Sydney is outdoor life in its purest form: beaches, bays, barbecues and children growing up in swimsuits. The Lycée Condorcet keeps the French curriculum thread going on the other side of the world, with a year running August to June.
Currency
Australian dollar (A$)
Language
English
Time vs Paris
8 to 10h ahead
Emergencies
000
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.
Sydney Accueil
Since 1990
Since 1990, Sydney Accueil has set the community's rhythm: coastal walks, jacaranda outings, the Biennale, a giant Christmas BBQ and a much-awaited yearly gala.
Where to meet them
No fixed drop-in; reference address at the Lycée Condorcet (Maroubra), contact by email.
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-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FACCI)
The French-Australian chamber, headquartered in Sydney, has over 430 members, with a job board, directory and networking events that support a spouse's job search and the family's move.
To follow local life in French: news, what's on, good addresses and, often, a directory of French-speaking professionals.
lepetitjournal.com Sydney
MediaIn French
The Sydney edition of the online daily for French expatriates: Australian news, community life, events, and full guides on housing, schools and settling in.
The edition's expat directory: useful addresses and French-speaking professionals in Sydney, to which anyone can suggest a listing.
The French-Australian community's newspaper of record, founded in Sydney in the late 19th century: Australian and world news in French, community life, practical sections (settling in, housing, education, jobs).
The Sydney 'Bons plans' section: addresses, outings and French-speaking businesses in the city.
The French-language programme of Australia's public multicultural broadcaster, headquartered in Sydney: Australian and world news, stories about the French-speaking community, radio and podcasts.
A free French-language guide to living and travelling in Australia, written by French people long settled in Australia: paperwork, health, insurance, jobs and practical life.
A list of French-speaking doctors by city, including several GPs in Sydney, checked with the practices in July 2026.
Before you even land in Sydney, Facebook groups are the best shortcut: ask your questions, find a flat, a nanny, a second-hand stroller, and often your first friends.
Very active Public In French
Les Français en Australie
176,100 members · ≈ 487 posts/week
Le groupe Facebook incontournable des Français en Australie.
Pour filtrer les faux comptes, les annonces d’appartements et de véhicules sont désormais à 5 AUD, une seule fois pour toujours.
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/82KYRF7B5586L
N'oubliez pas d'indiquer votre nom Facebook pour être accepté après votre donation.
Français/Francophones en Australie génération 2026/27
94,100 members · ≈ 116 posts/week
Le but de ce groupe est de diffuser et de partager des informations utiles, gratuites et intéressantes, bons plans pour les voyageurs francophones en Australie ainsi que partager des experiences vécues et ceci pour être à même de créer un réseau parmi la communauté francophone d'Australie. Tous sont les bienvenus, mais, s'il vous plaît, merci de publier des informations utiles et vérifiées.
The purpose of this group is to provide and share free, friendly and useful information and experiences amongst french speakers in Australia and this, to be able to connect with each other and provide a real sense of being part of a community. All are welcome to be part of the group but, please, only useful informations and no abusive language will be tolerate.
Thanks
Merci
The North Shore Mums Facebook group is an online community for mums who live, work or play on Sydney's North Shore. This is a space where you can connect...
Pour les français en Australie
Se retrouver,
Partager des bons plans,
Ou tout simplement rester en contact!
Le groupe facebook pour tous les français sur Sydney!
Ce groupe est dédié aux Français à Sydney cherchant un job dans tous les domaines (construction, hospitality, fermes, nanny...) ou souhaitant partager un...
Sydney Parents (Kids Activities Sydney) is a friendly community of parents, family members and people that work with children. We aim to support each...
Bienvenue à tous !
Ce groupe est destiné à tous les français qui vivent ou sont juste de passage à Sydney, Australie. Backpackers, voyageurs, expats, au...
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.
The Lycée Condorcet, AEFE-affiliated in Maroubra, teaches 1,200 pupils from nursery to the baccalaureate. Precious detail: it follows the French calendar (September start), while Australian schools run January to December.
Good to know
Condorcet follows a northern-style year (starts 19 August, ends in June): no lost year when arriving from France.
Australian public schools, local and good, run January to December: factor it in if you switch systems.
