Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous Questions

Driving in France/ Transporting your Vehicle to France

Please visit http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article376 for information relating to driving in France, transporting your vehicle to the country or renting cars there.

Taxes

How to Pay Your French Taxes

Please visit the taxes website (in French), which has some very useful general information: www.impots.gouv.fr. Otherwise, please visit the Embassy’s Tax Office (http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article422) for information on how to declare taxes and relevant forms.

Reimbursement for VAT or Tax Refunds for Visitors

If your point of departure is France, you may still claim the VAT refund when the form has not been stamped by French Customs. Please visit the webpage of the Customs Office for more information: http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article377.

Bringing Pets or Animals to France

Please visit http://ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?a.... For additional information or to contact the Customs Office about specific questions, please visit their webpage: http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article377.

Bringing Products, Personal Effects (Medicine, Firearms, Settling in France, Food, Gifts Sent by Mail, etc.) and Allowances for Personal Luggage

Please visit the Customs Office’s webpage: http://www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php?article377. For specific allowances relating to personal luggage (cigarettes, alcohol, etc.) and docking fees, please refer to the following publication: http://www.ambafrance-us.org/IMG/doc/travelers.doc

Locating Someone in France

Unfortunately, the Embassy of France does not maintain records of private individuals in France. We recommend that you use a search engine such as: www.pagesjaunes.fr.

Conducting Ancestry Research

If you know the specific town and/or region where the person in question resided or was born, the best option would be to contact the town’s "Mairie" (Town Hall), which would be in a better position to provide more specific information on this subject.

Most Mairies have websites containing their contact information. If you are having trouble finding a specific Mairie, we suggest using a search engine such as www.pagesblanches.fr.

Receiving Flags, Maps, Stamps:

Unfortunately, the Embassy of France is not able to distribute flags, maps, stamps, posters, or monetary samples. The following resources might be of some assistance, however:

French flags: AAA American Flag Co. / 53 West 36th St., 12th Fl. / New York, NY 10018 / Tel: 212-279-4644 Alamo Flag Co. / 6134-R Arlington Blvd. / Falls Church, VA 22044 / Tel: 703-442-0777

Maps of France: Rand McNally Maps and Travel / www.randmcnally.com / 1-800-275-7263 Michelin Maps / www.michelin-us.com / 1-800-610-5122

French Stamps: French stamps can be ordered directly from the French Post Office online at: http://timbres.laposte.fr/homepage.jgi?siteLanguage=en.