'. Specialcakes called “galettes” are sold inbakeries and contain a small sur-prise called a “fève”. The personwho finds it is crowned King orQueen for the day with a papercrown that comes with the cake.

February2. “CHANDELEUR” – 'Candlemas'or 'Lady Day' is a traditional festivalwith religious origins. The tradition isto eat pancakes (“crèpes”) on this day.

14. “SAINT-VALENTIN” – the dayfor lovers: for exchanging presentsand/or a romantic evening in a res-taurant.

“MARDI GRAS” is a religious fes-tival, the last Tuesday before thestart of Lent 'Shrove Tuesday'. It is celebrated with fancy dress parades, carnivals, and the consumption of doughnuts (“bugnes”). Theworld-famous “Carnaval de Nice”takes place around this time.

April1. “POISSON D'AVRIL” – AprilFool. A day of fun during whichpeople play tricks on their friendsand children try to stick paper fishon the backs of passers-by.

March/April“DIMANCHE DE PAQUES” –'Eas-ter Sunday', a religious festival ofJudeo-Christian origin. Tradition dic-tates that families gather for a lunchof lamb, and (March/April) chocolatesare given as presents. Adults arrangea chocolate egg hunt in the gardenfor the children. The following day“Lundi de Paques”, Easter Monday,is a public holiday. Note that 'GoodFriday' is not observed in France.

May1. Fête du Travail" –'Labour Day',a historical festival commemoratingthe 1936 “Front Populaire” socialistgovernment, symbolised by bunches

of Lily of the Valley ("muguet") boughtfrom street vendors and given tofriends and relations. A public holiday.

8. “VICTOIRE 1945”. A historicalfestival and public holiday comme-morating the end of the SecondWorld War.

“JEUDI DE L'ASCENSION”(3rd Thursday in May).A religious festival celebrating theascension of Christ. Public holiday

May/June“La fête des Mères” – Mothers’Day is usually celebrated on the lastSunday in May (a different date frommany other countries). Two other festivals of this typeto note, more commercial thantraditional:“La Fête des Pères” – “Fathers’Day” takes place on the 3rd Sundayin June (again, different from someother countries).“La Fête des Grand-Mères”,Grandmother’s Day on a Sunday inearly March.

“Dimanche de Pentecôte” – “Pen-tecost or Whit Sunday”, (end of Mayor beginning of June) a religious fes-tival, ten days after “Ascension”,commemorating the passing ofChrist Holy Spirit to his apostles.The following day (“Lundi de Pente-côte”) is a public holiday.

June21. “Fête de la Musique”A recent music festival (1982) insti-gated by the Ministry of Culture tocelebrate the start of summer. In theevening, streets are alive with pro-fessional and amateur concertswhich go on well into the night.

July14. “Fête Nationale”A historical celebration commemora-ting the seizing of the Bastille by thepeople during the French Revolutionin 1789. The day sees militaryparades, concerts, street parties andfireworks. There is a particularly spec-tacular (and very crowded) firework

display on the sea front in Cannes,Nice and Antibes. Public holiday.

August15. “Assomption” a religious festi-val and a public holiday. The“Assumption of the Virgin Mary”.

November1. “Toussaint” – ‘All Saints Day”. Public holiday. Traditionally, familiesvisit family graves and lay chrysan-themums.

11. “Armistice 1918” – “ArmisticeDay” a historical celebration com-memorating the end of the FirstWorld War, more generally conside-red as a commemoration of all ofthe wars in which France has parti-cipated, and a public holiday.

December25. “Noël”, “Christmas Day”. A pu-blic holiday: the Christmas meal istraditionally taken on Christmas Eve(“Le Réveillon de Noël”). Familiesgather around a very rich meal(Oysters, “Foie Gras”, etc.); forsome, this is followed by MidnightMass in Church. Children placetheir splippers under the Christmastree and the next morning find pre-sents left by “le Père Noël”.Adults exchange presents whilst thechildren sleep. Celebrations continueover lunch on “Christmas Day”.

January1. “Jour de l’An” – “New Year’s Day”.A Public holiday. The “Réveillon de laSaint Sylvestre” (New Year’s Eve) iscelebrated with family and friends, ei-ther at home or in a restaurant withhugs and kisses as the clock chimestwelve. The 1st of January is a day ofrest (!); the first occasion of the ‘NewYear’ for another feast…

Monaco has several additionalfestivals/bank holidays:• Jour de la Sainte Dévote (January)• Jour de la Fête Dieu (Thursday in June)• Sovereign Prince of Monaco

(November)• Immaculate Conception (December)

Festivals & Traditions


FRENCH LIFESTYLE I GASTRONOMY

“Apéritif”The aperitif drink is served withvarious nibbles (“amuse-gueules”),generally peanuts, olives and crac -kers, but you may also be givensmall savouries such as “mini-quiches”.

Starter (“entrée” or “Hors d’oeuvres”)

A light hot or cold course to startthe meal. This could be raw vege-tables (“crudités”), soup, quiche,smoked ham or sea food.

Main Course(“Plat Principal”)

A hot meat or fish course.

SaladTypically a green salad, servedeither with or before the cheese.

Cheese (“Fromage”)

France possesses the greatestnumber and the greatest varietyof cheeses in the world.A cheese platter will often consistof a sample of each variety: soft,hard, with herbs, and so on.

Dessert “Gâteaux”, tartes, fruit, ice-cream, etc.

Coffee Strong and closer to an Italian-style espresso than ‘American’coffee, considered weak.Coffee is served without milkunless you ask for a “café au lait”(milky coffee) or a “noisette”(strong coffee) with a very smallamount of milk).

Liqueur (“digestif” or “pause-café”)

A very strong alcoholic “eau devie” or “marc” usually know by itsregion of origin (“cognac”, “arma-gnac”, etc).Sometimes, especially in themiddle of a very full meal, a “cal-vados” may be served to helpthings along – this is called a“trou normand”.

WineFrance is, of course, the countryof wines. Each colour of wine(red, white and rosé) accompa-nies a particular type of food, forinstance red with meat andcheese, white with fish and rosé

with a light meal. To be sure ofmaking the right choice, youcould invest in a good book onwines or consult your local winemerchant (“caviste”).

