Making Friends in Paris as an Expat: 2026 Guide and Groups

The short answer: making friends in Paris as an expat is slower than in Madrid or Lisbon, but it is very doable if you pick two recurring groups and go every week for three months. The most reliable starting points I verified in October 2026 are the English-speaking associations (WICE for internationals, Message for parents), weekly language exchanges, an auditioned English-language choir, the city’s run crews, and volunteering through the government platform JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr. Add a French course, learn the social codes below, and invite people to something small and specific once you have met them twice.

I moved abroad twice before writing this site, and Paris is the city people most often describe to me as “beautiful and lonely”. That reputation is partly earned. Parisians tend to keep a tight circle built at school and university, they separate work from private life more than the British or Irish do, and an invitation to someone’s home is a real step rather than a casual gesture. But the city is also full of newcomers like you, and there is a well-organised world of associations, clubs and exchanges designed to bring people together. This guide is organised by method so you can choose what suits your week, with a verified table, a local-norms box and a realistic timeline.

Making friends in Paris as an expat: why it takes time

Expect three phases. In the first month you will meet a lot of people once: at a language exchange, a welcome event, a class. Very few of those meetings turn into anything, and that is normal. In months two and three, if you keep returning to the same one or two groups, faces start repeating, people remember your name and you get your first invitations to a drink after the session. Somewhere between month three and month six, one or two of those regulars become people you message without a reason. That is a friend.

The single biggest mistake I see is “event hopping”: a different Meetup every night, never the same people twice. It feels busy, but it rarely produces friendships, because familiarity is built by repeated, low-pressure contact. Choose depth over breadth. Two weekly commitments beat eight one-off events.

The second mistake is staying entirely inside the English-speaking bubble. International groups are the fastest way to stop feeling alone in your first weeks, and you should use them. But if you also want French friends, you need at least one activity where French is the working language: a sports club, a choir, a volunteer team or a French course with social outings. Our guide to making friends with locals abroad covers how to move from expat circles to local ones without losing either.

Verified groups and associations in Paris (October 2026)

I checked each entry on its official site in October 2026. Programmes and fees change every season, so confirm the current schedule before you go.

A note on what is not in the table: Paris has dozens of Meetup groups and Facebook groups for expats, and some are excellent, but they appear and disappear quickly. I have only listed organisations with a stable official presence. When you find a Meetup group, check that it has held an event in the last month and that the organiser responds to messages before you rely on it.

Method 1: English-speaking associations

Associations are the backbone of social life in France. The legal form, the association loi 1901, is used by everything from neighbourhood choirs to national charities, and most activities you will find run through one. For newcomers, the English-speaking ones are the gentlest entry point.

WICE

WICE describes itself as a place for internationals to connect, volunteer and learn. Its programme mixes social activities with structured ones: French–English conversation groups, film discussions, creative writing workshops, guided walks and talks, photography, and book groups. What makes it useful for friendship is the format. A ten-week writing workshop or a monthly book group puts you in a room with the same people again and again, which is exactly what you need. Members also get early access to programmes, so join before the autumn term fills.

Message Paris

If you have young children or are expecting, Message is probably the most effective single thing you can join. It is a volunteer-run, non-profit association for English-speaking parents, and its family membership is €50 a year, with subsidised places available if cost is an issue. Members get coffee hours, groups organised by local area and interest, park meet-ups, talks and classes, and big family events such as a Halloween trick-or-treat, an egg hunt and a rentrée picnic. Parents of small children often say this is where they found their first real friends in Paris, because the shared situation does half the work.

Other communities worth checking

Many nationalities have their own clubs, chambers of commerce, alumni associations and church communities in Paris. These are useful for networking and for feeling at home, especially in the first weeks. Look up your university’s alumni chapter, your country’s embassy or consulate community page, and the English-language churches, which often run social groups open to everyone regardless of faith.

Method 2: language exchanges

Language exchanges are where Parisian reserve melts fastest, because everyone has a reason to talk to strangers. The big free evenings (Polyglot Club on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Mundo Lingo on Wednesdays) are loud, international and good for meeting many people at once. Smaller paid sessions with balanced groups of French and English speakers suit people who want real conversation. I have written a separate, detailed guide to language exchanges in Paris with venues, prices and a first-visit walkthrough, so I will not repeat it here.

