USEFUL ARTICLES FOR MOVING TO FRANCE
12 STEPS FOR YOUR NEW LIFE IN FRANCE
So how do you turn a dream into a reality? How do you make sure that your new life in France is going to be a success? This is a checklist of all the things that you need to do to get set up for living in France.
If you are moving to France on a permanent or long term basis (longer than 3 months), there are many administrative hurdles you need to overcome to get yourself established. Here is a quick guide on how to navigate your way around French bureaucracy and get yourselves all set up for a successful life in France.
INCOME REQUIREMENTS FOR FRENCH RESIDENCY & LONG STAY VISAS
If you are looking to move to France for more than 90 days in a year, then you will need to apply for a Long Stay Visa. There are 4 main criteria that you need to meet to satisfy the requirements of you Long Stay Visa application.
- A valid passport (which must have at least 12-18 months before expiry) + passport photos
- Proof of Address (for your accommodation/residence in France)
- Proof that you have health insurance coverage
- Proof that you have sufficient financial resources
ARRANGING HEALTHCARE INSURANCE IN FRANCE
The French health care system is widely regarded as the best in the World. This is not necessarily because France spends more money on health care than other countries. France's health care spending of 11.5% of GBP, is near the top of OECD league table, but significantly less than the USA (17.1%) and Canada (10%). It is more to do with the successful health care outputs from the system, a higher Doctor-to-Population ratio and the high life expectancy rates in France (79.5 years for males, 85.4 years for females).
If you are planning on moving to France and to live here for more than 3 months at a time, there is a legal requirement for you to have health insurance in place.
OPENING A FRENCH BANK ACCOUNT
One of the first jobs that you need to do when you are moving to France is to open a French bank account. Everything hinges on having a French bank account, so that you can have the utility bills in your name, register for a Carte Vitale (health insurance), pay your taxes in France, obtain house or Tenants insurance, etc, etc. Ideally, you need to open the bank account before you arrive in France.
DRIVING LICENCE & REGISTERING YOUR CAR
The good news is that France recognizes a whole range of international driving licenses and you can legally drive on your foreign license for up to 12 months. But what happens then? What do you need to do to apply for a French driving licence? How do you register your vehicle in France and when do you need to do this? This article explains all the requirements for obtaining a French driving licence and registering a car in France.
THE BEST PLACES TO LIVE IN FRANCE 2023
France regularly features in the Top 10 list of the best countries to move to. Indeed, the French town of Pau in Southern France was recently voted the Number One destination in the world for retiring overseas. (SOURCE: 10 best places for retiring overseas 2020). Here we analyse where are the 10 best places to live in France in 2023, covering the best French cities to work, to retire, to invest in property and the best places to study in France. We also cover the cheapest places in France to buy property.. We also discover the cheapest places in France to buy property in France and the French towns and cities with the fastest growing property prices.
MOVING TO & LIVING IN FRANCE POST BREXIT
The Many clients were unaware that they now require a visa to live in France for more than 3 months. Other clients (who were aware of the need to obtain a visa for France), were concerned that the visa application process would be too difficult or complicated. In this article, I will seek to reassure you that:
- it is still perfectly possible to move to France in 2023.
- If you are a UK National you can stay in France more than 90 days at a time.
- It is still possible for UK nationals (like Canadians, Americans & Australians) to live in France for 1 year to 4 years and also apply for permanent French Residency.
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