Canada vs France

You can incorporate federally (Corporations Canada) or provincially; many small businesses also register as a sole proprietorship or partnership. Incorporation is online, and you then register for a Business Number (BN) with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Companies in France (commonly a SARL or SAS) are registered through the single online business-formalities portal, which files with the national business register (RNE) and issues a SIREN number. Steps include drafting statutes, depositing capital and publishing a legal notice.

Canada's banking is led by a few large national banks. Newcomers can open accounts — often before arrival — usually needing ID and sometimes proof of status. Newcomer banking packages are common, and banks are overseen federally.

France's banking includes large retail banks and growing online banks. Opening an account usually needs ID, proof of address and a residence status; a French account is often required for rent and utilities. The Banque de France oversees the system.

Canada welcomes foreign investment through Invest in Canada, but significant acquisitions are reviewed for 'net benefit' and national security under the Investment Canada Act. There are no exchange controls, so capital and profits move freely; incentives include the SR&ED tax credit and provincial programs.

France courts foreign investment through Business France and the 'Choose France' initiative, with free movement of capital. Investments in sensitive sectors need prior authorization under the foreign-investment control regime (run by the Treasury); incentives include the research tax credit (CIR) and regional aid.

Canada taxes federal and provincial income (Canada Revenue Agency plus provincial rates) and levies GST/HST on most goods and services. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income; your province of residence affects your combined rate.

France taxes personal income progressively with pay-as-you-earn withholding, adds social levies, and applies VAT (TVA) to most goods and services; corporate tax applies to companies. Tax residents are taxed on worldwide income.

Most foreign workers need a work permit — either employer-specific (often requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment, LMIA) or an open work permit. Programs like the Global Talent Stream speed up skilled hires. Permits are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Non-EU nationals generally need a work authorisation and a long-stay visa or residence permit to work in France; the 'Talent Passport' covers skilled workers, founders and researchers. EU/EEA citizens work freely. The process involves the employer, labour authorities and French consulates.

Most international students in Canada need a study permit — not technically a visa, though a temporary resident visa or eTA may be issued for travel. You apply to IRCC with a Letter of Acceptance from a Designated Learning Institution, proof of funds and, for most applicants, a Provincial/Territorial Attestation Letter. An annual study-permit cap applies, so apply early. From 1 January 2026 master's and doctoral students at public DLIs are exempt from the PAL/TAL — confirm current IRCC rules.

Non-EU students staying longer than three months need a long-stay study visa, usually the VLS-TS "étudiant". Its defining feature: once you validate it online within three months of arrival, it doubles as your residence permit — no separate permit application. In many countries the process runs through Campus France's "Études en France" procedure before the consular step. It allows part-time work and Schengen travel.

To visit Canada you need either a visitor visa (Temporary Resident Visa) or, if you are from a visa-exempt country flying in, an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA). Which one applies depends on your nationality and how you travel. Visits are usually granted for up to six months, and visitor status does not allow work without separate authorisation.

France is in the Schengen Area, so short tourist or business visits follow Schengen rules: up to 90 days within any 180-day period across the whole area. Visa-exempt nationals can visit without a visa; everyone else applies for a short-stay (type C) Schengen visa through the official France-Visas portal. A new ETIAS authorisation is being introduced for visa-exempt travellers — check the current requirement.

Canadian permanent residence is commonly obtained through Express Entry (skilled workers), Provincial Nominee Programs, family sponsorship or business routes. PRs can live, work and study anywhere in Canada and must meet residency obligations.

France's long-term residence is the carte de résident, typically a 10-year renewable card available after several years of legal residence (or immediately for some family of French citizens). The multi-year Talent Passport is a common step toward it.

Canadian citizenship generally requires being a permanent resident physically present in Canada for 1,095 days (3 years) within the past 5 years, filing taxes, and passing a citizenship test (for applicants 18-54). Canada allows dual citizenship.

French citizenship by naturalization generally requires five years' residence (reduced in some cases), integration, French language ability and stable resources. France allows dual citizenship, and marriage to a French citizen is a separate route.

Canadian employment standards are mostly provincial — each province sets minimum wage, hours, vacation and termination notice (federal rules cover federally-regulated sectors). Human-rights codes ban discrimination, and most terminations require notice or pay in lieu; disputes go to the provincial employment-standards body or labour board.

French employment is highly regulated by the Code du travail: a 35-hour legal working week, the SMIC minimum wage, five weeks' paid leave, and structured dismissal rules. Most jobs are permanent (CDI); employee representatives (CSE) and collective agreements apply, and disputes go to the labour court (conseil de prud'hommes).

Canadian traders register a business number with an import/export (RM) account and clear goods through the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). You classify goods under the Customs Tariff, pay duty and GST, meet any permits, and file via the CARM portal. Advance rulings and disputes go through CBSA.

French trade with non-EU countries goes through French customs (la Douane) with an EU EORI number. You classify goods in TARIC to find duty, and import VAT (20%) is now self-assessed on your VAT return. Declarations are electronic via DELTA; intra-EU flows need statistical (EMEBI/DEB) reporting and dual-use exports need a licence.

