Paris City Guide

In recent years, many tech influencers have publicly given France a vote of confidence as an up-and-coming European technology hub, including CISCO CEO, John Chambers, and Microsoft’s Chief Executive, Satya Nadella.

Now, Macron has shaken up the recruitment market in France, making it easier for France to attract skilled technology candidates with the French Tech Visa. The visa cuts out much of the red tape, reducing the time It takes tech companies to secure a visa to just a matter of weeks.

And employees are responding well, with many candidates and grads looking to find their next role in the spectacular city of Paris.

Moving to a new country can be stressful though, so we’ve put together our guide to living and working in Paris to help take the stress out of your move to the City of Light.  

Things you didn’t know about Paris

Paris has the most libraries in the world. With 830 libraries dotted around the city. If that isn’t enough of a cultural incentive though, you could go and see every painting in the Louvre. It would only take you 35 days straight if you looked at each piece for just 30 seconds.

But it isn’t all about historical culture, strings of onions and truly delectable bread. France has some of the best engineering schools in the world and most students want to work for a start-up. The result is a hive of start-up activity in Cryptocurrency, AI and SaaS.

Types of accommodation in Paris

Consistently ranked among the 10 most expensive European cities, you can expect a one-bedroom apartment in Paris to set you back between €800 and €1,500 a month. However, if you’re happy to commute you could find yourself paying just €600 per month and with Paris’ transport network, it could be a good way to secure yourself some extra space and save some pennies. On average, buying an apartment in Paris costs around €9,300 per square metre.

Visa requirements

If you are European, Swiss, or an EEA citizen you won’t need a French permit, but you may still need to register with the French authorities.

If you are travelling from the UK or further afield, you’ll need to secure a visa. This will need to be arranged by your prospective employer. However, you may be applicable for a French Tech Visa which could substantially reduce the time it takes to secure a visa.

Cost of living

Living in Paris is expensive, but for a capital city crammed with culture, it still works out cheaper than London or New York. The cost of living index is 84.64 which means that for a lifestyle costing £4,700 in London, you’ll spend £4,188.57 in Paris.

Consumer prices are 5.34% higher than in London, but rent is only 2/3 of the cost of London rates[i].

A meal in an inexpensive restaurant starts at around €15, increasing to €58 for something a little more upmarket. The price of beer is €6.50 for half a litre of domestic draught ale, but if you prefer to stick to the soft drinks,  a cappuccino will set you back €3.35 and a loaf of bread works out at €1.39 compared to in the UK where it costs €1.09.

Salaries

Salaries in Paris’ technology industry vary. The most popular occupations these days are technology-focused, with Software Engineers, Project Managers and IT Managers topping the list. For a Software Engineer, the average salary is €42,156, but salaries can climb as high as €61k for these roles. Data Scientists do slightly better with salaries that range between €34,000 and €72,000.

Schools

Children in France are entitled to free education and the French education system is well-respected globally with a nationally set curriculum, traditional methods of learning and a strong focus on discipline.

Schools work on a calendar year in France rather than the UK’s September to July academic year.

Education is compulsory for children in France from the ages of 6 years to 16 years, but children can start pre-school as early as 3 years and remain in education until 21 if they choose to - and around 50% of students do. 

1) Local Schools

Local schools are free and don’t usually require students to wear a uniform. These deliver the nationally set curriculum and children are taught in French.

2) Private Schools Under Contract

These are another option for children in France and are typically available for students at Secondary School. Private Schools under contract are run under contract for the French government who pays the teacher’s salaries. Private schools follow the National Curriculum but offer students subsidised fees.

3) Independent Schools

International and Bilingual schools usually fall within this category. These schools are usually fee-paying and schools set their own fees, much like the Private school system in the UK. Unlike the UK Private school system, school fees start surprisingly low at just €2250 per year. As a result, private education is becoming increasingly popular and it can be difficult to secure a place in a school.

Global organisations in Paris

As a result of Macron’s warm welcome to the Technology industry, there are many up-and-coming tech businesses who have already put down roots in France’s capital city. Some of our clients include NCAM, Pixium Vision, Earthcube, Prophesee, AnotherBrain and Sequans, but others are Margo Bank, Ledger, Shift Technology, DXO, Parrat, Facebook AI (FAIR)and ContentSquare.

If you’re interested in living and working in Paris’ tech industry, send us your CV today or call us on +44 (0)118 988 1150.