WaterMineral water is very popular; various types and brands (eachclaiming particular properties)cater for different tastes andneeds.It is perfectly fine to drink tapwater in France, but the Frenchgenerally drink mineral water(“eau minérale”).

BreadBread is an essential part of anyFrench meal. It comes in manyforms: “pains”, “baguettes”, andso on. Bread making is still thetraditional craft of the baker(“boulanger”). Bread sold in supermarkets is often the resultof an industrial process and israrely as good as the traditionalproduct.

5 I Gastronomy Enjoying good food is one of the great French traditions! Eating goes hand in hand withjust about every event imaginable and features prominently even in the daily routine.French adults tend not to eat between meals (snacks are known as “en-cas”). Childrenoften eat a “gouter” (four o'clock), when they get home from school.

A Traditional Meal A celebratory meal or a meal in a good restaurant will typically consist of the following:


FRENCH LIFESTYLE I GASTRONOMY

Provencal Cuisine («La Gastronomie provençale »)

As with all parts of France, Provence has its own specialities in the food and drinkline. The principal characteristic of Provencal cooking is its “fragrance” – the useof distinctive and aromatic flavours derived from plants, herbs, etc. Here are a fewexamples of what you can expect to find locally:

“Salade Niçoise”A mixed salad containing tomatoes, lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, tuna, anchovies, peppers and olives,all doused in a vinaigrette dressing.

“Soupe au Pistou” This is a soup made of tomatoes, beans andvegetables. Its distinctive flavour comes from“pistou”, a blend of basil, garlic and olive oil. Thesoup is topped with grated parmesan cheese.

“Pan Bagnat” The ingredients of “Salade Niçoise” served in alarge round bun.

“Pissaladiere” Similar to pizza, but topped with onions, ancho-vies and black olives.

“Socca” A pancake made from chick-pea flour and oliveoil. Hot “socca” can often be bought from pizzastands and other street vendors.

“Tourte de Blettes”This is a sweet tart made with “blettes” (a greenvegetable). The filling is sweetened with raisins,currents soaked in rum, sugar and pinenuts, and(as if that was not enough) its pastry crust isdusted with icing sugar.

“Daube”A beef stew flavoured with wine and cooked veryslowly, generally served with “ravioles”, smallravioli.

“Tapenade” A purée of black olives and capers spread onsmall pieces of toasted bread and served with“aperitif”.

“Anchoïade”A “purée” of anchovies in olive oil, served in thesame way as the “tapenade”.

Not forgetting “Secco d’Entrevaut, ratatouille,farcis niçois, beignets d’aubergine, beignets defleurs de courgette, bagna cauda, etc.”

Being so close to Italy, the local cuisine is alsoinfluenced by some tastes from over the border:notably, fresh pastas, pizza, parmesan and mozzarella.

You will find these specialities, or their ingredients,in local bakeries and on Provencal markets (seethe chapter on Shopping).

Look out for restaurants offering traditional Provencal cooking!

Provence deservedly enjoys a good reputation forits wines. The rosés are particularly renowned, butthe whites and reds can also be very good. Lookout for names like “Côte de Provence”, “Bandol”,“Bellet” and “Ott”.

There are numerous books on the subject ofFrench and Provencal cooking, and many of themare in English.

Use them to develop your appreciation of this particularly agreeable aspect of living on the Côted’Azur!


SHOPPING &LEISURE

1 - Categories of shops 782 - Where to shop 793 - Policies 804 - Alternative methods of shopping 815 - Consumer rights 826 - Media 83 7 - Going out 85 8 - Sightseeing 86 9 - Attractions 86 10 - Leisure sports 87 11 - Meeting your compatriots 88

77

SHOPPING & LEISURE I CATEGORIES OF SHOPS

1 I Categories of shops

Food Shops, Hypermarkets & SupermarketsThe typical French house holdwill get its weekly shop at the“Hypermarché” or “supermar-ché”.

Hypermarkets are immense outof town superstores where youcan find just about everythingyou need in terms of everydaypractical living: essentially foodand household goods, but alsoclothes, books, gardening equip-ment, DIY, electrical goods, etc.

Supermarkets employ thesame low-price principal, but aresmaller and therefore stockmainly food household goods.

For addresses, look in the Yellowpages under “Supermarchés etHypermarchés” (Mini-Marketsand Grocers).

In town centres, the food storesare either small branches of thesupermarket chains (“superette”)or independent grocers.

Specialised StoresFor non-food shopping (clothing,DIY, household furnishings, etc.)a good variety of products areavailable at specialised stores,either independent stores (intown centres) or out of townsuperstores, usually chain stores.

Superstores offer a wide choiceof products at good prices, butthey’re generally self-service.

Smaller shops are more expen-sive with less stock; they do,however, generally provide agood quality service includingadvice and alterations.

Look in the Yellow Pages underthe products you require.

Small retail outletsLocal shopping is a taste of realFrench life and provides anopportunity to try out your lan-guage sills! You will find your localshopkeepers a great source ofknowledge on fresh good qualityfood.

MarketsProvencal marketsVisiting a “Provencal” market isan event! Antibes, Grasse, Cannes andNice have permanent markets,principally selling food and flo-wers, and most other towns andvillages have at least one marketday (Vence, Sospel, Vallauris,Cagnes-sur-Mer).

Fruit and vegetables at a marketare not cheaper than in thesupermarkets, but are usually ofsuperior quality.

The flower market “Marché aux

Fleurs” in the “Cours Saleya” inNice is famous for its vast arrayof flowers and plants. In additionyou'll find vegetables and fruit,wild mushrooms, olives, etc. Ittakes place every day exceptMondays, when there is anantique market.

Antiques and “Bric-à-brac”You can find high quality antiques(“antiquités”) at regularly organi-sed markets and fairs. “Bric-à-brac” is available from fleamarkets (“marché aux puces” or“brocante”).There are several markets sellingboth in the region. For a list ofmarket days, contact the townhall (“mairie”) or the local TouristInformation Office (see the chap-ter on Leisure). You can also lookin the “Nice-Matin” newspaper.

