The 5 Key Questions and Their Answers

You arrive in France, full of excitement, and the last barrier is the immigration line. Seeing the uniformed officer can be intimidating, and the fear of not understanding the questions is real. But don't worry, the conversation is much simpler than you think.

Here are the questions you are most likely to be asked and how to respond with confidence. The key to your entry is to be direct, polite, and have your documents ready.

**The Encounter with Border Police (Police aux Frontières, or PAF)**

The officer will greet you and ask for your passport. From there, the conversation usually follows this script.

1. The initial greeting:

Officer: Bonjour, monsieur/madame.
Your response: Bonjour.

2. What is the purpose of your visit?

Officer: Quel est le motif de votre voyage ? (What is the purpose of your trip?)
Your response (if you are a tourist): Je suis touriste. (I am a tourist.)
Your response (if you are visiting someone): Je visite ma famille/mes amis. (I am visiting my family/friends.)

3. How long are you staying?

Officer: Combien de temps restez-vous ? (How long are you staying?)
Your response: State the number of days or weeks. For example: Deux semaines. (Two weeks.)

4. Where will you be staying?

Officer: Où allez-vous loger ? (Where will you be staying?)
Your response: À l'hôtel [name of the hotel] (At the [name of the hotel] hotel) or Chez un ami (At a friend's house). It is helpful to have the address on hand.

5. Do you have a return ticket?

Officer: Avez-vous un billet de retour ? (Do you have a return ticket?)
Your response: Oui, le voici. (Yes, here it is.) Show your ticket on your phone or printed.

A Few Additional Phrases That Might Help

If the officer speaks too fast or you need to ask for a moment, you can use these phrases:

Je ne comprends pas. (I don't understand.)
Pouvez-vous répéter, s'il vous plaît ? (Could you please repeat that?)
Un peu plus lentement, s'il vous plaît. (A little more slowly, please.)

**The Customs Ritual (Douane)**

After immigration, you will head to the baggage claim area and, finally, go through customs. Unless you have something to declare (like more than 10,000 euros in cash or goods subject to taxes), you can simply go through the "nothing to declare" lane. An officer might randomly stop you, but this is very rare.

Understanding the distinction between immigration and customs, and knowing what questions to expect, will give you the confidence you need to start your trip to France on the right foot.

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