London is one of the largest French cities outside France. Between AEFE schools, royal parks and free museums, the city is surprisingly gentle on families, once you know how it works. Here are the landmarks to get started, checked at the source.
Currency
Pound sterling (£)
Language
English
Time vs Paris
1h behind
Emergencies
999 (medical advice: 111)
FIAFE network
The Accueil for French-speaking families
In each city, a volunteer-run association from the FIAFE network welcomes, informs and helps French-speaking families settling in.
Londres Accueil
Since 1983
Since 1983, Londres Accueil has been welcoming French-speaking families settling in London: practical advice, activities, guided visits and a yearly integration forum to start your London life on the right foot.
Where to meet them
Drop-in session on Tuesday mornings at the Institut français in South Kensington (13 Cromwell Place).
Two large national networks also support the French abroad, each with its local chapter.
UFE
UFE Grande-Bretagne
The British chapter of the Union des Français de l'Étranger (network founded in 1927): mutual aid, social events and practical talks (pensions, tax, schooling) for the French in London.
The UK section of Français du monde - ADFE (a recognised public-interest association) defends the rights of French residents in the UK and helps with paperwork. Its local website has closed: go through the sections directory on the national website.
The local French chamber of commerce (CCI France International network) is a real asset for work: networking, job offers and help to restart a career or start a business locally.
CCI France International
French Chamber of Great Britain
The leading Franco-British business network in London: networking events, a jobboard and hands-on support to find work or start a business, a real help for a spouse looking to (re)build a career.
To follow local life in French: news, what's on, good addresses and, often, a directory of French-speaking professionals.
lepetitjournal.com Londres
MediaIn French
The London edition of the online daily for French expatriates: news, practical life, events, community, and the Petit Guide de Londres, a print and online guide produced with the consulate for newcomers.
Directory of useful addresses and French-speaking professionals (health, education, services), complemented by the Petit Guide de Londres and its list of professionals.
The news site for the French in London and the UK, British edition of the French Morning group: family, education, health, housing, immigration, children's outings, podcasts and newsletters.
The UK French-speaking directory, by category: health (dentists, general practice, psychiatrists and psychotherapists), children's activities and babysitting, bilingual schools, property, lawyers.
Online magazine for French speakers in London and the UK: outings, culture, practical life, guided tours in French and a weekly newsletter on Friday mornings.
Participative directory of French-speaking professionals (psychotherapists, medical centres, tutoring, property, accountants); professionals list themselves.
The French-language lifestyle magazine of Londoners, for twenty years: outings, exhibitions, shows, good addresses and what is new in the capital, in pocket print and online.
Before you even land in London, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.
Private In French
LE CERCLE DES FRANCAIS A LONDRES - OFFICIEL
77,900 members · ≈ 22 posts/week
Bonjour et bienvenue sur le #1er groupe Francophone à Londres ! LE CERCLE OFFICIEL depuis 12 ans.
⚠️ Répondez aux questions lors de votre demande...
FRANCAIS A LONDRES (Logement, Job/Stage et Cours d'anglais sur Londres)
60,400 members · ≈ 23 posts/week
Ce groupe est destiné aux français qui veulent découvrir Londres ou ceux qui sont déjà dans la magnifique capitale britannique et souhaitent apporter...
FRANCAIS À LONDRES by The FRENCH SOCIETY of LONDON
55,600 members · ≈ 58 posts/week
Encore plus de bon plans, plus d'annonces de jobs et de logements, encore plus de soirées, plus de cultures. Une vraie communauté mais ouverte à tout le monde, français ou pas. ENJOY!!!
Veuillez répondre au questionnaire d'adhésion, lire et accepter les règles pour rejoindre le groupe ! Autrement votre demande sera refusée.
Un groupe...
Un groupe ouvert à tous pour échanger des bons plans sur Londres, répondre aux questions, s'entraider, etc.
Invitez vos amis à nous rejoindre !!!!
Que vous soyez à Londres pour un court séjour, en voyage, ou si vous envisagez de vous installer dans cette superbe métropole, vous trouverez ici toutes les informations nécessaires pour faciliter votre intégration au sein de la capitale.
Lors de vos recherches de logements ou reventes, veuillez prendre un moment pour lire attentivement les règles du groupe. Cela garantit une expérience positive et sécurisée pour tous les membres. Nous encourageons la transparence et la coopération dans notre communauté.
Partagez également vos expériences, conseils, astuces avec les autres membres du groupe
Liens sponsorisés :
- Transfert Gratuit - utilisez ce lien pour un premier transfert gratuit grace a TransferWise (max 500€ :) https://transferwise.com/u/2f5b7e
Salut à tous voici un groupe de publicité GRATUITE . Tout le monde peut poster, aider, proposer, apprendre la vie, partagez les bonnes adresses, clubs, écoles. PLEASE PARTAGER ET FAITES DE CETTE PAGE FB L'INCONTOURNABLE DES INFOS ET DES BONS PLANS A LONDRES ! Ça démarre maintenant
Groupe pour les Français qui habitent à Londres ou qui souhaitent s'y installer.
Rappel de quelques règles importantes:
1. Soyez aimable et courtois...
We are a group of American expats/friends living either full-time. part-time or seasonally in London. This is a forum for us to network,to share a sense of fellowship and love for London, and to help each other in any way!
Compiled from Facebook's public search, links checked in July 2026. Group sizes change all the time.
AEFE network
Accredited French schools
Schools accredited by the French Ministry of Education follow the French curriculum: your child can continue their schooling seamlessly, abroad and back in France.