Markets in Italy Just over the border in Italy thereare two markets worth visiting:Ventimiglia market on Fridays isknown for its cheap prices forclothes, fabric, leather goods, jewellery, watches (beware ofcustoms officials checking forcounterfeit brands). It is crowdedwith tourists who go for the foodin nearby restaurants as well.While you're there, you mightwant to take the time to buy spi-rits in a local supermarket, whichyou'll find much cheaper than inFrance. Slightly further along the coast(about 25 kilometres from theFrench border) is San Remo,


The Côte d'Azur is one of the richest regions in France in terms of leisure activities. It has a temperate climate and the close proximity to the sea and mountains provides the perfect setting for all kinds of sports. The region is very rich in history and tradition, sothere's lots of excellent sightseeing.

SHOPPING & LEISURE I WHERE TO SHOP

2 I Where to shop

which has a market on Tuesdayand Saturday mornings. You'llfind some good quality clothingshops in San Remo. It is a goodidea to plan a leisurely lunch inone of the excellent restaurantswhen visiting Italy. French andEnglish are widely spoken in Vin-timiglia and San Remo.

Department Storesand InternationalShops You'll find these shops in themain town centres (Nice,Cannes, Antibes) and in shop-ping malls. Look in the YellowPages under “Centres commer-ciaux et grands magasins”.

Books, magazines and newspa-pers The Côte d’Azur has a good selection of English languagebook shops where you can alsobuy greeting cards, difficult tofind elsewhere. (See chapterentitled “Leisure” for details).

• “Boulangerie” (Bakery): most bake their ownbread on the premises, and have a housespeciality which is worth finding out about.

• “Boucherie” (Butcher): French butchers are veryknowledgeable about their trade. If you buy yourmeat here rather than from a supermarket, you'llget some tips to help you cook it to perfection.

• “Charcuterie - Traiteur”: Cooked meats anddelicatessen.

• “Poissonnerie” (Fishmonger): your “poisson-nier” can be very helpful with advice on cooking.

• “Fromager - Crèmerie”: dairy products, inclu-ding the French speciality – cheese.

• “Primeur” (green grocers): fruit and vegetables.

• “Cave” (wine store): your wine merchant(“caviste”) may let you taste some different wines;the region produces some excellent wines.

• “Tabac” for cigarettes, newspapers, magazines;they often double up as a “café” and lottery ticketoutlet.

• “Fleuriste” (Floriste): flowers and plants.

Town Centres

All retail shop (food and specia-list) are in town centres, as aremarkets. Head for the busiestareas of town (“avenue JeanMedecin” in Nice, “Rue d’An-tibes” in Cannes) for the depart-ment stores.

Shopping Centres /MallsSmaller shopping mails are cal-led “galeries marchandes”. Lookin the Yellow Pages under “Cen-tres commerciaux et grandsmagasins”.The two most famous are Cap3000 in Saint Laurent du Var andNice Etoile in the city center ofNice.



Out of Town Superstores(“Zones commerciales”)

These are immense centres located outside towns, withplenty of parking space, one ormore hypermarkets, specializedsuperstores and fast food res-taurants. They are up to tentimes the size of shopping malls,and even retail shops there arethe size of supermarkets.

Here Is a Glossary of the Most Common Local Shops


SHOPPING & LEISURE I POLICIES

Opening times

General retail stores are openfrom 9-12 in the morning and 2-7 in the afternoon. Closed Sun-days. Many shops will have anannual closing period out of thetourist season, so it is worthchecking if they’re open beforemaking a special journey.

Food storesThey have longer opening hours:they stay open all day and later inthe evening, are open on Mon-days and even Sunday morningsand public holidays. The excep-tion is May 1st – Labour Day –where everything is closed, evenbakeries.

Other shopsThe larger shops, particularlythose in shopping malls, hyper-markets and department storesare usually open all day, fromaround 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., espe-cially those located in businessareas. They are closed on Sun-days – the exception being theperiod leading up to Christmas,when most shops open.

PaymentPayment can be made by cash,cheque or credit/debit carddepending on the amount. It iscommon to pay by “carte bleue”– a visa card. Not all retailersaccept credit cards, and there isoften a minimum amount. As arule, sums less than 15 eurosmust be paid cash.

Foreign credit and debit cardsare accepted in most supermar-ket and hypermarkets; you will be

asked for proof of identification(passport or “carte de séjour”).You will also need identificationwhen paying by cheque.Several stores offer their ownpayment card which opens upcertain advantages such asfinance, extra services. You willalso be offered extended creditterms for large purchases.

Guarantees, Exchanges and Refunds

You are protected against defec-tive goods: that is, if you gethome and realize that your newelectrical equipment doesn’twork, or a garment is faulty, youcan ask for an exchange (you’llneed your receipt).This is not possible for somegoods – e.g.; sale items clothesthat have been worn. If a repla-cement isn’t available, you maybe given a credit not to use in thestore for the value of the returnedproduct.

A cash refund is less common,but some shops and hypermar-kets have a no quibble cashrefund policy as long as you keepthe receipt. Electrical goods oftencarry a one-year guarantee cal-led “S.A.V”, “Service aprèsvente” (after sales service).

Measurements and Standards

Clothes Don't worry if you have to buy thenext size up in clothes and shoes,sizes tend to be smaller in France

and Italy as manufacturers basethem on national averages. Toconvert English and Americansizes into continental Europeansizes, see the Appendix.

Electronic goods • All electrical equipment ope-

rates on 220 volts but adaptersare available to convert existingplugs,

• Temperatures on equipmentsuch as cookers are indicatedin degrees Celsius. See theAppendix for a conversionchart from Fahrenheit,

• In France, the television stan-dard is Secam, although lots ofsets are multi-standard (PALand SECAM). The AmericanNTSC standard is not compati-ble. However, ask for advicebefore purchasing a set if youwant to use it outside France.

Reductions and Sales Sales Sales traditionally take place inJanuary and July for a maximumperiod of six weeks. Sale datesare determined by “the Préfec-ture” and are published in “Nice-Matin”.

It's the only time in the year whenshops have the right to sell merchandise at a loss. Shops announce their sales with a “Sol des” sign in the window. It doesn't mean, however, that allitems in the shop are on sale.Genuine sale articles will have theoriginal and the sale price mar-ked on the ticket.

Other retail promotions reduc-tions

3 I Policies


SHOPPING & LEISURE I ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF SHOPPING

Promotions outside the officialsales period are determined bythe shopkeepers.

