🇫🇷 France
Visa-free, but the border is biometric now.
No - Australian passport holders can enter France without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Pack a Type C/F adapter for the 230V supply, one Australian dollar buys about 0.62 EUR.
Entry rules last checked 24 October 2026.
France is the most-visited country on earth and the one Australians most often build a European trip around. Entry is straightforward - 90 days visa-free - but the arithmetic behind it is not: those 90 days are shared across every Schengen country you visit, and since April 2026 the border records your fingerprints instead of stamping your passport.
Your France trip setup
21 things Australians need to sort. Tick them off as you go.
Entry requirements
Visa-free (Schengen Area)Up to 90 days in any 180-day period View detailsFlights
Compare 3 searchs Search flightsConnectivity
Compare 8 plansFrom $8.50 Compare eSIMsTravel insurance
Compare 7 policysFrom $18.50 Compare insuranceMoney & payments
Compare 5 cards0.43%-0.65% conversion fee Compare cardsAirport transfer
CDG → ParisFrom $19 Compare optionsDriving
IDP requiredDrives on the right Compare car hireTravel essentials
Adapter type C/FTap water: safe to drink View guideThings to do
Compare 7 experiencesFrom $37 Explore activitiesFrance at a glance for Australians
Best time to visit
May-June and September-October
August is when the French themselves go on holiday - Paris empties, the coast fills, and a lot of neighbourhood restaurants simply close for the month.
22h 30m from Sydney
Busiest month for Australian travellers: July, quietest March. France travel statistics
Health & safety
Smartraveller: Exercise a high degree of caution
Australia has no reciprocal health care agreement with France. You pay for treatment up front, and an air ambulance home is the cost that turns a bad week into a bad decade.
Emergency: 112 for everything
Money
Near-universal. Contactless works on transport, in bakeries and at market stalls. Amex is patchy outside hotels.
Bank ATMs (BNP, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole) are fee-free for withdrawals; avoid the Euronet machines in tourist areas, which charge heavily and offer bad conversion.
Tipping: Service is included by law and shown as "service compris". Rounding up or leaving a couple of euros for good service is normal; 10% or more is not expected.
Language & culture
French
English: Good in Paris and the tourist south, patchy in rural areas - a greeting in French before you switch to English changes the reception noticeably
Capital: Paris
Australian dollar to Euro
€0.62 EUR per AUD
Last recorded rate
These are mid-market rates - the rate banks trade at, published by the European Central Bank. It is not what you will be offered. Expect a card or exchange service to take 0.5% to 5% off it, which is exactly what our travel money comparison is for. Past movement doesn't predict future rates, and none of this is financial advice.
View the numbers as a table
Where Australians go in France
Paris
Nice
Lyon
Bordeaux
Marseille
France FAQs for Australian travellers
Do Australians need a visa for France?
No. Australian passport holders can enter France visa-free for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. That allowance is shared across the entire Schengen Area, so days spent in Italy, Spain or Germany count against the same 90.
What is the Entry/Exit System and does it affect me?
Yes. The EU Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. Instead of stamping your passport, the border takes your fingerprints and a facial image at your first Schengen crossing and records every entry and exit digitally. You only enrol once every three years, but budget extra time at the airport the first time.
Do I need ETIAS to visit France?
Not yet. ETIAS is a EUR 20 pre-travel authorisation expected to start in the last quarter of 2026, with a transition period after that. Until it launches, Australians need nothing in advance. Check its status before you book if you are travelling late in the year.
Do I need an International Driving Permit in France?
Yes. France requires foreign drivers to carry a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with their home licence. Apply through your state motoring club in Australia before you leave - you cannot obtain one in France, and hire companies will refuse the car.
What power adapter do I need for France?
A Type C or E adapter - the round two-pin European plug. France runs on 230V, the same as Australia, so hair dryers, chargers and shavers all work normally once the plug fits.
Is an eSIM worth it for France?
Yes, and buy a Europe-wide one rather than a French-only plan if you are visiting more than one country. A regional eSIM covers the whole EU at one price, against roughly $5-$10 a day for Australian roaming.
Planning France?
We will send you the France guide as it grows - what to book before you go, which eSIM and travel card are worth it there, and what things actually cost in Australian dollars.