Source: official AEFE directory, verified June 2026. aefe.gouv.fr
Tutoring and private lessons
To support your children's schooling across two systems, two solutions designed for expat families.
Axiom Academic
Private lessons and tutoring for expat families: French curriculum, IB and British curriculum, at home or online, with teachers who know the schools in your city.
Two systems live side by side: the British one, where children start Reception at age 4, and a strong network of French schools, from the Lycée Français Charles de Gaulle in South Kensington to the CFBL in north London.
Good to know
State schools are free; admission depends on your address, through the borough (catchment area).
AEFE-accredited French schools are in high demand: start the process several months before September.
The school year has three terms, each with a one-week half-term break in the middle.
Uniforms are the norm, including in state schools: plan for the back-to-school budget.
French-speaking community
You will hear French in every South Kensington playground, but the community lives far beyond it: Kentish Town, Clapham, Ealing and Wimbledon each have their own little France.
Good to know
The Institut français in South Kensington is a home base: children's library, cinema, kids workshops.
Facebook groups of French-speaking mums in London are very active, from pram swaps to nanny tips.
Londres Accueil, part of the FIAFE network, walks newcomers through their first London months.
French bookshops, parishes and francophone cafés complete the network.
A place has closed, something has changed?
The arrival reflex
The apps to download when you land
Drop your bags, download these and you're set: the apps everyone in London uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.
Getting around
Citymapper
Born in London, it finds the best route by Tube, bus, bike or on foot; locals swear by it.
What mums ask when they arrive in London, in short, sourced answers.
English or French school: where do we start?
Children start Reception at English schools in the year they turn 4, and state schools are free, allocated by the borough according to your address. AEFE-accredited French schools (Lycée Charles-de-Gaulle, CFBL, Winston-Churchill...) charge fees and are in high demand: start the process several months before term. Our Schools and School fees pages detail both systems: /en/cities/london/school-fees/.
Source ↗How do I get a state school place mid-year?
Everything goes through your borough council: it lists the schools in your area, their admission criteria and the in-year application form. Distance to the school matters a lot, hence choosing housing before school. Visit schools, read Ofsted reports, and apply as soon as you have an address.
Source ↗Do we need health insurance for the children?
No: with a visa, the health surcharge paid with the application opens free NHS access from day one, for the whole family. Many families add private insurance, often provided by the employer, to shorten specialist waits or consult in French. It is all explained on our Health page: /en/cities/london/health/.
Source ↗How do I find a paediatrician, ideally French-speaking?
In the NHS there is no community paediatrician: the GP (family doctor) follows children and refers to hospital, with a health visitor for babies. For a private French-speaking paediatrician, the consulate publishes a list of French-speaking doctors, dentists and therapists, which we reproduce on our Health page: /en/cities/london/health/.
Source ↗Which number do I call if my child is ill at night?
999 only for a life-threatening emergency. For everything else, 111, free and open 24/7: an adviser assesses the symptoms, can send an out-of-hours GP, direct you to an urgent treatment centre or the nearest children's A&E. For a child under 5, call rather than use 111 online.
Source ↗Which neighbourhood should we settle in with children?
French families follow the schools: South Kensington and Chelsea around the Lycée Charles-de-Gaulle, Fulham, Battersea and Clapham in the south-west, Kentish Town and Hampstead in the north, Wembley for the Lycée Winston-Churchill. The further from the centre, the more space and garden you get. Our Settling in page reviews the neighbourhoods: /en/cities/london/settling-in/.
In order: activate each person's UKVI account (eVisa), apply for the National Insurance number of whoever is working, register the whole family with a GP, open a bank account, tell the council you have moved in for council tax, and register with the French consular register, online, free and valid 5 years. Details on /en/cities/london/settling-in/.
Up to and including age 10, they travel free with a fare-paying adult (up to four children); the 5-10 Zip Oyster also lets them travel alone for free. From 11 to 15, the 11-15 Zip Oyster gives free buses and child fares on the Tube. Cards are applied for online with the child's passport, allow a few weeks before term.
Source ↗Nursery, nanny, au pair: how do you get a little one looked after?
Nurseries and registered childminders (listed with Ofsted) are the two classic routes, and London is one of the most expensive places in the country. All 3 and 4-year-olds get 15 free hours a week; working parents can get 30 hours from 9 months, subject to income and status. A nanny at home makes you an employer, with contract, payslips and contributions.
Source ↗My child does not speak English: how will they cope at school?
Very well, and faster than you: London schools are used to newly arrived children and provide English support (EAL). The real challenge then becomes keeping French: FLAM Saturday schools, the Institut français médiathèque and film club, French camps every holiday. Our addresses are on /en/cities/london/family-outings/.
Source ↗Is London really that expensive for a family?
Yes for two items: housing, the most expensive in the UK, and childcare for little ones. The rest balances out: free national museums, free transport for under-11s, NHS with no upfront costs, groceries comparable to France. Our Settling in page details the budget line by line: /en/cities/london/settling-in/.
Source ↗Where can I meet other French-speaking mums?
Londres Accueil holds a drop-in on Tuesday mornings at the Institut français in South Kensington and organises coffee mornings, visits and a back-to-school forum. Facebook groups of French-speaking mums, the school gates of the French schools, the Notre-Dame de France parish and the FLAM Saturday schools do the rest. The local French-language media (lepetitjournal.com, French Morning London, Français à Londres) list the week's events.
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