The window sign says “Promo-tions”. Reduced and 'end of line'goods are marked "braderie". If a

shop is closing down, it willusually offer reductions and thesign “Liquidation” is displayed.

4 I Alternative methods of shopping

“Arrhes” and “Acomptes” refer to sums laiddown when an order is placed or a salessigned.

A deposit (“les arrhes”)Unless otherwise stated in the contract, you willlose your deposit if you cancel an order or backout of a contract. But you cannot be forced to gothrough with the contract.

Keep this in mind. It's worth trying to come to anamicable arrangement. If the vendor fails to deli-ver, he or she can be ordered to pay you twice theamount you laid down as a deposit.

A downpayment (“un acompte”) A downpayment implies the firm commitment ofthe two parties and, consequently, the obligationof purchasing (for the consumer) and of sup-plying

(for the trader) the merchandise. A downpaymentis in fact the first instalment of payment.

There is no chance of forfeit and you can be orde-red to pay damages and interest if you renege.The trader cannot withdraw either, even if he orshe reimburses your downpayment. The tradercould also be ordered to pay you damages andinterest.

A credit note (“un avoir”)A credit note corresponds to the value of returnedgoods. It can be used for a purchase at a laterdate. If the vendor is in the wrong (faulty goods,delivery after deadline, etc.), you are not obligedto accept this arrangement. If the buyer changeshis or her mind, the vendor can, as a commercialgesture, grant a credit note.

Mail-Order Mail-order (“Vente par corres-pondance – VPC”) is mainly forbuying clothes, household equip-ment and leisure goods. Somemail-order catalogues are sold innewsagents.You can join a catalogue mailing

list by an introduction from someone who is already a client.Adverts often appear in maga-zines such as TV programmeguides.If you’re a mail-order client, don’tbe surprised if you receive mailfrom other companies, as com-panies often exchange client files.

Deposits, Downpayments and Credit Notes (“Arrhes”, “Acomptes”, and “Avoir”)


SHOPPING & LEISURE I CONSUMER RIGHTS

General principles

The law protects consumersagainst possible unscrupulousretailers and companies sellinggoods and services. It is particu-larly strong in the area of mail-order and purchases made fromtele-salespeople and canvassers.

For instance:• You have a 7-day “cooling-off”

period after you’ve signed anorder from a sales person whovisits your home,

• You have the right to return anyarticle purchased by corres-pondence (mail-order and tele-shopping).

Furthermore, every vendor mustrespect certain rules governingthe display of prices and adhereto advertising standards.Consumers also have a respon-sibility in the eyes of the law.Buying counterfeit goods is anoffence. If you buy counterfeitgoods, you risk a heavy fine andpossible imprisonment if stoppedby customs or the police.

5 I Consumerrights

If you would like to know more about commerciallegislation, if you have consumer issues that youcannot resolve directly with the vendor, or if youhave a complaint about misleading promotionalmaterial from a shop etc.

There are a number of state and private organisa-tions that you can contact:

• “D.G.C.C.R.F.” – “Direction Générale de laConcurrence, de la Consommation et de laRépression des Fraudes” (Fraud prevention andregulation of consumer laws). Part of the Minis-try of Finance, this organisation receives com-plaints, ensures that consumer laws are appliedand gives free advice on consumer litigation.Details are given in the Addendum,

• “I.N.C.” – “Institut National de la Consommation”(National Consumer Institute). A public organisa-tion that informs consumers and consumerdefence association through research and com-parative studies of products and services. The“I.N.C.” publishes a magazine called “60 millionsde consommateurs” sold in all newsagents in themonthly magazine or special interest section,

• Consumer associationsThere are several national organisations thatrepresent consumers and defend their rights.They all have regional offices. To find out thenearest one to you, contact the head office(given to you by the “INC”), or the “C.T.R.C.” –“Centre Technique Régional de la Consomma-tion” (regional consumer centre that you belongto).

Consumer Organisations


SHOPPING & LEISURE I MEDIA

6 I MediaAs a popular holiday destination,for French as well as foreign tou-rists, the Côte d'Azur is abundantin culture and has some superbfacilities for leisure pastimes.

To find out about what's goingon, it's a good idea to buy the fol-lowing local magazines, whichyou'll find very useful:

• “La Semaine des Spectacles”,comes out every Wednesdayand has all local listings forfilms, theatre, concerts etc.,

• “Nice-Matin”, the daily paperfor Nice, Antibes, Cannes andsurrounding districts, has film,concert and event listings.Watch out for the free supple-ment “Loisirs” (usually Wed-nesday or Thursday) which is aweekly ‘What’s on’ guide,

• “Le Pitchoun” is publishedannually and has listings of res-taurants, bars and shops inNice and the region.

In addition, there are someforeign language publications(mentioned in more detail later):“Cote”, “Riviera Reporter”,“Riviera Côte d’Azur Zeitung”etc.

RadioThere's a wide choice of radiostations on the FM band. Frenchsongs, talkshows, non-stopnews. Some are local and are agood source of local information:Kiss FM (non-stop dance music),Radio Azur (easy listening style)and Radio Antibes Juan-Les-Pins.‘Riviera Radio' is aimed at English-speaking residents on the Côte

d’Azur. As well as a comprehen-sive 'What's on' guide, you canbuy and sell household items. Youwill find this a good way of findingout about the region, and theBBC World Service news isbroadcast regularly. During thesummer holiday period news bul-letins in English, Italian and Ger-man are often broadcast byFrench radio stations.

News of the economy is availa-ble on “Team Côte d’Azur” web-site every week, www.investincotedazur.com andon Riviera Radio (106.3 et 106.5FM), each Tuesday from 7pm-8pm, and on Saturdays from1pm-2pm, in “The Riviera Busi-ness Report”. For more details ofprogrammes and frequencies,refer to “La Semaine des Spec-tacles”.

Television Channels There are six national channelsbroadcast through the Frenchnetwork:

• “TF1”,• “France 2”,• “France 3”,• “Canal Plus”,• “France 5”, • “M6”,• “Canal Plus” is a pay-channel,

scrambled most of the time,but transmitted free of chargeat certain hours in the day.

For foreign and special intereststations such as the ‘BBC’,‘EuroSport’, etc, you need cableor satellite TV.