The friendship tip that matters: go to the same exchange every week, sit with people you recognise, and suggest a coffee before the next session with anyone you click with. A one-to-one tandem with a French speaker who wants to practise English is one of the most reliable routes to a French friend, because you meet weekly by design.

Method 3: choirs, clubs and creative groups

Singing, theatre, writing and art groups are underrated friend-makers. You commit to a season, you rehearse together every week, and there is a performance or exhibition to work towards, which creates a shared story.

Paris Choral Society

The Paris Choral Society is an auditioned amateur choir that rehearses on Monday evenings in English at the American Cathedral on avenue George V, where its auditions and most of its concerts also take place. Auditions are usually held twice a year, in September and January, and the choir looks for experienced singers who can sight-read. Season dues were €230 (€115 for under-26s) when I checked, plus the cost of scores. If you can get in, a choir gives you a built-in group of people from many countries, a weekly rehearsal and a reason to have a drink together afterwards.

French-speaking choirs and amateur theatre

If your French is intermediate or better, a French-speaking amateur choir or theatre group is a superb way into local circles. The city’s own listings at paris.fr regularly feature community choirs recruiting new members, and every arrondissement has associations offering classes. Look for groups that perform at the end of the season: the shared goal speeds up bonding.

Method 4: sports and run crews

Sport is the easiest way to spend time with people without needing perfect French. Paris has three main formats.

• Run crews. The city has a lively run-crew scene, with free social runs announced on Instagram. Paname Run Club, for example, has been reported by the city guide Le Bonbon to hold two big weekly meet-ups, a Tuesday evening run and a longer Sunday run, with three pace groups; meeting points are posted on its Instagram each week. Run crews often finish at a café, which is where the conversation happens.
• Clubs (associations sportives). Football, rugby, volleyball, rowing, climbing and ultimate frisbee clubs are run as associations. You pay an annual licence and train with the same team every week. For many sports in France, you may be asked for a medical certificate or a health questionnaire before joining, so ask the club what it needs.
• Bouldering gyms. Paris has many indoor bouldering gyms (chains such as Arkose and Climb Up among them). Bouldering is social by nature: you rest between attempts and talk to whoever is working on the same problem. Go at the same time every week and you will recognise the regulars within a month.

Running and climbing are also good choices if you prefer not to drink, because the social part is built around activity rather than a bar. For more alcohol-free ideas, see our list of ways to make friends without drinking.

Method 5: volunteering

Volunteering is how you meet French people who are not looking for English practice and who share a value with you. JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr, the public volunteering platform run by the Réserve Civique, lists missions posted by charities, schools, health facilities and local authorities, from one-hour tasks to regular weekly commitments. It is open to French citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. National food bank collections, run every year in autumn, are a classic first mission: you spend a few hours with the same small team, and it is easy to say yes to a drink afterwards.

Your French does not need to be perfect for many missions, but intermediate French helps. If you are a beginner, look for roles such as sorting donations or setting up events, where you work alongside others rather than speaking to the public.

Method 6: French classes with a social side

A French course gives you a second group of newcomers who are in exactly your situation, which is often where the first friendships form. Paris has everything from intensive language schools to evening courses run by the city and by associations. When choosing, ask about class size, how often the group meets, and whether the school runs social extras such as conversation evenings, cinema clubs or outings. Those extras are where classmates become friends. Evening and weekend courses suit people with day jobs; intensive morning courses are popular with students and recent arrivals.

Method 7: expat meet-ups and platforms

InterNations, Meetup and Facebook groups all have active Paris communities. They are fine for your first few weeks, when any social contact helps, but treat them as a way to find a recurring group rather than as the group itself. A useful filter: does this event happen at the same time and place regularly, with an organiser who knows the regulars? If yes, it can become one of your two weekly anchors. If it is a different venue and crowd each time, use it for fun but do not expect friendships from it.

Neighbourhoods newcomers like for social life

Where you live affects how easy it is to say yes to things. A few areas newcomers often enjoy:

• 10th and 11th (Canal Saint-Martin, Oberkampf, Bastille): young, lively, full of cafés and bars, and home to several language exchange nights. Easy to meet people after work.
• 19th and 20th (Bassin de la Villette, Belleville, Ménilmontant): more affordable, creative, with canal-side terraces in summer and a strong neighbourhood feel.
• 5th and 13th (Latin Quarter, Butte-aux-Cailles): student areas near universities, good for courses and inexpensive bars.
• 17th and 18th (Batignolles, Montmartre): village-like streets where shopkeepers start recognising you quickly, which matters more than people think.

