A Comprehensive Guide about Living in Marseille

Life in Marseille

Education in Marseille

Expatriates working and living in Marseille may choose to send their children to an international school, where English is the main language and they can study for international qualifications that are accepted in their home country.

As it is a port city, there are people of many different nationalities living in Marseilles, and as such there are a number of international schools that are suitable for the children of expatriates, most notably Epim Marseilles, a bilingual school based in the city. This would also be a good choice for long term expatriates, as their children could learn French while studying in English.

Marseille is home to a number of internationally renowned universities, including three campuses of the Aix-Marseilles University, the Ecole Centrale de Marseilles, the École pour l’informatique et les nouvelles technologies, and KEDGE Business School.

Healthcare in Marseille

As an expat working and living in Marseille, you will be able to use the French public healthcare system, Sécurité Sociale, as long as you are making the required social security payments. In addition, expatriates who have reached retirement age in their own country will be able to use the public system for free.

The public healthcare system in France is ranked number one in the world by the World Health Organization, and is one of the country’s greatest achievements. Expatriates living in Marseille will have no trouble registering with a doctor or making an appointment, and the hospitals and doctor’s surgeries provide an excellent quality of care.

However, many French citizens also supplement their public healthcare with some private insurance, so as to ensure they don’t encounter any large, unpayable fees for specialist treatments and operations.

As an international port city, many doctors working in Marseille will speak English, and other European languages, and will be used to dealing with expatriates.

Safety and Security in Marseille

Like the rest of France, Marseille has very low crime rates. However, as it is a busy, tourist city, expatriates living in Marseille should be wary in crowded areas, as pickpocketing and petty theft are known to occur. Additionally, be careful when withdrawing money from cash points, especially at night, as thefts in these situations are not uncommon.

Overall, though, as long as you are as careful as you would normally be in a large city, you should be safe and secure throughout your time in Marseille. In case you need to contact the emergency services at any point during your time in the city, the emergency number for police is 112.