La “T.N.T” – “Télévision NumériqueTerrestre” is free and offers youaccess to twelve new channels,but you may need an adaptor.Look in the Yellow Pages under“Télévision, videos”.

Regional channels • “France 3” has regional pro-

grammes on Saturday after-noons and local news at noonand 7pm,

• “CANAL 40” is a local stationbroadcast from Nice and avai-lable on cable.

Programmes There is a multitude of TV guidesavailable in “Tabacs”, news-agentsand kiosks, and they cover all ofthese stations. Programme sche-dules for the six French channelsare also published in “La Semainedes Spectacles” and “Nice-Matin”.Programmes are categorisedaccording to their suitability forchildren; i.e. sex and violence ismonitored.A warning appears at the bottomof the screen during films.• : parental discretion,• : suitable for children over

12 years,• : suitable for persons over

16 years,• : suitable for persons over

18 years

Warning: some pay-channels usedifferent codes. Foreign films aresometimes broadcast in their ori-ginal language, with French sub-titles (flagged by “V.O.S.T.” or“V.O.” in the guides), on theFrench stations – notably “Arte”and “France 3”. Digital satellitechannels often offer a choice oflanguage.



SHOPPING & LEISURE I MEDIA

Reading

Newspapers and magazines Newspapers and magazines aresold in kiosks at the side of theroad and in retail outlets. For thewidest selection, look for a news-agent. Other outlets are listed inthe Yellow Pages under “Jou-maux, presse, revues (detail)”.

Daily newspapers • National: “Le Figaro” -

“France-Soir” - “Le Monde” -“Libération”, etc.,

• Regional: “Nice-Matin” - inter-national, national and regionalnews. Good source of localinformation, with a classifiedsection for jobs, property, etc.

The main foreign daily papers(English, American, German, Ita-lian and Spanish) are easy to findin paper shops. Tourist areas,railway stations and airports offerthe best selection of foreignpapers.

Magazines Main foreign titles can be foundin English, German and Italian in“tabacs” and “librairies”.

Foreign magazines

There are magazines specificallydedicated for foreign residents onthe Côte d’Azur. These can befound in kiosks and popular tou-rist points, such as hotels, foreignshops, etc – or you can take outa subscription.

• Riviera Reporter: an Englishmagazine published every twomonths. Full of information forall English speakers. There is alist of associations for expa-triates, and news and gossipamongst the foreign commu-nity. It also has a classifiedsection,

• Riviera d’Azur Zeitung: amonthly newspaper in Germanfor the Côte d’Azur regionaimed at a local readership ofGerman residents in the Frenchand the Italian Riviera, as wellas inhabitants of Germany attracted to the Mediterraneanlifestyle. News on the economy,tourism, culture, real estate,events and attractions, reports,etc. Practical information (doc-tors, lawyers, etc.) for Italianand German residents.This magazine is also distribu-ted in Bavaria (Munich) and onthe Italian Riviera,

• Côte: a magazine edited in Ita-lian, Russian, German, Frenchand English.

For more French and foreignpress, look in the Yellow Pagesunder “Journaux, revues, bulle-tins “édition”.

BooksForeign bestsellers are on sale inthe region, and French works aretranslated into several lan-guages. You'll find guides on lifein France and the Côte d’Azuraimed at tourists, e.g. “CuisineProvençales” things to do in theregion. You can buy books frombook-shops, hypermarkets anddepartment stores.

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Librairies”. Foreign bookshopssell magazines in your own lan-guage and are a good source ofinformation on French cultureand local tourism.



SHOPPING & LEISURE I GOING OUT

Cinema

Films are generally released inFrench, but there are plenty ofcinemas in the area that have“version originale (V.O.)” films inthe original language, usuallywith French subtitles. These filmswill still have the title in French.Look in “La Semaine des Spec-tacles”, “Nice-Matin”, on theInternet for film summaries,cinema addresses and screeningtimes (eg.:www.allocine.fr)

Note that “Riviera Radio” broad-casts an English language filmguide in its 'What's On' section.

Entertainment

The main towns – Nice, Cannesand Monaco – offer the widestchoice. There are opera housesin Nice and Monaco as well astheatres and frequent concertsoffering a good range of music.Look in “Nice-Matin” and “LaSemaine des Spectacles” fordetails.

NightlifeNice, Cannes and Monaco havea rich nightlife all year round, withbars open well into the smallhours of the morning. This is tocater not only for local residentsbut also delegates attending thenumerous international forums,

seminars, exhibitions, etc. “LePitchoun” and “La Semaine desSpectacles” have listings of bars,clubs, concerts, etc.

Foreign Celebrations Because there is such a cosmo-politan population living on theCôte d’Azur, foreign events suchas Halloween, July, Thanksgiving,etc. are celebrated, especially inrestaurants, which will often organise theme evenings. For more information, read theforeign magazines listed in themedia section page 72 or ask atyour Consulate or one of the cul-tural associations for foreigners(see the chapter called “Miscella-neous contacts” for details ofthese).

7 I Going out

Apart from gastronomic restaurants, the regionhas restaurants with many different themes: • Traditional French cuisine,• Regional specialities,• Foreign food.

There are some foreign restaurants (e.g. Mexican,Chinese, Japanese, Indian) but not as many as inother countries, probably because the French haveso much good cuisine at home! Being so close tothe border, you'll find many restaurants that makeauthentic Italian pizza and pasta. You'll find a goodselection of restaurants in “La Semaine des Spec-tacles” and “Le Pitchoun”.

Meals Meals are presented either in a fixed menu (threecourses for a fixed price) or “à la carte”, where youchoose what you like from a selection.

There is always a recommended main course (“platdu jour”), which changes every day. Some restaurants organise evenings at a fixedprice with dinner and entertainment included. Thisis common, for instance, on New Year's Eve andSt-Valentine's night.

PricesPrices quoted on the menu generally include service.If you are pleased with the service however, it is stillcustomary to leave a tip.

Opening times The French observe meal times very keenly: res-taurants generally serve lunch from 12 p.m. – 2:30p.m. and dinner from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m., althoughthey are practically deserted before 12:30 p.m. atlunchtime and 8 – 8:30 p.m. at night. It is advisa-ble to book in advance if you are with a group, ifyou plan to eat late, or if it's a special occasion (ex:St-Valentine, Mother's Day, New Year's Eve).

