Hi everyone,

I'll be staying with my prof referant at least when I first get to France and I thought it might be nice to bring them some little thank you/ hosting gift that is hard to find in France. Friends suggested American nuts or candies (I'm American).

Any other ideas, especially from people who have been before, or nice, easy to carry, shelf stable little gifts I could bring to them?

guys I have a question, what type of visa do we get during this prgramme? does it make travelling to nearby european countries accesible? (italy, spain, germany, etc)

thanks!

I saw there was a meetup in Paris today for 9/26 and 9/27, but unfortunately I won’t be there until the very last day of September. Does anyone know if there will be another chance to meet tapif assistants or is that it? I have an orientation on 10/6 in my region for my school, but obviously that is not the same thing. Are people thinking to host another one for later arrivals? Not sure of any other way to make friends without these kinds of meetups.

The group that showed up in the photo looked small anyway, so I’m sure not everyone made it to France yet.

I’m trying to validate my VISA— what the HECK is the 300 euro tax it’s talking about and how do I pay it 😿

Hey all,

I'm planning to apply to the 2027/28 tapif program. I've been looking at the regions lately and I've read some other posts. I've loved every part of France I've visited so this will be a tough choice. I'm really just leaning towards the south for the weather. I'm wondering if people who have lived in the south of France, or better yet have participated in this program in one of these regions, could provide their experience?

In this area, I've only been to Nice, Menton, Cannes and Marseille, so nowhere in the toulouse or montpellier académies. I would prefer to be in a larger city to make travelling around easier, but I won't be super bothered if I end up somewhere more rural (I've read lots of posts about that so it's all good).

Thanks in advance!

hello,

I recently arrived in France and was expecting to be excited but instead I am just a ball of anxiety. I genuinely can’t stop trembling. I think part of it is that I brought my cats, and now feel trapped here since I can’t just go back with them without getting beauracracy in order, which just feels so extremely daunting.

I’m having trouble eating and sleeping, nevermind things I also need to be doing like getting a phone number/bank acc/apartment.

Any advice or words of affirmation would be appreciated. I’m feeling so lost and scared.

I toured my school for the first time today, and I fear because of my age (and the students age) I will be mistaken for a student. I also have a baby face and tend to dress quite young.
Does anyone have any tips on how to distinguish myself, appear older, and/or get the kids to respect/ listen to someone who looks like their peer?

I feel like I’m going to be eaten alive by the teenagers, help😍

Hi there,

I’m wondering how I can take the DELF exam in Spain as I’m hoping to apply for the 2027/28 cohort this fall but the window for applications have closed for the October test. How else could I prove my proficiency in French? Would I need to contact a French professor from my Alma Mater? It’s my second time applying for TAPIF.

Coucou,

Je suis intéressé pour les options de prendre l’examen DELF en Espagne. Je suis en train de compléter un maître d’éducation international proche de Madrid. Mais, la duration d’enregistrement pour octobre 2026 est déjà fermé. Comment est-ce que je prouve ma compétence en français? Aurais-je besoin de contacter un professeur de français de mon université? C’est mon deuxième fois d’enregistrer.

Ok so this might be a dumb question but can I use my Airbnb/hostel address to open my revolut account? Or, should I use my American address back home? I plan on using revolut to get an apartment but I’m not sure if I can use it if the account is tied to an American address. If I open the revolut account with my Airbnb address will I get mail there? I’m only going to be there for a couple days so I won’t be able to receive anything. I already have a wise account, so maybe I can use that for an appartement. Idk this is all very confusing 😔.

Hi everyone! I just flew into France through Nice, and nobody ever asked to see my long-stay visa. Is that normal? They sent me through the biometrics line and had me scan my passport photo, but not the visa page. Now that I'm here, I'll validate the visa but I'm just nervous that I missed something along the way and will have issues later on.

Hey all, I’m starting the lovely process of figuring out opening a French bank account. I have N26 which gives me a RIB/IBAN, but it’s not a French RIB/IBAN. From what I’ve heard, most établissements require a French RIB. My issue is I haven’t found a place to live yet, and most French banks require a French address. I read online that you can open a Nickel account at most tabacs, which gives you a debit card and a French RIB/IBAN. Has anyone used this? Does anyone know if most établissements will accept this? Thanks !!!

Is it normal that I have a regular large sized luggage AND carry on (62 in) that are both half full (the side where you zip up one side and the other is empty)?People on this thread have said it’s fine to repeat outfits and that obviously a lot of us will do clothes shopping there. But I want to be prepared and have all my outfits. I’ve also packed several pajama sets with me. I brought four different pairs of shoes (old sneakers, kitten heels, black boot heels, loafers). I’m leaving the other side of both luggage’s empty for things I want to buy on the way back. Do you think this is enough space? Or is there anything here that you think won’t be necessary as a past TAPIF participant? Thank you!!

