Ukrainian Expat Katerina’s Take on Life in France
Katerina, a Ukrainian who has resided in France for over four years, recently shared her perspective on the country’s downsides in a TikTok video. She pointed out several key challenges, including:
- excessive bureaucracy
- uniform salary levels
- high tax rates
- difficulties accessing healthcare
- the necessity of speaking French
In France, the minimum wage sits at 1,800 euros per month. However, Katerina emphasizes that “salaries are nearly identical across all industries and job positions.” The gap between the minimum wage and higher earnings is only 300 to 500 euros, and just 10% of the population earns over 5,000 euros monthly. She adds, “When it comes to hiring, the choice always favors a French person over a foreigner.”
High taxes also feature prominently in her account. Katerina notes that “taxes can be enormous, sometimes reaching 45%. This makes it nearly impossible to start your own business.” According to her, many newly opened businesses—such as cafes or salons in her town—quickly shut down due to the unfavorable tax environment. She stresses, “There are countless stories, even from French people, complaining about this. Small and medium-sized enterprises really suffer.”
Healthcare and Language Barriers
When it comes to medical care, Katerina observes that “while things are somewhat manageable in Paris, in my town—an hour away from Paris—it’s very difficult.” Emergency response times range from 5 to 10 hours, a situation that worries local residents.
Katerina also highlights the critical need to know French for a comfortable life in the country. She states, “If you don’t know French and have no desire to learn it, you’re definitely not welcome here.” According to her, English is poorly understood, and people may outright refuse to communicate or provide services. “This happened to me many times at the start of the war; they wouldn’t even speak through a translator,” she adds. For successful integration, she recommends at least an A2 level of French, as locals then treat foreigners more warmly.
Overall, Katerina’s experience in France sheds light on a range of issues faced by both foreigners and locals, underscoring difficulties with bureaucracy, the economy, and language barriers. These factors can significantly affect quality of life and the integration of immigrants into French society—a crucial consideration in today’s context of migration and cultural adaptation.
While Katerina's insights shed light on the challenges of living in France, they resonate with the experiences shared by other Ukrainian expatriates. For instance, after spending seven years in Warsaw, another Ukrainian woman has articulated the significant drawbacks of life in Poland. Discover her perspective and see how it compares to Katerina's observations by exploring the full story on the major downsides of living in Warsaw.