Restaurants Dining out is one of the favourite ways for the French to spend an evening.



SHOPPING & LEISURE I SIGHTSEEING

8 I Sightseeing

9 I Attractions

CultureThe Côte d’Azur has been hometo many celebrated artists, nota-bly Picasso and Matisse. With itsrich and cultivated population,there are a lot of cultural activitiessuch as conferences and exhibi-tions as well as a wealth of museums and art galleries.

Nice is second only to Paris forits museums – there are aroundfifty!

• To find out about conferencesand exhibitions, look in “La Semaine des Spectacles”,

• Museums are listed in the Yellow Pages under “Musées”,

• To find out about activities in aparticular town, go to the localTourist Information Office.

The addresses are in the YellowPages under “Offices du Tourisme”.

• Zoos, floral parks,• Aqua parks, amusement parks

in Antibes, there is an aquapark, mini-golf and the Marine-land sea-park,

• Exotic gardens – a chance tosee some beautiful vegetationfrom around the world.

Check before you go that thepark is open, as several onlyopen for the summer season.

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Parcs d'attraction et centres deloisirs” or in “La Semaine desSpectacles” for details.

The history of the region began around 600 B.C.when the Greeks brought their civilisation to theCôte d’Azur. Over successive centuries the regionhas been subject to many different foreign influencesthat are particularly noticeable in architectural terms:the Romans occupied Antibes in 43 B.C., and Niceand surrounding areas were part of Italy for 5 cen-turies. In 1730 the Côte d’Azur became a fashion-able winter residence for the English, a tradition thathas carried on and extended to the Americans. The area has been the stage for some of the grea-test historical events in France (“Napoléon”, “LouisXIV” and the “Iron Mask”). Consequently, there aremany places of interest to visit including fortressesand “châteaux”.

Many traditional crafts have survived in the area,and there are still plenty of opportunities to seeartisans at work, such as the glass-works in Biotand the potteries in Vallauris. There are industriesthat are well over 100 years old; the perfume fac-tory in Grasse is a good example of this. The topography of the region and its landscapesare varied: there is the coastline and the beaches;inland villages built on top of hills, like Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Saint-Jeannet; the mountains of the“Alpes-Maritimes” to the north, etc. It's worth investing in the “Guide Michelin Côted'Azur” which you'll find in any bookshop andgoing along to the Tourist Information Offices toreally discover the region.

Tourist Background

Because the region is full of tourist attractions, there aremany parks and leisure facilities to visit. Look out for:


SHOPPING & LEISURE I LEISURE SPORTS

10 I Leisure sports

Mountain Sports Several winter sports stations arewithin easy reach, so it’s possibleto go for the day as well as for lon-ger periods. Ski stations withineasy reach include: Valberg, Auron,Isola 2000 and several others.

Out of the ski season there areplenty other sports: hiking, raf-ting, canyoning, mountain clim-bing, etc.

There are clubs that organiseweekends and holidays, or youcan make your own way there.Look in the Yellow Pages under“Stations de sports d'hiver” and“Sports et loisirs d'hiver et demontagne (associations etclubs)”. The “Conseil Général”edits brochures on mountainbiking, hiking and canyoning.

Water Sports During the summer there are lotsof places along the coast whereyou can water ski, jet ski, para-glide, etc.

And there are clubs that orga-nise: • Scuba diving – look in the Yel-

low Pages under “Plongéesous-marine, sports et loisirssubaquatiques”,

• Sailing and water-skiing – lookin the Yellow Pages under“Voile, navigation, sports nau-tiques et aquatiques”.

The Best CateredFor Sports In The Region Some sports are almost an insti-tution in this area of France andhave many good facilities.

• “Pétanque” or “boules” the tra-ditional local pastime; a truesymbol of Provence. Every vil-lage has an area set aside for“pétanques”,

• Horse-riding,• Golf (there are golf brochures

edited by the regional TouristBoard (“Le Comité Régional duTourisme” - C.R.T.),

• Sailing,• Skiing,• Tennis.Look on Yellow Pages under“Boules”, “Equitation”, “Golf”,“Voile, navigation, sports nau-tiques et aquatiques”, “Ski”,“Tennis”.

Traditional Sports These sports are currentlyenjoying a lot of popularity;they can be practised eitherindividually or in a group: • Athletics,• Swimming,• Cycling,• Basketball.

You can find clubs and associa-tions that belong to the FrenchFederation for each of thesesports (for example, “FédérationFrançaise de Basketball”).

Look in the Yellow Pages under“Sport (associations et clubs)” orcontact your local town hall(“Mairie”).

The close proximity of the sea and mountains meansthat outdoor sports are easily accessible.

InsuranceIf you're a member of a club, insurance will generally be included inmembership fees. If you practise a sport individually however, contact your insurancecompany to find out if you're covered.



SHOPPING & LEISURE I MEETING YOUR COMPATRIOTS

Foreign SportsThere are clubs for sports notseen as conventional in France.Baseball, cricket, etc.Look in the Yellow Pages under“Sports (Associations et Clubs)”.

Restaurants and BarsThere are plenty of bars and res-taurants frequented by Ameri-cans and Northern Europeanswhere you’ll be greeted inEnglish. See the Yellow Pages.

AssocationsInternational associations such asthe “A.V.F.” (“Accueil des VillesFrançaises”) often organise sportssuch as hiking, and culturalevents, which give you the chanceto meet you fellow compatriots.See the “Miscellaneous Con -tacts” chapter for details.

11 I Meeting yourcompatriots

12 I Events

Leisure pastimes are just as ideal a means of meetingpeople as keeping fit.

