Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
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Contents
Buying a Property
Finding a house
Fees
The process
Bisous
Being polite
Meals
The language
12
Work visa
Residency permit
Permanent residency
14
20
Healthcare
Getting registered
How the system works
Who is eligible for state healthcare?
23
Driving in France
25
Emigration Checklist
28
18 months
12 months
6 months
2 months
1 month
1 week
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Buying a
Property
Buying a property abroad can be pretty daunting, especially
with a language barrier to overcome. Getting it right is massively
important so its essential you follow all the processes and dont
get too lax on the details. Luckily, the process for buying a house
in France is not too dissimilar to the one in the UK. Heres how
to go about it.
Finding a house
The easiest option for finding a house nowadays
is to go online. There are plenty of property sites
which will showcase houses all over the country
with pictures and details for you to take a look at.
This saves you from taking a fruitless trip across
the Channel. Having said that, you will need to
visit eventually when youve got a few houses
in mind.
When you do go, remember that what looks
good in the summer, might not be so fit for
winter. Always consider the time of year youre
visiting and try to look out for any problems that
might arise in different weather.
Also, while not necessary, it may be worth having
someone who speaks French with you. While
this can be handy for asking questions when
youre being shown around a property, it will also
help with talking to the locals. This means you
can get a much better idea of the local area.
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Fees
Luckily there are no restrictions on UK citizens
buying a property in France, so youre already
off to a good start. There will be some fees to
pay along with your sale, although the amount
will depend entirely on the price of the property
and its type.
Usually the price quoted for a house will include
estate agency fees but it is worth confirming
this. Notaires fees tend to be combined with the
property transfer fee and other property purchase
costs as detailed below.
While the costs are usually referred to as notaire
fees or frais de notaire theyre actually made
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The process
Once youve found the property you want, its
time to dive in to the nitty gritty. Before you really
get into things, its worth considering hiring a
bilingual solicitor who specialises in the process
to take you through everything. This eliminates
the language barrier as a major problem,
although it will incur some extra fees of course.
Its worth remembering that in France, if you
submit an offer at the asking price the seller is
legally required to accept it. If youre averse to
haggling, this can be a quick way to get a sale
sorted, but its likely youll have competition from
others bidding above the asking price.
Once an offer has been accepted
congratulations, by the way the next step is
getting some contracts drawn up and signed.
This is the job of the notaire. The notaire pulls
the sale together and checks all documentation.
They also pay any taxes involved with the sale,
and work for both the vendor and the purchaser
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Culture
& Language
Despite being a stones throw away from the UK globally
speaking France is an entirely different beast when it comes
to culture. Theres a lot of different nuances when it comes to
social situations and its worth getting to grips with them. The
French are much more direct than their rosbif counterparts and
so are less likely to put up with poor behaviour.
To help you get to know some of the basics, heres a list of a few
things to keep in mind.
Bisous
The famous French double kiss greeting maybe
three or four depending on what region you are
in is something youll deal with very quickly
upon arriving in France. You wont be getting
one off the waiter in a restaurant, but as you
make friends and acquaintances itll become
ever more common.
The Brits are a bit wary of this kind of familiarity
between people who arent exactly close, but
youll soon get used to it. When you arrive, let
the locals lead and youll get the hang of it before
long. As mentioned, the way things are done
differ from place to place, so observe, learn,
and repeat.
Being polite
While we dont think all Brits are automatically
rude, the French expect a bit more when
it comes to interacting with everyone from
strangers to friends. Essentially, manners are
a big deal in France, so its important not to
commit any faux pas.
Wherever you go, always offer a greeting to the
staff there with a Bonjour Monsieur/Madame.
Some form of greeting is essential, no matter
how busy a shop or how rushed the worker is.
If for some reason this isnt possible, make some
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Meals
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The language
If youve ever been to some of the touristy places
in France, you will have found that many locals
speak anglais. Its true that those across the
Channel certainly know more foreign tongues
than we do, but thats not a good enough reason
to avoid learning the native language. This means
you should start your French lessons as soon
as possible.
