About Freya's Nearly French

Hi, I'm Freya. I'm from Melbourne, now living in Bordeaux, and in January 2026 I arrived in France on a student visa for a year-long university exchange at KEDGE Business School.

I'm also a professional DJ, so of course I couldn't help myself and ended up DJing at a bunch of student parties. Beyond campus, I've had the chance to play at Gambetta Club in Paris, La Buvette des Quais in Bordeaux and Krossover Festival 2026 in Pessac. For Fête de la Musique, I ran my own event, where we took over Sid's Deli, an American deli in Bordeaux.

When I'm not behind the decks, you'll find me having picnics by the Garonne with friends or heading to whatever event is on that weekend.

I also became a pet sitter in Bordeaux, walking dogs around the city and dropping in on cats to make sure they had cuddles, food and fresh water. It turned out to be one of the best ways to meet locals and explore new neighbourhoods.

Before France, I worked in wealth management in Melbourne, so I'm used to paperwork. French paperwork turned out to be a whole new level. Visas, bank accounts, health cover, rental dossiers: every step came with its own forms, its own rules and its own acronyms.

Freya's Nearly French is the guide I wish I'd had. Every article is written for Australians planning a move to France, newly arrived, or settling in, and mixes what the official rules say with what actually happened when I went through it.

I started it because, when I was planning my move, it was really hard to find one good guide on what I needed, what to expect and how the visa process actually worked. Then I arrived and hit a whole new set of questions. Renting was the big one: dozens of real estate agents to work through, a few platforms that make it much easier, a stack of documents to hand over with every application, and tenant rights that work quite differently from home. In France you can rent just a room in a house, your rent doesn't change as housemates move in and out, and you only need to give 30 days' notice when you want to leave. Nobody explains any of that before you get here, so now I do.

A quick note on accuracy

I check every guide against official sources when I write it, and each one shows when it was last checked. Rules and fees in France change often, so always confirm the details with the official websites before you make a decision. Nothing here is legal, migration or financial advice.

Got a question or spotted something out of date? Get in touch.