Departure checklist for a working holiday in France in 2025-2026

If you’ve recently been approved for a Working Holiday Visa to France and completed the necessary preparation for the big journey, congratulations! As your travel date draws near, here is a checklist to help you stay on top of the most important things that you need to have in hand before heading to the airport.

1. Plane ticket

This is an obvious one, but make sure you have your flight booking. Usually airlines will allow you to check in online 24 hours before the scheduled departure time. Once you’ve done so, bookmark or screenshot your digital boarding pass on your smartphone for easy access. You’re not required to print it out, but you’re certainly welcome to do so if you prefer.

If you have problems checking in online, don’t worry – you can always do so at the airport directly.

2. Passport and visa

You won’t be flying anywhere without your passport, so definitely make sure you don’t leave home without it! Your passport should be signed and valid for the full duration of your planned stay abroad. If there is a page reserved for your home address in case of loss, consider filling that out as well.

Your France WHV should be adhered to one of the pages in your passport. We advise against trying to enter France before the start date printed on your WHV.

3. Confirmation of temporary housing

If you’ve booked temporary accommodation for your first few nights or weeks of arrival, make sure to have that saved or bookmarked too. That way as soon as you land in France, you know the address that you’ll need to go for check in. Also read about ground transportation from Paris airports.

4. Travel medical insurance

You should have already bought private insurance as a part of your France WHV application. Make sure you’ve saved the policy card or document and the insurer’s hotline. This is not something that you want to be scrambling to dig up in a moment of urgent need.

5. eSIM

Once you land in France and leave the airport (most likely CDG or ORY), you’ll lose access to wifi. If your phone plan from home is still active, data roaming could be exorbitantly expensive. That’s why you should consider getting an eSIM in advance for at least your first few days in France. They can be easily activated upon landing and will give you some peace of mind as you navigate the start of your new life abroad. Once you’re settled in, you can get a local phone plan.

6. Bank cards and cash

Remember to bring your bank cards from home because it will take you some time to open an account at a French bank. Your home bank might charge up to 3% international transaction fee for purchases abroad, so read the policy in detail.

As for cash, you can bring a couple hundred euros as a back up, but don’t bring too much because it is relatively easy to withdraw cash from ATMs in France, even with an international bank card. Most stores and restaurants accept card payments, with the exception of small purchases at bakeries and cafes.

7. Birth certificate

You may have never even seen your birth certificate, but if you have one, it’s worth bringing with you. This is because in France, certain administrative procedures require this document. Most notably, if after your WHV ends you decide to apply for social security under a different visa category, you will need to provide your birth certificate. If you only plan to stay in France for just one year then you probably won’t need it, but it doesn’t hurt to bring it just in case your situation changes.

8. Download an episode of our podcast called Changer d’horizon!

You’ve got a long flight ahead of you. If you feel comfortable enough with French or want to brush up, why not download a couple of podcast episodes to help pass the time? On Changer d’horizon, current and former working holiday makers in various destinations share their stories and advice.