You dont need to be fluent and youll probably
be able to get pretty far with English in some
places, but even attempting French will grant
you a much warmer reception than not. Attempt
to say a word or two, a simple Bonjour (Good
day), Bonne soire (Good evening), followed
by Parlez-vous anglais (do you speak English)
will go a long way to ingratiating you a little with
the locals. This is something you should work
on before you leave. A good start is to watch TV
shows and films either dubbed in French with
English subtitles or English films with French
subtitles. Its a good way to get accustomed to
the language, how it works, and learn a few bits
and pieces to break the ice over there.
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Laws, Visas
& Permits
When you move to a new country, theres often a lot of laws
youll need to consider to make sure youll actually be allowed
to stay. The strictness of these laws vary wildly from country to
country, but luckily, with the UK and France being part of the
EU, things arent too difficult.
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Work visa
If youre planning on getting a job in France,
youll be glad to hear you wont need to get a
visa. Countries that are part of the European
Union and European Economic Area are all
signed up to treaties that make free movement
pretty easy. That means you can show up on
French shores and start working from day one.
For once, something nice and simple.
Residency permit
Just like with the work visa, you wont need a
residency permit to live in France if youre from
the UK.
Although this isnt the case across the board at
the moment, you may need to register after being
in the country for three months. You can do this
at the local town hall or mairie. All you need is
your passport or ID card and a proof of address.
Youll then be given a receipt in the form of an
attestation denregistrement.
Permanent residency
You may want to get the status of a permanent
resident in France. This is possible after five
years of living in the country. After youve been in
France for the required time, you have the right
to apply for the EU sjour permanent, toutes
activits professionnelles EU permanent stay,
all occupations permit. There are some financial
benefits to this which are covered in the following
section.
Bear in mind that you will lose this if you vacate
the country for two years or more.
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Money, Finance
& Taxes
It will come as no surprise that dealing with money and taxes
in France is different to here in the UK. There are similarities,
but generally, theres a fair bit to learn. Especially so if youre
planning on starting your own business while there.
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Dividends
In most cases, you will pay French tax on any
dividends you receive from a UK company.
Interest and royalties
Tax on interest and royalties from the UK will
generally be paid to the French government.
Business profits
Tax will usually be paid to the government of
the country where the business operates.
Immovable and movable property
Income from property will be taxed by the
country where it resides.
Pensions
Generally you will pay tax on pensions to the
French government, although this may not be
the case for former government employees.
Employee income
Youll pay French tax on any wages you earn
while living and working in France.
Directors fees
If you receive any income from being on a
board of directors, or similar, tax will be paid
to the country where the company resides.
International transport
If you make any money from the operation of
vehicles involved in international traffic, tax
will be paid to the French government.
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Income tax
Just like in the UK, the amount of income tax you pay will depend on how much you earn, with
separate bands setting out the percentage you give to the government. Here are the basic divisions:
Income
Tax Rate
Up to 6,011
0%
5.5%
14%
30%
41%
Above 151,200
45%
If you happen to earn over 250,000 then youll pay an extra 3% on it up to 500,000 and 4% on
everything over that.
The French tax system is fairly complicated, so its advisable to do research around your individual
situation to get a clear idea on the kind of tax you may liable for. Theres also another form of
contribution youll need to consider.
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Charge
Employee (%)
Employer (%)
Family benefits
5.25
Health/sickness
0.75
13.10
Main pension
6.85
8.50
Supplementary pension
3.10 8.10
4.65 12.15
7.5
Accident at work
Depends on risk
0.5
Unemployment
2.4
As you can see, this can make up a pretty hefty deduction, although its worth noting that this will be
deducted before your income tax is deducted, so its not as bad as it looks. In the end though, France
ranks pretty highly compared to other countries for these kinds of contributions.
This all gets even more confusing if youre self-employed. This will be influenced by whether you
operate a micro-entreprise or on the basis of the rgime reel both of which have their own individual
caveats and if you operate in a development area. If you are looking to start a business or work
freelance in France, it is worth looking into hiring an accountant and getting specialist advice.
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Banking
The banking system in France is not too
dissimilar to the one in the UK with a number
of main banks around eight operating with
plenty of high street branches. As with at home,
their rates, services and products will differ so
its simply a matter of looking for the right bank
that will suit your needs.
