#192 Asking How to Complete an Online Procedure｜French Daily Life Phrases

Nowadays, you are increasingly likely to complete various applications, reservations, and payments online.

However, when dealing with foreign services or administrative procedures, you may sometimes find the steps unclear or feel unsure about how to navigate the process.

In such situations, it becomes important for you to ask questions such as how the procedure works, what documents are required, and what conditions must be met.

In this section, I will explain useful French expressions that you can use when asking how to complete an online procedure.

Dialogue

A

Excusez-moi, je voudrais faire la démarche en ligne, mais je ne sais pas par où commencer.
（Excuse me, I would like to complete the procedure online, but I do not know where to start.）

B

Pas de problème. Vous devez d’abord créer un compte sur notre site.
（No problem. You first need to create an account on our website.）

A

D’accord. Est-ce que je dois fournir des documents particuliers ?
（I see. Do I need to provide any specific documents?）

B

Oui, il faudra télécharger une copie de votre pièce d’identité.
（Yes, you will need to upload a copy of your identification document.）

A

Et combien de temps la procédure prend-elle en général ?
（And how long does the procedure usually take?）

B

En général, cela prend environ dix minutes si vous avez tous les documents.
（In general, it takes about ten minutes if you have all the documents ready.）

A

Très bien, merci pour vos explications.
（Thank you very much for your explanation.）

1. Explaining That You Do Not Know How to Proceed

When you ask about an online procedure, I recommend first explaining your situation briefly.

The expression “faire la démarche” means “to carry out a procedure” or “to complete an application.”

The noun “démarche” refers to administrative steps and is frequently used in official and service-related contexts in French.

You will also encounter other expressions using the structure “faire + noun,” such as:

The structure “je ne sais pas + question word + infinitive” means “I do not know how/what/where to …”.

The phrase “par où commencer” literally means “from where to begin,” expressing uncertainty about the first step.

2. Confirming the Procedure Steps

When completing an online procedure, you need to understand the order of the steps clearly.

The verb “devez” comes from “devoir,” which corresponds to “must” or “have to” in English. The structure “devoir + infinitive” indicates necessity.

In procedural instructions, “Vous devez…” usually does not sound like a command; rather, it indicates a required step.

The adverb “d’abord” means “first.” Its position can vary:

3. Asking About Required Documents

Before starting an online procedure, you should confirm whether any documents are required.

French has three main ways to form questions. Here, the “Est-ce que” structure is used because it is clear, polite, and easy to construct.

A common response you may hear is:

The verb “falloir” expresses necessity. In the future form “il faudra + infinitive,” it means “it will be necessary to …,” referring to something required later in the process.

4. Asking About the Time Required

It is also important for you to know how long the procedure will take so that you can plan accordingly.

The expression “Combien de temps… ?” is used to ask about duration.

In French, duration is commonly expressed using: “prendre + time expression” This literally means “to take time,” which corresponds to “to take” in English.

A typical response would be:

The pronoun “cela” refers to something mentioned earlier (here, the procedure). It is slightly more formal than “ça,” which is more common in spoken French.

The adverb “environ” means “approximately” and is usually placed before numbers.

Summary