Local norms: how Parisians socialise

Your first 12 weeks in Paris: a simple plan

1. Weeks 1–2: go to one big free language exchange and one association event (WICE, Message or your community’s club). Say yes to everything once. Write down names straight after.
2. Weeks 3–4: choose your two anchors, one in English and one where French is spoken (a sports club, a choir, a volunteer team or a class). Commit to both weekly.
3. Weeks 5–8: keep going. Arrive early, stay for the drink afterwards, and suggest a coffee to one person you have met at least twice.
4. Weeks 9–12: host something small and specific: a picnic by the canal, a museum visit, an apéro. Three to five people, a clear time and place. Being the person who organises is the fastest way to become the centre of a group.

If you want a general version of this plan that works in any city, see our step-by-step guide on how to make friends abroad. And if you are comparing Paris with other capitals, our Berlin friendship guide shows how a city with a very different social culture works.

Copy-paste messages for Paris

The jump from “nice to meet you” to an actual plan is where most potential friendships stall. Make it easy: specific day, specific place, low commitment.

• “It was great chatting at the exchange. I’m going to the Sunday market on Boulevard Richard-Lenoir next weekend, want to come for a coffee?”
• “A few of us from choir are getting an apéro near the Canal on Thursday after rehearsal. Join us?”
• In French: « Ça te dit un café avant la prochaine session ? » (Fancy a coffee before the next session?)
• In French: « On organise un pique-nique au parc de Belleville samedi, tu veux venir ? » (We’re organising a picnic in the Parc de Belleville on Saturday, want to come?)

When you are struggling

The first winter can be hard: short days, grey skies and a feeling that everyone else already has their people. That is a common experience, not a personal failure. Keep your two weekly anchors even when you do not feel like going, and tell someone at home how you are doing. If loneliness starts to turn into low mood that does not lift, talk to a doctor (a médecin traitant) or a mental health professional. Several organisations in Paris offer English-language support; your embassy or consulate can usually point you to them.

Staying safe when meeting new people

Meet new people in public places, tell a friend where you are going, arrange your own way home and leave if anything feels off. Official UK travel advice notes that pickpocketing is common on the Métro, the RER and at major stations, so keep your phone and wallet secure on the way to and from evenings out.

Want to turn this into an actual plan? MeetNow is a free app for meeting people in person: a host posts a plan at a public place, says who pays (host pays, split, pay your own or free) and picks who joins. It is live on the web and works in your browser, starting in Malta. The Android app is on Google Play; the iPhone app is not in the App Store yet. Open MeetNow and see the plans posted in Malta. (MeetNow is our own app.)

FAQ: making friends in Paris as an expat

Is it hard to make friends in Paris as an expat?

It is slower than in many southern European cities, because Parisians often keep close circles from school and university and separate work from private life. Most newcomers who go to the same one or two groups every week for three months find that friendships start forming between months three and six.

Where do expats meet people in Paris?

The most reliable places are English-speaking associations such as WICE and Message, weekly language exchanges such as Polyglot Club and Mundo Lingo, choirs, sports clubs and run crews, volunteering through JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr, and French courses with social activities.

Do I need to speak French to make friends in Paris?

Not to start. International groups, English-speaking associations and language exchanges work in English. But if you want French friends, you will need at least one activity where French is spoken, and even basic French opens many doors.

How do I make French friends rather than only expat friends?

Join something where French is the working language: a sports club, a choir, a volunteer team or an amateur theatre group. Go weekly, use tu once invited, and suggest coffee or an apéro after a few sessions. A one-to-one tandem with a French speaker learning English also works well.

Should I greet new people in Paris with la bise?

Not necessarily at a first meeting. Say bonjour or bonsoir with a handshake or a smile and follow the other person’s lead. Among friends and in relaxed settings, two cheek kisses are typical in Paris.

What is the best time of year to start building a social life in Paris?

September, known as la rentrée, is the best moment: associations, clubs and courses restart and many newcomers arrive. January is a good second chance. August is quiet because many Parisians leave the city.

Is volunteering in Paris open to foreigners?

Yes, if you live in France legally. The public platform JeVeuxAider.gouv.fr is open to citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over, with missions from one hour to regular weekly commitments.

Groups, schedules and fees last checked October 2026.