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Pensions
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Healthcare
While there is state healthcare in France, the system is quite
different to what we have in the UK. For a start, if youre a
resident of France then you must have health coverage, whether
its state or private. That means if youre not eligible for state
coverage, youll need to look into private insurance.
Getting registered
Before you can make use of the CMU, youll
need to get signed up. For this you will need
to find your local Caisse Primaire Assurance
Maladie (CPAM) office. Here you can get
registered so that youll have some of your
medical costs covered. On top of that, the office
will deal with your reimbursements, so if you have
any problems, thats where youll need to head.
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Schools
& Education
The education system in France is not too dissimilar to the one
in the UK. There are public, private, and international schools to
choose from. France also has a state curriculum in place too.
Schools
The difference between the public and private
schools is just the same as in Britain. Obviously
a private school comes with tuition fees, however
tuition fees in private school in France are
much cheaper than in UK and often have better
facilities for their students. The choice between
them will come down to your own viewpoints
and budget.
Between the
ages of six
and 16, school
attendance is
compulsory.
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Driving in
France
You wont be faced with many huge surprises on French roads,
but there are significant differences that youll need to be aware
of before you take the car out for a spin.
Type of road
Speed limit
Rain
Motorway
130kph / 80mph
110kph / 68mph
Dual carriageway
110kph / 68mph
90kph / 55mph
Main roads
90kph / 55mph
80kph / 49mph
Built up areas
50kph / 31mph
50kph / 31mph
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Useful information
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Emigration Checklist
To help you get everything in order, weve put together a checklist of
some of the more important jobs and tasks youll need to consider when
moving abroad.
Everyones situation is different, so dont take this as the be all and end
all! Make sure youre spending time considering all aspects of the move
yourself so nothing gets forgotten or undone.
18 months
Research time!
By downloading this, youve already started,
but make sure youre carrying out research on
your own to ensure all bases are covered.
Start the property process
This includes both starting the selling up
process for your own home and finding your
new one.
6 months
Visas
Take a look at any visas you may need and
ensure youll be eligible for them. Failing to do
this now could mean an abrupt end to your
plans after months of planning for nothing.
Medical conditions
If you have any long term medical issues, it
will be worth talking to your GP and looking
into how this may affect your new life abroad.
Book flights
If youre flying to your new home then its a
good idea to book your flights. Google Flights
is a good option for finding the best deals
available.
12 months
Passports
Ensure youve got at least two years on
them. You wont want them expiring before
you leave or shortly after arriving in case
something goes wrong.
Papers, please
This is a good time to start putting your paper
work in order and organising it. Make sure
youve dug out anything that might be useful
such as birth and marriage certificates, tax
forms, and driving licence papers. Generally
anything that looks important or official is
worth putting somewhere within easy reach.
Tell your friends and family
This can be a good time to inform those who
are closest to you. Youll likely need their
support and help trying to get everything
sorted before you go.
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2 months
Temporary accommodation
If youve not got your new home sorted just
yet, youll need to get a temporary living
situation sorted out along with somewhere
to store your stuff.
Throw a party for yourself to say au revoir
Have three, have five, have ten. Youll deserve
it with all the stress!
Talk to your currency broker
The currency markets are volatile so its worth
checking in to see what the situation is as the
departure date looms.
1 month
Temporary accommodation
Anything that can be closed down, get
closed down. From your Sky package to
council tax, make sure you tie up as many
loose ends as possible.
Check over paperwork
Take another look at all your papers, fill in any
gaps, and keep them organised.
Financial statements
Get together the three most recent months of
your finances, including things like your wage
slips and bank and mortgage statements.
Update your address details
Make sure you wont have a pile of letters
building up at your old address and update
the people that need to know with your new
address. This includes HMRC, the passport
office, your pension company, and any
other organisations that need to know your
whereabouts.
Get selling
Whether its a car boot sale, eBay or
Gumtree, sell any possessions youre not
bringing with you.
Safety check
Contact your movers to ensure everything is
in order and will be going ahead as planned.
1 week
Spending money
While the bulk of your money should be in the
hands of a currency firm, like us, youll need
some cash to get by for a while.
Last minute checks
Go over everything you can think of and make
sure its organised. Also spend some time
going over things like getting to the airport,
picking up any essential paperwork, and other
little tasks leftover.
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