Should I choose Paris or Marseille?
Choose Paris if your users and partners are mainly in France, Belgium, Switzerland or Northern Europe; it is the heart of the French internet and offers the shortest routes to most French ISPs. Choose Marseille if you work with North Africa, West Africa or the Middle East, because the city is a major landing point for submarine cables and provides excellent connectivity in those directions while still being well connected to the rest of France. Both sites are Tier III certified and offer the same specifications and French IP addresses, so the choice depends only on where your users are.
Will French banks accept logins from my desktop?
French banks use strong customer authentication, so you will still confirm logins and payments through your bank's mobile app or SMS codes. What the desktop provides is a consistent French IP address, which reduces the chance of extra security checks or blocked sessions that can occur when you log in from abroad or from a different country each week. Keep your bank's app on your phone, use a strong unique password for the desktop and avoid installing unknown software on the machine you use for banking.
Can I use impots.gouv.fr and FranceConnect?
Yes. The French tax portal, ameli, CAF and other services connected to FranceConnect all work in a browser on your French desktop. Identity confirmation still happens through your FranceConnect provider, such as the Identité Numérique La Poste app on your phone. Many expatriates use their desktop around the annual tax declaration period in spring to complete returns from a French IP. If a service requires a certificate or specific browser extension, you can install it with full administrator rights.
Can I manage a Leboncoin or Vinted account from abroad?
You can access these marketplaces from your French desktop, which keeps your account's location consistent and shows listings exactly as French users see them. Always follow each platform's rules on account ownership and never create duplicate accounts or mislead buyers. For sellers living abroad who still own items or property in France, a French desktop is a practical way to reply to messages and update listings without triggering security alerts. Upload photos quickly thanks to the uncapped gigabit connection. French phone numbers used for verification can stay on your mobile.
How do I type French accents on the desktop?
Add French in Windows language settings to get the AZERTY keyboard, which includes keys for é, è, à, ç and other accented characters. If your own keyboard is QWERTY, you can use the French (Canada) or US International layouts instead, which let you type accents with dead keys while keeping familiar key positions. Switch layouts with a keyboard shortcut. You can also set the entire Windows interface to French for colleagues who prefer it. Autocorrect in Office can also be set to French so grammar suggestions match your writing.
Is the France RDP suitable for SEO work?
Very much so. Search results in France depend on location, and even small differences, such as local map packs or regional pages, can matter for clients. From a French IP, you see exactly what users in France see on Google.fr, Bing and marketplaces. You can run rank tracking tools, crawlers and browser-based audits on the desktop, and larger plans provide enough memory for several browser profiles. Follow search engines' terms of service and avoid automated querying that violates them.
Can a French subsidiary share one desktop among staff?
Yes. Windows Server editions allow multiple user accounts, so employees in France and abroad can log in individually and share applications such as Sage or EBP, shared folders and company documents. Choose one of the mid-range or large sizes depending on how many people work at the same time, and license Remote Desktop Services appropriately. Data stays in France under GDPR, which simplifies internal compliance. Our team can help you set up users and folder permissions. Payroll files prepared for URSSAF declarations stay on French soil too.
How soon will my French desktop be ready?
Very quickly. Once payment clears, the platform creates the desktop automatically, usually within minutes, and emails you the French IP, Administrator login and a temporary password. Because France has just been added to our site, send us a short message before ordering and tell us whether you prefer Paris or Marseille, so we can confirm capacity in the right city. After you log in, set a new password, switch the keyboard to AZERTY if you like, and install your usual tools. Expatriates often set everything up a few days before the French tax declaration opens so they are not rushed.
