SCHENGEN VISA REQUIREMENTS
Citizens of the US and Taiwan
Citizens of the US and Taiwan are currently exempt from the Schengen visa requirement.
But – the EU is rolling out an Entry/Exit System (EES) in the second half of 2024, that will require all travelers to register before entering the Schengen area. For more information, visit the official EU website.
Important: You will need a valid passport to travel to France. The passport needs to be valid for at least three months beyond the return date.
Citizens of other countries
See the interactive map on visa requirements and if necessary, visit the official france-visas website to start your visa application. The visa wizard will ask you a few questions and will let you apply online.
- Type of visa requested : Short-stay (≤ 90 days)
- Purpose : Tourism
You will find below a screenshot of the list of documents required for the visa application. Feel free to reach out if you have any issues, or need a formal invitation letter.
Note: in addition, the EU is rolling out an Entry/Exit System (EES) in the second half of 2024, that will require all travelers to register before entering the Schengen area. For more information, visit the official EU website.
CURRENCY
France uses Euro, along with 19 other countries of the EU.
Per customs regulations, you should not carry a sum of money that is equal to or greater than €10,000 (or its equivalent value in other currencies) when traveling to Europe.
You can exchange currency before your trip, but be careful of pickpockets when traveling through big cities like Paris or Barcelona.
Most stores and hotels accept credit cards, feel free to check with your bank for any international fees that may apply and to let them know of your travel plans to prevent your account from being frozen for suspicious activity.
DRIVER’S LICENSE
If you plan on renting a car, please make sure to bring your driver’s license. You are allowed to drive with a foreign license for up to 1 year after entry in the Schengen zone.
The international driver’s license is rarely requested, car rental agencies tend to ask for the original driver’s license instead.
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
Sim card
Convenience stores at the airport have a few sim card options to choose from. For example the Orange Holiday Europe (picture below) gives 14 days of 4G+/LTE across Europe and allows data sharing (personal hotspot). Multiple sizes are available, anything 10GB or above will likely meet your needs.
Most hotels, malls and airports have free wifi.
Electrical outlets
| Countries | Outlet standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Taiwan United States | 110V type A and B outlets |  |
| France and most European countries (⚠ Switzerland and Great Britain use different standards) | 230V type C and E outlets |  |
For most electronics you can use an all-in-one adapter with swappable prongs for international travel:
 | All-in-one 100W wall charger, with international adapters (Itehil – Amazon.com) | $39.99 |
For appliances like hair dryers, make sure they are dual voltage: check the label and look for INPUT AC 120V – 240V (or a variation of that) or a switch that can be set to 125V or 250V. If it is there, then it should be safe to be used in Europe.
Otherwise, if your appliance is only 120V or 125V, then it will not work in Europe with just an adapter plug, you will need a proper voltage converter.
 | Universal Travel Adapter 220V to 110V Voltage Converter with 6A 4-Port USB Charging and Worldwide Plug Adapter (Bestek – Amazon.com) | $37.99 |
WEATHER
Year round climate
Visit Weather Spark for year round climate estimates for Perpignan, France