January• The Monte Carlo Car rally(“Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo”)• “International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo”

February• Nice and Menton Carnivals

March• The Paris-Nice Cycle race

April• The International Nice Semi-Marathon• Monaco Open Tennis Tournament (Open de Ten-

nis de Monte-Carlo)

May• The Cannes Film Festival• The Monaco Formula One Grand Prix

June• The Nice-France International “Ironman” Triathlon

July• The International Jazz Festivals in Nice and Juan-

les-Pins and Monaco

July/August• The International Fireworks Festivals in Cannes,

Antibes-Juan-les-Pins and Monaco • Hercules Athletics Meeting in Monaco

September• The “Régates Royales” - Cannes

October• The Antibes-Côte d’Azur Rallye

November• International Dance Festival - Cannes

The Côte d'Azur is host to some of the most celebrated sporting, cultural and spectator eventsin the world:


1 - The metric system 902 - Speed 913 - Temperature 914 - Time and date 91

APPENDIX

89

APPENDIX I THE METRIC SYSTEM

1 I The metric system

DistanceThe basic unit is a metre (“mètre”):

• millimetre (mm) = 0.001 m 1 mm = 0.039 inch

• centimetre (cm) = 0.01 m 1 cm = 0.389 inch

• decimetre (dm) = 0.1 m 1 dm = 0.328 foot

• metre (m) = 1 m 1 m = 1.094 yard

• decametre (dam) = 10 m

• hectometre (hm) = 100 m

• kilometre (km) = 1000 m 1km = 0.621 mile

Reverse conversions

• 1 inch = 2.54 cm

• 1 foot = 30.48 cm

• 1 yard = 0.914 m

• 1 mile = 1.609 km

AreaThe basic unit is a square metre (“metre carré”). The

measurements are the same as for distance, the most

common being:

• Square centimetre (cm2) 1 cm2 = 0.152 sq. inch

• Square metre (m2) 1 m2 = 1.197 sq. yard

• Square kilometre (km2) 1 km2 = 0.386 sq. mile

• Hectare (ha) = 10 km2 1 ha = 3.86 sq. mile

Reverse conversions

• 1 sq. inch = 6.452 cm2 1 sq. foot = 929 cm2

• 1 sq. yard = 0.836 m2

• 1 sq. mile = 2.589 km2 1 acre = 4.046 m2

VolumeThe basic unit is a cubic metre (“metre cube”). As

with m3, the most frequently used measurements are:

• Cubic centimetre (cm3) 1 cm3 = 0.061 cubic inch

• Cubit metre (m3) 1 m3 = 1.309 cubic yard

Reverse conversions

• 1 cubic inch = 16.387 cm3

• 1 cubic yard = 0.764 m3

WeightThe basic unit is a gram (“gramme”).

• Milligram (mg) 1 mg = 0.001 g

• Centigram (cg) 1 cg = 0.01 g

• Decigram (dg) 1 dg = 0.1 g

• Gram (g) 1 g = 0.035 ounce

• Decagram (dag) 1 dag = 10 g

• Hectogram (hg) 1 hg = 100 g

• Kilogram (kg) 1 kg = 1000 g = 2.21 pounds

Reverse conversions

• 1 ounce = 28.35 g

• 2 oz – 1/4 cup = 56.70 g

• 4 oz – 1/2 cup = 113.4 g

• 6 oz – 3/4 cup = 170.1 g

• 8 oz – 1 cup = 226.8 g

• 1 pound = 453 g or 0.453 kg

LiquidsThe basic unit is a litre (“litre”) divided and multiplied

by 10, but often 1/2 litre and 1/4 litre are referred to.

• Millilitre (ml) = 0.001 l

• Centilitre (cl)= 0.01 l

• Decilitre (dl) = 0.1 l

• 1/4 litre = 2.5 dl /25 cl / 250 ml

• 1/2 litre = 5 dl / 50 cl / 500 ml

• 3/4 litre = 7.5 dl / 75 cl / 750 ml

• Litre (l) = 1.67 pint / 1.06 gallon

Reverse conversions

• 1 ounce = 30ml

• 2 oz – 1/4 cup = 60ml

• 5oz – _ cup = 15 cl

• 1/2 pint – 1 cup = 30 cl

• 1 pint – 2 cups = 60 cl

• 1 us quart = 0.946 l

• 1 us gallon = 3.785 l


SHOPPING & LEISURE I SPEED

2 I Speed

3 I Temperature

4 I Time & date

Miles per hours (mph) / kilometres per hour (km/hr)

• Km/hr mph x 1.61

• Mph km/hr x 0.621

Km/hr• 50 31

• 80 50

• 90 56

• 110 69

• 130 81

Nautical mile and knot :

• 1 knot (kn) 1 mile/hour, or 0.514 metre/second

• 1 nautical mile 1.852 m = 1.852 km

Fahrenheit degrees (°F) / Celsius degrees (°C) :

Over Temperatures

°F °C Gas Mark Description

250 120 1/4 very low

275 140 1/2

300 150 1-2 low

325 160 3 warm

350 175 4 moderate

375 190 5

400 200 6 mod hot

425 220 7 hot

450 230 8

475 240 9 very hot

The 24 hours clock is used, not am/pm.

Am is “matin” (morning) and pm is “après-midi” (afternoon) ou “soir” (evening).

For example:

8 am = 8 heures / 8 pm = 20 heures

12 noon = midi /* 12 midnight = minuit

The date is always written: Day – month- year

For example : 25th December 2000 = 25 décembre 2000 or 25.12.2000 or 25/12/00 or 25/12/2000.


SHOPPING & LEISURE I CLOTHES & SHOE SIZES

5 I Clothes & shoe sizes Women

Europe USA UK36 6 838 8 1040 10 1242 12 1444 14 1646 16 1848 18 20

Europe USA UK36 5 337 6 438 7 539 8 640 9 741 10 842 11 9

MenEurope USA - UK36 1437 14 1/238 1539 15 1/241 1642 16 1/243 1744 17 1/2

Europe USA - UK46 3648 3850 4052 4254 4456 46

Europe USA UK40 7 641 8 742 9 843 10 944 11 1045 12 1146 13 1247 14 13

Dressessweatersshirts

Shoes

Shirts

Suits

Shoes


INDEX

93

INDEX I

AACCIDENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,26,27,28,55,58,63,66

ACCIDENT DE TRAVAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

ACOMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

AGENTS IMMOBILIERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

AIRPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,67,68,70,84

ALLOCATIONS FAMILIALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,24,50,54

ALLOCATIONS DE RENTREE SCOLAIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

ALPES MARITIMES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,3,4,9,13,14,15,16,35,40,86

AMBULANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

ANIMALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,10,68

A.P.E.C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

APERITIF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75,76

ARRET DE TRAVAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

ARRHES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

AUTO ECOLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,64

AUTOROUTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,66,67,68

AVOIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

A.V.F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38,42,49,88

BBABY SITTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,42,54

BACCALAUREAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,47,48,49,50

BAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

BANKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,24,28

BILINGUAGE SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

BOURSE SCOLAIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

BREAKDOWN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,58,67

BROCANTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

BUS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

CCAFÉ AU LAIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

CAISSE ALLOCATIONS FAMILIALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,24,50

CAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,62,63,64,65,66,67,69,70

CARNET DE MATERNITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

CARTE BLEUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,80

CARTE ASSURE SOCIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

CARTE DE SEJOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,17,18,23,64,80

CARTE GRISE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,64

CARTE VERTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,63

CAUTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

CAVISTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75,79

CERTIFICAT ASSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,14,31,35

CHEQUE EMPLOI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

CHILDCARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34,43,42

CINEMA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73,85

CODE DE LA ROUTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

CODE DU TRAVAIL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

COLLEGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,47,48,50

COMMISSARIAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,55,64

COMMUNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12,13,14,17

COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH INSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,57,58

COMPTE D’EPARGNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

CONSEIL GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,14,34,87

CONSEIL REGIONAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

CONSTAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63,66

CONSULATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,16,17,38,85

CONTROLE TECHNIQUE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18,19,62,63,64

CONVENTIONNE (médecin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,57

CONVENTIONS COLLECTIVES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

C.P.A.M. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

CRASH HELMET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

CRECHE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,42

CREDIT NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

CURRICULUM VITAE (CV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,32,48,49

CUSTOMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,10,18,19,24,78,82

DDEPARTMENT (Alpes Maritimes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,14

DEPARTMENT STORE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,79

DEPOSITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

DISTANCE LEARNING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

DOWNPAYMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

LICENCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,18,62,63,64,65

EE111 FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,56

ECRIVAIN PUBLIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

EDF – GDF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

EDUCATION . . . . . . 9,13,14,24,31,34,41,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50

ELECTRICITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18,23,25

EMERGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,55,66

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,36

ESTATE AGENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,26

ETAT DES LIEUX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

ETRENNES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

EXTRA CHARGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,66

FFAMILLE / FAMILY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,9,16,23,24,27,50,54,74

FEUILLE DE SOINS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58,59

GGARAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,64,67,70

GARDERIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

GAS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,91

GOUTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

GRANDES ECOLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

GREETINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72,73

GREY CARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

HHELICOPTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

HOSPITALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53,54,55

HIGHWAY CODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

HYPERMARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78,79,80,84


INDEX I

IINCOME TAX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,25,28

INDEMNITES JOURNALIERES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

INSURANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,9,18,21,26,36,56,57,58,62,63,67,87

INTERNET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,31,39,62,65,66,69,85INVENTORY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21,26

LLA POSTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

LEASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,21,26

LOAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,22,24,25

LOCATION DE VOITURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

LYCEE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45,46,50

MMAGAZINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,63,79,82,84

MAIRIE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13,16,17,27,39,42,45,78,87

MEDECIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,55

MEDECIN DE GARDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

MEDICINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,47,52,53,56,58

MIDWIFE (MIDWIVES) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27,52,54

MOBILE PHONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39,55

MOTORWAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,66

MUSEUM/MUSEES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

MUTUELLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56,57,58

NNANNY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

NEWSPAPER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30,31,33,55,78,79,84

NIGHTLIFE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

NOTAIRE/NOTARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17,22,27,40

NTSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,80

OOBSTETRICIAN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

PPACS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

PAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,80

PARKING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19,21,66,70,79

PEAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

PETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

PHARMACIE DE GARDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53,55,79

PÔLE EMPLOI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,17,28,30,31,32,33,34,35

POLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,17,55,65,82

POMPIERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,66,73

POST OFFICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,28,39,43

POURBOIRE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

PREFECTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,9,16,18,19,62,64,80

PREFET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

PRIORITE A DROITE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

PROMOTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,81

HOLIDAY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55,56,73,74,80

QQUITTANCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

RRADIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33,38,63,67,83,85

RESIDENCE CARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,15,16,17,18,64

RESTAURANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74,75

ROND POINT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

SSAGE FEMME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,54

SAMU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

SCHOLARSHIP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . 9,13,14,24,38,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,75

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

SECAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,80

SECURITE SOCIALE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,23,51,52,55

SICK LEAVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

SKI RESORTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

SNCF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

SOCIAL SECURITY . . . . 8,17,23,27,28,36,43,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58

SOLDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

SOUS PREFECTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16,18

SPEED LIMITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

SUPERETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

SUPERMARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65,72,75,78,79,80

TTAXE D’HABITATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

TAXI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68,70,73

TELEVISION 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,83

TEMPORARY ACCOMODATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

TGV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

TOWN HALL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,13,16,24,27,28,39,42,45,64,78,87

TRAIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69,72

TRAINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14,15,16,29,32,33,34,43,47

UUNIVERSITY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32,47,48,50

VVIDEO RECORDER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

VIGNETTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62,63

VISA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,9,16,18,42

VISA CARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24,69,80

VITALE CARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

V.P.C. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

WWINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75,76,79

WINTER DRIVING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

WORK PERMIT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,16,33



Economy

Life Sciences including Fine Chemistry

2.6 billion d’€in turnover

Information Technologies

3.8 billion d’€in turnover

▶ I Facts & Figuresabout the Côte d’Azur

High tech poles of competence

… their economic importance

9,655 jobs250 companies

20,655 jobs1,459 companies

Cô

te d

’Azu

r

Team Côte d'Azur is a joint initiative of the Alpes-Maritimes County Council and the French Riviera Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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TEAM CÔTE D'AZUR

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TEAM CÔTE D'AZUR / PARIS

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TEAM CÔTE D'AZUR / USA

Yves KRAEMER

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July

2014 -

Pho

tos:

IS/

E.El

isse

eva,

O. P

rikh

odko

, I. T

erek

hov,

J. B

ryso

n, M

. Bar

sse,

M. C

lark

e, O

ffice

de

tour

ism

e de

Nic

e, J

. Kél

agop

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