All about the working holiday in France!

No, and your cover letter does not have to be written in French either. However, having at least a basic knowledge of French will make your stay smoother. Not all French people are comfortable replying in English, especially outside of big cities. But not to worry, moving to France is great way to immerse yourself in the language and improve quickly.

Applications are accepted throughout the year, as long as the quota for your nationality hasn't been reached yet. During summer months, visa processing times may be longer, as employees of French consulates and embassies go on vacation. Many French embassies also do not accept applications earlier than 3 months prior to the intended departure date, so keep that in mind as well.

No. The principle of the France WHV is that work should not be main purpose of your stay.

Your partner will need to obtain his or her own WHV. It is not possible to register a partner on your WHV.

As a part of the application, you are required to have at least €2500, or the equivalent in another currency. Unless you have already bought a return flight, you also need to show additional funds that would be sufficient to purchase one later on. We advise that, if possible, you arrive with even more than this so that you have a thicker cushion for upfront expenses such as housing and furniture. It may also take you a few weeks or months to start your first job.

Medication - The quantity must reflect personal consumption by you only. It is useful to obtain a prescription from a doctor as well before you arrive.
Tobacco - You can bring one box of cigarettes (200 cigarettes) or 250 grams of tobacco.
Alcohol - You can bring up to 2 litres hard liquor if the alcohol content is below 22%, or 1 bottle if above that. It is also possible to bring 4 litres of win and 16 litres of beer.
Cash - Any amount exceeding €10,000 must be declared upon arrival.

You will go through immigration. If asked by agent, just explain that you have a WHV and show him or her the visa. If you land in CDG airport, you will see bilingual French-English signs directing you to various options for transportation. There are trains, metros, trams, buses, taxis, and Ubers available to take you to your destination.

Once you leave the airport, you are free; there is no registration that you need to do with local authorities. You are likely to check in first to your accommodation. And then in the subsequent days or weeks you may want to start looking for long term housing and a job.

A euro bank account is required for auto-pay and direct deposit in euros. The easiest solution is to make an account with a neo-bank such as Wise. It can be done entirely online. If you also want or need an account with a traditional French bank (e.g., to deposit cheques), you will need to go to a local branch to make an appointment. When you come back with the required documents (usually passport, visa, and proof of address), they will open an account for you.

Yes. The WHV in your passport serves as your proof of work authorization.

The French social security number is an identifier unique to every individual. It is used for the matters relating to government benefits, taxes, healthcare, and more. WHV holders do not need a social security number in order to legally start working in France. It is not impossible to obtain one, but the process must be initiated by your employer, not yourself. Learn more.

You are free to enter and leave France as many times as you wish during your WHV. However, inform yourself on entry rules of other countries for your nationality.

The Schengen zone is comprised of almost all the EU countries, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. As a WHV holder, you can free move within the Schengen zone for a maximum of 90 days in an 180 day period, as long as you can explain and prove your motive for travel and means of subsistence. If you need to leave the Schengen zone for any reason, the closest non-Schengen country to France is the UK. Although you should check the UK's entry requirements for your nationality.