Canadian trademarks are registered with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO). You search the register, file an application classifying goods/services under Nice, and it is examined and advertised for opposition before registration. A Canadian trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; CIPO also grants patents and industrial designs.

French trademarks are registered with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). You search the register, file an application classifying goods/services under Nice, and it publishes in the BOPI for a two-month opposition period before registration. A French trademark lasts 10 years and is renewable; an EU-wide alternative is the EU trademark via EUIPO.

Job Bank is the Government of Canada's official national job board, and its distinguishing feature is that it is also a labour-market data source: alongside listings it shows wage ranges and job outlook by occupation and region, so you can research a role and apply for one in the same place. Foreign nationals usually need a work permit, and many employer-specific permits require an LMIA or a qualifying offer. Canadian work experience can also help some permanent-residence pathways.

France Travail is the public employment service and official job board — it was formerly Pôle emploi, so guidance still using the old name is dated. Non-EU workers generally need a work authorisation tied to a residence permit, such as salarié or passeport talent, which means the permit and the job are linked rather than separate matters. Certain shortage occupations, the métiers en tension, can have streamlined hiring, and Service-Public sets out the rules.

Canada has two minimum-wage layers: each province and territory sets its own rate, and a separate federal minimum applies to federally-regulated industries — so which one governs depends on your sector as well as your location. Most provinces index increases to inflation, meaning rates move regularly rather than by occasional announcement. The Government's Job Bank wage tool is unusually useful because it shows minimum, median and maximum wages by occupation and region.

France has a single national minimum wage, the SMIC, which applies across the country. Its distinguishing feature is the revaluation rule: it is revalued at least once a year and can rise mid-year if inflation triggers it — so unlike floors that move on a fixed annual date, a French figure can go out of date between scheduled updates. INSEE is authoritative for SMIC and average-wage statistics, while Service-Public explains the rules. Pay is quoted brut, with social contributions and income tax reducing net.

Canada's funding is a mix of federal, provincial and university awards, promoted through the EduCanada portal. Graduate research funding is being consolidated under the Canada Graduate Scholarships (the older Vanier CGS is being phased into this), alongside many university-specific scholarships. Search EduCanada and each university's awards pages and apply by their deadlines.

France's flagship scholarship for international students is the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship (France Excellence Eiffel), funded by the Foreign Ministry for master's and PhD, alongside university and regional awards. Campus France is the official portal to explore funding and apply to study in France. Apply by each scheme's deadline, which is often well before the course starts.

To study in Canada you apply to a Designated Learning Institution (DLI); once accepted you receive a Letter of Acceptance and, in most provinces, a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL), which you use to apply for a study permit. Recent caps mean the PAL and financial proof matter more than before. Explore EduCanada and apply by the deadline.

To study in France, students from many countries apply through the 'Études en France' procedure (via Campus France), then, once admitted, apply for a VLS-TS long-stay student visa, which you validate online within three months of arrival. Public university fees are low, though some are higher for non-EU students. Explore options on Campus France and apply by the deadline.

Renting in Canada is straightforward, but buying is restricted: a federal ban prohibits most non-Canadians from purchasing residential property (in force to the start of 2027, with exemptions e.g. for permanent residents and some work-permit holders). Tenancy rules and deposits are set provincially; purchases (for those exempt) use a lawyer/notary, the provincial land title office and a land transfer tax.

France places no restriction on foreigners buying property. Renting is tenant-protective (the 1989 law): the deposit (dépôt de garantie) is capped at one month's rent for unfurnished homes (two for furnished), and agency fees are regulated. Buying goes through a notaire, is registered at the land registry (publicité foncière), and carries 'frais de notaire' of roughly 7–8% (mostly transfer duties).

Canada has publicly-funded healthcare delivered by each province and territory under the Canada Health Act. Eligible residents get medically-necessary hospital and physician care with no direct charge, and you apply for your province's health card. The gap to plan for: some provinces impose a waiting period for new residents, so private interim insurance is advisable. Prescription drugs, dental and vision are often not covered.

France's Assurance Maladie covers anyone working or residing in France on a stable, regular basis through the Protection Universelle Maladie (PUMa). The model is reimbursement rather than free-at-point-of-use: the scheme repays a large share of costs and most people take a complementary "mutuelle" to cover the remainder. You manage cover, reimbursements and your carte Vitale through an Ameli account.

Canada's federal social insurance is the Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, both deducted from pay — CPP for pensions, EI for job-loss and parental benefits. Most private insurance is regulated provincially, while OSFI prudentially supervises federally-incorporated insurers. Auto insurance is mandatory in every province, and in some (such as BC and Saskatchewan) it is publicly provided rather than bought from a private insurer. Newcomers often add private health and dental cover, which public plans do not include.

France's Sécurité sociale provides social insurance covering health, family, pensions and work accidents, with contributions collected largely through URSSAF. The detail that catches renters out is that France has two compulsory private insurances, not one: motor third-party liability, and home insurance for tenants. A complementary health mutuelle is widely held to top up Assurance Maladie, and insurers are supervised by the ACPR, part of the Banque de France.