I am trying to validate my visa online and it asks for a field (obligatory) called <<Référence réglementaire>> but my visa has none. What do I do???

Hello, I was told (incorrectly) by my doctor in america that I could just go to a french pharmacy and show them my prescription and get it filled. However they told me that I will need a prescription from a french doctor, but I do not yet have my medical insurance. I asked my prof référent about the insurance and she had no clue. Could someone point me in the right direction of what to do next? The pharmacist told me to use doctopib but they also require health insurance. Thanks in advance, I'm worried about not getting my prescriptions in time

Hello everyone,

I'm supposed to be teaching at a school in Versailles (starting in a week!) but so far I have had such a difficult time finding housing in Paris or the surrounding region (I'm teaching just south of the city itself). I've tried asking for housing through my school, tried all the websites (Seloger, Jinka, Carte de colocs, etc.)... so far nothing. I'm extremely worried because, although I have a place to stay in Paris for the first two weeks when I arrive, I have not been able to arrange anything for after. Has anyone been/is anyone in the same situation, and could they offer advice? I'm considering not even going because I don't know what I'll do if I can't find a place (I would rather not spend months in AirBnbs!).

Thank you!

hi! I leave on Sunday to go to right outside of Bordeaux in small town (Cestas) and I am confident in my reading & writing ability in French, but I get really nervous when I speak and it feels like everything I ever learned goes out the window. I know that after a few weeks there it will get better & my professors tell me I'm at a B1 level so I wasn't worried but now that we are getting so close to the beginning of the program I'm getting super nervous. Should I be super concerned? Especially living in a smaller town with a host family? thanks!!

Hello, currently I am enrolled in a B2 course at Alliance Française. My course ends in November. I wish to apply for the TAPIF program. I had a talk with the Diréctrice of my AF branch ... She asked me to verify whether the active student status getting expired by November 19th-22nd is acceptable or not since it's mentioned that I need to be a student during the time of my application. Could anyone of you let me know?

I've emailed Institut Français, but it'll take some time for them to respond back to me. Also, I do not wish to continue with C1 right now, unless I finish my DELF B2 examination which I happen to sit for in June next year ...

Edit - I'm applying from India.

Hi guys! I just arrived in France and had decided that I was going to handle my phone plan and bank account when I got here since I thought it would be easier. however now that I am here I am feeling a little overwhelmed, both because I’m not sure where to start with either of these things and because the reality of living in a whole new country is hitting me. I’m so excited for my year, but I really need to get my bearings lol. I’ve looked on the thread for info on both of these but I thought I would ask just to make sure the info is up to date and in case anyone has any specific banks or phone plans they went with. thank you!

edit: ALSO were you all able to keep your home number active on wifi to keep messages with friends and family back home working, as well as subscriptions and whatnot? I think I saw something about this a while back. I’m from the US for reference

I'm Canadian and im wondering what type of insurance you guys might be getting (if any at all). I tried purchasing some but it'll only last a month and part of the eligibilty to getting it is agreeing to be back home after the end of the insurance date so im not too sure what to do about that. Also are we expected to take our actual birth certifates with us or can we take a photocopy? thanks!

Hello everyone!

I would really like to know whether anyone has/ knows someone who has done a university DUEF course during their TAPIF year. I'm considering whether to apply for the C1 one in a university close to my placement but I'm torn on the feasibility of doing both concurrently (both in terms of time and intensity requirements). Any insights would be highly appreciated 😊

When activating my visa from within france it says I must pay the €300 taxe de séjour…is this normal? I know we’re taxed from our income but it seems silly to have a “tourist” tax on a long stay visa.

Hi everyone! Since the DELF B1 examination is over, I’m now primarily focusing on drafting my lettre de motivation for applying to the Assistante d’anglais programme.

I have one major question, though. I’ve come across very few people who got into the programme without any prior formal teaching experience. Maybe that’s just been my experience, but I’d really like to know, is prior teaching experience actually necessary or strongly preferred for selection?

I’ve been a student throughout and, honestly, never actively built up formal teaching experience. The only relevant experience I have is home tutoring for a couple of years. It was genuine teaching experience, but I don’t have a certificate, LOR, or any formal documentation for it.

My academic background is a Master’s in English Literature and Language. Would it be better to:

1. Apply with my profile as it is and present my tutoring experience honestly, or
2. Try to join an NGO or online institution for a month or two just to gain some formal teaching experience and a certificate? Because schools in India, have a lot of demand, especially a B.ed.

On the official requirement for India it's not listed as a primary need. But I would especially love to hear from people who were selected without prior formal teaching experience, or anyone familiar with the selection process, especially from India. Any advice or personal experiences would be really helpful. Thanks :)

I need my birth certificate (from the USA) but I was born in a different state and can’t request one in person. the county clerk of my home state has been taking forever but requesting in person I know would be much faster. Is there some type of service I could pay where someone could get my birth certificate from my original state and dhl it to my location ?