Many French families settle east (Maroubra, Coogee, Randwick) near the lycée.
Plan ahead: one French school for the whole city, lists fill early.
French-speaking community
The French community of Sydney lives mostly in the Eastern Suburbs, between the lycée, the beaches and the cafés. Sydney Accueil and the Alliance française are its pillars.
Good to know
Sydney Accueil (FIAFE network) has animated the community since 1990.
Maroubra, Coogee, Randwick and Bondi concentrate the francophone families.
The Alliance française de Sydney offers classes, a film club and a children's library.
The 8 to 10h time difference with France is manageable: family calls happen early morning or evening.
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 Sydney uses to get around, get things delivered and organise daily life.
Getting around
Opal Travel
Sydney's official transport app: top up your Opal card, check your balance and plan trains, buses, ferries and light rail across the city.
What mums ask when they arrive in Sydney, in short, sourced answers.
French school or Australian school: where to start?
The Lycée Condorcet, in Maroubra, is Sydney's only AEFE-accredited school and follows a northern hemisphere calendar, from nursery to the final year. Two public schools offer a French-English bilingual programme: Killarney Heights in the north and Taren Point in the south. Note that without permanent residency, public school usually charges fees for children of temporary visa holders. Fees are detailed on /en/cities/sydney/school-fees/.
Source ↗Do we need health insurance for the family?
Yes. France has no reciprocal agreement with Australia, so no Medicare on a temporary visa, and most visas require adequate health insurance for every family member, with an Australian insurer. Without Medicare, you are a private patient even in public hospitals. It is all explained on /en/cities/sydney/health/.
Source ↗How do I find a paediatrician, ideally French-speaking?
You start with the GP, the family doctor, who treats children and refers to a paediatrician if needed: there is no direct-access paediatrician. Public lists of French-speaking doctors are short in Sydney; we reproduce the consulate's and a French-language guide's on /en/cities/sydney/health/.
In a life-threatening emergency, call 000 or go to the children's emergency department at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick or at Westmead, open 24/7 up to age 16. For advice, the healthdirect line answers free on 1800 022 222 day and night, and the poisons centre on 13 11 26.
The school's: Maroubra, Coogee, Randwick and Bondi for the Lycée Condorcet, the Northern Beaches and Killarney Heights for the northern bilingual programme, the Sutherland Shire for Taren Point. The market is expensive and fast: prepare your application before viewings. Our neighbourhood guide is on /en/cities/sydney/settling-in/.
Source ↗How much do we need to move into a rental?
NSW law caps the bond at 4 weeks' rent and rent in advance at 2 weeks; a holding fee of at most one week may be requested. The bond is lodged with NSW Fair Trading, not kept by the agency, and no application fee can be charged.
On a temporary visa, yes, for 6 months after arrival, then you need a NSW temporary overseas visitor licence; permanent residents have 3 months. As France is a recognised country, there is no test to retake for a car, but an approved translation of the licence is required.
They count, but NSW childcare centres do not accept overseas records: the GP must transfer the vaccines to the Australian register, which issues the statement required at enrolment. The NSW schedule notably adds chickenpox at 18 months, and a child who is not up to date without a medical reason cannot be enrolled.
Daycare centres (long day care), registered home-based carers (family day care) and nannies coexist, and waiting lists are long: sign up early. Childcare is expensive and the public Child Care Subsidy is subject to residence rules that many temporary visas do not meet. French-speaking associations also share babysitting ads.
It is not compulsory but strongly recommended: registration is free, valid for 5 years and done online. It simplifies passports and civil records, lets you vote and is required to apply for a school grant for the Lycée Condorcet.
Source ↗How can we meet other French-speaking families?
Sydney Accueil runs coffee mornings, walks, holiday outings and family parties across the city; in the north, the FANS association brings the community together around Killarney Heights and its French Market. French storytimes at the Maroubra library and Sunday Nippers are other great opportunities. Our outing ideas are on /en/cities/sydney/family-outings/.
Source ↗How does the cost of living in Sydney compare with France?
Housing and childcare are the two big items, much more expensive than in France; everyday shopping stays comparable to a large French city. Restaurants and imported products cost more, while beaches, parks, big museums and transport for little ones are free or nearly so.
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