France

Brief Fact File

Capital	Paris
Currency	Euro (EUR)
Language(s)	French 100%, rapidly declining regional dialects and languages (Provencal, Breton, Alsatian, Corsican, Catalan, Basque, Flemish)
Local time	GMT + 01:00
Telephone code	33
Major cities	Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse

Economy
The economy of France is open to foreign trade of goods. It ranks second, after Germany, in Europe for the foreign trade and third destination globally for FDI. Its top three import partners are Germany, Italy and Spain and top three export partners are Germany, Spain and UK. The country is EU's largest agricultural power generating 2.9% of the GDP and is the second largest agricultural power in the world, after USA.

Major Exports:

• Machinery And Transportation Equipment
  
• Aircraft
  
• Plastics
  
• Chemicals
  
• Pharmaceutical Products
  
• Iron And Steel
  
• Beverages

Major Imports:

• Machinery And Equipment
  
• Vehicles
  
• Consumer goods
  
• Crude Oil
  
• Aircraft
  
• Plastics
  
• Chemicals

Business Practices

Business Dress

• Dress conservative and well-tailored clothing.
  
• Patterned fabrics and dark colors are widely acceptable, but avoid bright colors.
  
• French businessmen do not loosen their ties or take off their jackets in the office.
  
• Women should dress conservatively avoiding bright or gaudy colors.
  
• Women should also avoid any glitzy objects, like flashy jewelry.

Communication Guidelines

• If one do not speak French, it is very important to apologize for lack of knowledge.
  
• Most individuals in business meeting speak English.
  
• They have a great appreciation for the art of conversation.
  
• They frequently interrupt each other, as the argument is a form of entertainment.
  
• Talk in low voice.
  
• Eye contact is frequent and intense.

Business Hour
9.00 am to 6.00 pm - General (Monday to Friday)
9.00 am to 4.30 pm - Banks (Monday to Friday)
10.00 am to 7.00 pm - Stores (Monday to Saturday)

Important Contacts

Associations / Ministries
The Assembly of French Chambers of Commerce and Industry
ACFCI 45, Avenue d'Iéna - BP 3003 - 75773
Paris CEDEX 16 - France
Tél.: +(33)-(1)-40693700
Fax: +(33)-(1)-47206128
Website: http://www.acfci.cci.fr

Indian Embassy / Counsulate

Embassy of India
15, rue Alfred Dehodencq
75016 - Paris
France
Tel.: +(33)-(1)-40507070
Fax: +(33)-(1)-40500996

Consular Section
20-22, Rue Albéric Magnard
75016 - Paris
France
Working Hours:
9:00 am to 1:00 pm & 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm (Monday to Friday)
9:30 am to 12:00 noon - Deposit of Visas
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Collection of Visas

Visiting this country

Business Visa Rules for France
Business Visitor Visas are simply called "Visiteur." Unless provided by treaty or other reciprocity agreement, foreign nationals are required to obtain a Business Visitor Visa prior to entry. Nationals of many countries require a Visiteur Visa to travel to France on short-term business.

• Allowable Activities as a Business Visitor
  The allowable activities of business visitors are typically limited to the following:
  a) Attend business meetings, discussions and negotiations;
  b) Attend sales calls to potential European client provided that the employee represents a commercial entity outside of France;
  c) Attend seminars or "fact-finding" meetings.
  
  
• Special Note regarding Technical, Short-Term Activities
  
  The Visiteur Visa does not cover any duties that are considered technical in nature. Technical duties are covered under the business visitor status and would include short stays to implement and install machinery, computer software or repair equipment at either a French affiliate or French client site.
  
  
• Maximum Period of Stay as a Business Visitor
  
  While Consulates and immigration officers can exercise discretion in determining the length of stay for any visitor, the normal validity of most business visas is 90 days within a "given" 180-day period .
  A business visitor visa may not be extended in France
  
  
• Basic Requirements to Apply for a Business Visa
  
  The following general requirements for Business Visitors are subject to change or modification by the French government.
  
  • The applicant must have a residence and an employer outside of France and must be traveling to France for a time period of less than 90 days.
    
  • The applicant may not receive compensation from sources within France (unless for "per-diem" expenses, such as meals or car fare);
    
  • The applicant must evidence proof of sufficient funds (such as cash or credit cards) along with a confirmed, round-trip airline ticket;
    
  • The applicant must evidence that health/medical insurance will be provided by the employee's home company.

Public Holidays

Festival	Date	Local Name	Detail
New Year's Day	January 1	Jour de l'An
Easter		Pâques	Sunday, date varies
Easter Monday		Lundi de Pâques	Monday after Easter
Labour Day	May 1	Fête du Travail
V-E Day	May 8	Victoire 1945	End of WWII
Ascension Day		Ascension	Thursday, 40 days after Easter
Pentecost		Pentecôte	Seventh Sunday after Easter
Bastille Day	July 14	Fête Nationale	National Day
Assumption	August 15	Assomption
All Saints Day	November 1	Toussaint
Veterans Day Armistice Day Remembrance Day	November 11	Armistice 1918	End of WWI
Christmas Day	December 25	Noël

Travel Tips

• The French electricity runs on 220-volt and 50-cycle AC current. Carry a voltage transformer and plug adaptor.
  
• Keep out of sun between 11.00 am to 3.00 pm. Use waterproof sunscreen lotion.
  
• Taxi drivers, washroom attendants, beauticians, hairdressers and cinema ushers expect tips. Otherwise, 12-15% service charge is usually added to the bill in hotels, restaurants and bars. It is customary to leave small change along with the payment if the service has been exceptional.
  
• France is a right hand drive country and all distance and speed measurements are in km.
  
• Make 2 copies of your passport identification page. Leave one at home and carry the other in a separate place from the passport.
  
• Do not leave luggage unattended in public areas and do not accept packages from strangers.
  
• Do not wear conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry.
  
• While exchanging money or purchasing art or antiques, deal only with authorized agents.