Departure checklist for a working holiday in France in 2024-2025

Once your Working Holiday Visa to France is approved, you will have plenty of things to take care of in your departure preparation. Some of them are more urgent than others, so this list breaks down your to-dos, starting with the most urgent.

It may seem like a lot, but one step at a time you’ll get to the finish line (or boarding gate, rather)!

Start these ASAP

1. Buy your plane ticket

As soon as your WHV is approved, you should start looking at plane tickets. If you wait until the last minute, they can become very expensive. The best strategy is to be flexible about your travel date. And remember that you are certainly not obligated to travel on the exact start date of your visa.

2. Book temporary accommodation

Once your travel date is set, you should then start looking for accommodation. When you land at your destination, you’ll need somewhere to sleep for at least the first few nights (maybe even weeks). If you plan on finding a long term rental, you shouldn’t sign or pay for anything before you’ve seen the place in person. Check out How to find housing during your working holiday in France.

3. Make sure your license, ID card, and bank cards are renewed

Your driver’s license (or ID) and bank cards will be important for your working holiday, so make sure they are valid for the full duration of your planned stay. If not, have them renewed ASAP.

4. Get an International Driving Permit or license translation

If you are sure you won’t be driving when abroad, then you can skip this step. But if you’d like to keep the possibility open, then first check online to see if your home license is valid in France, or if it needs to be accompanied by an IDP or an official translation of your license if it’s not already in French.

Canadian licences are valid for up to 1 year in France (source).

5. Decide what to do with your place

If you’re living at home with your parents, then this step is easy. But if you’re living alone or with roommates, you need to start planning for what to do about your space while you are away. Will you sublet it? Break the rental agreement? Find a tenant (if you are the owner)? You will also need to think about where to store your belongings. All of this can take some time so it’s best to start early.

Do these next

6. Ensure your medical needs are met: general, vision, dental, vaccine

Restock on contact lenses, replace your old glasses, have your braces adjusted or teeth cleaned, get vaccines if any are needed… basically visit your doctor(s) to make sure you have all that you need for a successful, healthy stay abroad. These are doable in France too, but back home everything is just easier.

7. Write or update your will

This is not meant to be scary or morbid; every adult should have a will. If, God forbid, something were to happen, you would want the final word on whom your assets and belongings go to. Wills should be updated periodically, but especially at moments of big change such as moving abroad.

8. Inform relevant government authorities

Depending on the rules of where you live, it may be advisable or required to inform your government of your move abroad. This is especially true if you are receiving government benefits that are only intended for residents, such as housing aid or unemployment pay.

9. Stop recurring payments (gym, phone)

Once you leave the country, you won’t need your phone plan and gym membership anymore. Give your gym an early heads up because sometimes they need one or two months of notice to cancel or freeze your membership. Also contact your telecom operator to figure out what options are available to you to keep your phone number.

10. Pause your car insurance

If you have a car, you’ll also want to take care of any recurring insurance payments, depending on what you decide to do with the car or whom to entrust it with.

11. Exchange some cash

It is advisable to take some amount (but not too much) of euros with you. The best place to do this is at your bank; they will give you better rates than exchange bureaus. Note, however, that it may take a couple of days or a week to receive your foreign cash, so plan accordingly.

12. Make a Wise account

For peace of mind, if you want a debit card in euros before you even land in France, then consider Wise. It is an online neo-bank that offers multi-currency financial services. Customers can receive a physical debit card that can be used to withdraw cash at ATMs globally. You can also use it to make or receive transfers. You can register for Wise either from your home country or once you arrive at your destination.

Final steps

13. Resign from your job

If you’ve already done this, congratulations! If not, think about how and when you’ll want to do this. In some countries, it is customary or even required to give a couple weeks of notice. Whatever you do, try to leave on good terms so that you might be able to ask for letters of recommendation in the future should the need ever arise.

14. Update address and contact info for your accounts

When you are away, all of your mail still needs to be delivered somewhere. So either set up mail forwarding to a trusted individual, or manually update your address in all of your accounts. This is especially important for accounts with financial and governmental institutions.

15. Pack your bags, buy what you need

Start packing your suitcases and backpack with the things you’ll need. If there’s anything missing, this is also the time to buy it. Be careful to not exceed the weight limit imposed by your airline, otherwise there will be additional charges. Read packing tips from previous WHVers to France.

16. Download France’s favourite apps

The most popular messaging app in France is Whatsapp. Rarely do people there use iMessage, SMS, or Messenger, so it’s a good idea to download it. Also check out our article on the Top 10 apps to download when living in France. Note, however, that some apps are only available on France’s app store.

17. Throw a farewell party

Your family, friends, and pet(s) will miss you! Give them hugs and kisses, and cherish these final moments before your exciting new adventure begins.