Personal Assistant · American Clients
Your personal assistant in Paris,
for clients from the United States.
Book & Smile is the personal assistant American clients rely on in Paris: one trusted, bilingual person who handles US long-stay visas (VLS-TS) and OFII validation, banking appointments prepared with FATCA paperwork in order, Franco-American schooling, English-speaking doctors, and the tables and seats Americans in Paris actually want. Open every day, 8:00 to 20:00 Paris time — and 24/7 for members. You ask. We handle it.
New York is 6 hours behind Paris; Los Angeles, 9. Paris keeps its own hours, its own language and its own paperwork — and none of it waits for you to arrive.
From the United States, every French file — the visa appointment, the bank, the doctor, the school, the préfecture — takes a phone call in French during Paris hours, then a follow-up, then another. The distance turns simple tasks into weeks.
What if one trusted person in Paris carried the whole file for you, in your language, on your schedule?
What we handle for American clients
- Before you land — visa appointments, invitation letters, apostilled and translated documents, the arrival plan confirmed in writing
- French administration — préfecture and ANEF, OFII, CPAM and carte Vitale, impôts, insurance — filed, followed up, closed
- Banking — the right appointment, the complete documentation, the account opened without a second trip
- Health — English-speaking (or your language) doctors, specialists and hospitals booked; medical stays organised end to end
- Family — schooling and university files, activities, household staff and suppliers engaged properly
- Everyday life — reservations, drivers, sourcing, gifts, the Paris houses and the tables you want — one message, handled
What American clients actually delegate in Paris
The American file in France has a particular shape. The long-stay visa (VLS-TS) must be validated online within three months of arrival; the OFII steps that follow have deadlines nobody announces. Banking is slower for US persons because of FATCA reporting — some banks decline, others require specific forms — so the appointment must be chosen and prepared, not simply booked. Schooling choices run from bilingual sections in French public schools to American-curriculum and international schools, each with its own calendar and dossier.
Add the US tax year that continues to run while you live in France, prescriptions that do not transfer, a driving licence that may or may not be exchangeable depending on your state, and a doctor who must speak English at 22:00 — and the value of one bilingual person holding the whole file becomes obvious.
Time zones, holidays and how we work with US clients
Most American clients brief us from the United States, weeks before a season in Paris begins. New York is six hours behind Paris, Los Angeles nine: a message sent at the end of your working day is handled first thing in Paris, and confirmed in writing before you wake. Thanksgiving in Paris, a Fourth of July dinner, a visit from parents who do not speak French — these are routine requests for us, not special projects.
What we are not
We are not immigration lawyers, tax advisers or a property agency, and we do not pretend to be. Where regulated advice is needed we coordinate the professionals you choose, attend the meetings with you if useful, and make sure what was decided actually happens.
American clients who retain us
American executives posted to Paris
US families spending a season or a year in France
American owners of a Paris residence
The Journal
What American Clients Delegate to a Personal Assistant in Paris: Visas, Banking, Schools and the Tables That Matter
Americans arrive in Paris with a good plan and no idea how slow it will get. Here is what the well-prepared ones hand over before they land.
FAQ
Do you work with clients based in the United States before they arrive in Paris?
Yes. Most American clients brief us from the United States, by WhatsApp or call, weeks before arriving. Visa appointments, documents, banking and the arrival itinerary are prepared so that Paris is operational on day one.
What languages do you work in?
We work in English. France is handled in French; you are updated in writing in the language you choose.
What are your hours, given the time difference?
New York is 6 hours behind Paris; Los Angeles, 9. We are open every day, 8:00 to 20:00 Paris time, for new requests — and 24/7 for members, so an urgent matter is never left to the next morning.
How does the engagement work, and is it discreet?
One-off assistance for a single file, or a monthly membership (Essential, Executive, Private Office) for ongoing support. Terms are agreed in a private consultation. NDA on request; one dedicated point of contact.
Can you help with FATCA-related banking difficulties?
We cannot change a bank's policy, but we know which banks in Paris routinely open accounts for US persons, what documents they require and how to prepare the appointment so it succeeds the first time.
Do you work with US families here for a school year only?
Yes — a season or a year is a common engagement. We set up the household, schooling and healthcare, then run the recurring logistics until you leave.
Consider it handled.
One trusted point of contact in Paris. Request a private consultation.
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