Considering a move to France, any tips?
Discussion
I've noticed that a few people here seem to have relocated from the UK to France, and as we are considering doing that too I thought I'd see if I could glean any insider info.
Just some background; I run my own consultancy business which can operate from anywhere (and also employs Mrs Panda), I have decent pension pots and a good-sized UK house with a fair bit of equity. We have no kids. Mrs Panda speaks fluent French, mine's far less good but coming on gradually. We're looking at the Bergerac area, probably within the city (we like to be close to things, so the middle-of-nowhere gite doesn't quite appeal). Maybe Bordeaux, we like both.
AIUI, if I can demonstrate that we are financially sound I believe that getting a visa shouldn't be too difficult, but would be good to hear if that's actually true though!
So, are there any specific things we should be researching further? Is it harder than it sounds to do what we're proposing?
Any hints, tips and tricks (or even just some shared experiences) would be most welcome!
Just some background; I run my own consultancy business which can operate from anywhere (and also employs Mrs Panda), I have decent pension pots and a good-sized UK house with a fair bit of equity. We have no kids. Mrs Panda speaks fluent French, mine's far less good but coming on gradually. We're looking at the Bergerac area, probably within the city (we like to be close to things, so the middle-of-nowhere gite doesn't quite appeal). Maybe Bordeaux, we like both.
AIUI, if I can demonstrate that we are financially sound I believe that getting a visa shouldn't be too difficult, but would be good to hear if that's actually true though!
So, are there any specific things we should be researching further? Is it harder than it sounds to do what we're proposing?
Any hints, tips and tricks (or even just some shared experiences) would be most welcome!
Spare tyre said:
Numpty question, can you simply move there with a British passport
Brexit says no.Actually, I'm not entirely certain you could prior to that (for any significant length of time at least) but certainly was a bit easier to relocate.
Edited by StevieBee on Tuesday 5th August 13:09
Spare tyre said:
Numpty question, can you simply move there with a British passport
No.As with most of Europe its a few things to get/prove:
- Sufficient passive income
- have health insurance
- show you have a place to stay
- clean criminal record
- not work
- get accepted for a visa based on above
GetCarter said:
Be prepared to pay a lot more tax.
among European OECD countries, France = 55.4 percent.
And a lot less for a house than UK. Swings and roundabouts.among European OECD countries, France = 55.4 percent.
OP - try to dig up an Irish/Finnish/Maltese/Czech etc granny/grandad and get that citizenship and passport if you can. Your life will be much more straightforward. Or, if you can't but your missus can do that, you can reside in the EU alongside her until one/both of you croak.
We're looking at relocating to the Bergerac/Dordogne Valley area.
There's a lot to look at and financially you'll want to start planning a fair bit ahead. I have engaged a financial advisor based in Bergerac and had a few meetings with him. Financial planning is key, especially as you'll still be looking to earn, everything is do-able but be aware that the French love their bureaucracy and some of your visa/financial planning will need to be done in a specific order and each item may take some time.
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you can demonstrate financial self sufficiency visa's won't be an issue, consider the options available to you for what level of social charges you elect to pay to gain healthcare cover.
We know the area well and have a house booked for 6 weeks early next year and then make our decision. I'm not sure how well you know the area but it's very sleepy in the winter and very busy in the summer, we love the contrast though.
One further thing to consider, Ryan Air have just announced they are suspending flights to Bergerac and Brive airports this winter as the French have just hiked up air duty. It would be a real pain (for us) if the much more expensive Bordeaux flights back to the UK are the only option in the future.
There's a lot to look at and financially you'll want to start planning a fair bit ahead. I have engaged a financial advisor based in Bergerac and had a few meetings with him. Financial planning is key, especially as you'll still be looking to earn, everything is do-able but be aware that the French love their bureaucracy and some of your visa/financial planning will need to be done in a specific order and each item may take some time.
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you can demonstrate financial self sufficiency visa's won't be an issue, consider the options available to you for what level of social charges you elect to pay to gain healthcare cover.
We know the area well and have a house booked for 6 weeks early next year and then make our decision. I'm not sure how well you know the area but it's very sleepy in the winter and very busy in the summer, we love the contrast though.
One further thing to consider, Ryan Air have just announced they are suspending flights to Bergerac and Brive airports this winter as the French have just hiked up air duty. It would be a real pain (for us) if the much more expensive Bordeaux flights back to the UK are the only option in the future.
Big E 118 said:
We're looking at relocating to the Bergerac/Dordogne Valley area.
There's a lot to look at and financially you'll want to start planning a fair bit ahead. I have engaged a financial advisor based in Bergerac and had a few meetings with him. Financial planning is key, especially as you'll still be looking to earn, everything is do-able but be aware that the French love their bureaucracy and some of your visa/financial planning will need to be done in a specific order and each item may take some time.
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you can demonstrate financial self sufficiency visa's won't be an issue, consider the options available to you for what level of social charges you elect to pay to gain healthcare cover.
We know the area well and have a house booked for 6 weeks early next year and then make our decision. I'm not sure how well you know the area but it's very sleepy in the winter and very busy in the summer, we love the contrast though.
One further thing to consider, Ryan Air have just announced they are suspending flights to Bergerac and Brive airports this winter as the French have just hiked up air duty. It would be a real pain (for us) if the much more expensive Bordeaux flights back to the UK are the only option in the future.
Fabulous info, exactly what I was looking for - thank you!There's a lot to look at and financially you'll want to start planning a fair bit ahead. I have engaged a financial advisor based in Bergerac and had a few meetings with him. Financial planning is key, especially as you'll still be looking to earn, everything is do-able but be aware that the French love their bureaucracy and some of your visa/financial planning will need to be done in a specific order and each item may take some time.
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you can demonstrate financial self sufficiency visa's won't be an issue, consider the options available to you for what level of social charges you elect to pay to gain healthcare cover.
We know the area well and have a house booked for 6 weeks early next year and then make our decision. I'm not sure how well you know the area but it's very sleepy in the winter and very busy in the summer, we love the contrast though.
One further thing to consider, Ryan Air have just announced they are suspending flights to Bergerac and Brive airports this winter as the French have just hiked up air duty. It would be a real pain (for us) if the much more expensive Bordeaux flights back to the UK are the only option in the future.
It was always a dream of mine to retire to France, spent quite a bit of time there over the years but not much in the last 10. About 2 ish years ago we went over for 3 months after putting our house on the market.
My wife is Irish so Brexit does not really factor and we are retired no kids. We were down in Agen.
We spoke to a fair few Brits who lived there long term already and the general vibe we got was the place was changing a lot. I would say out of the 5 or 6 people we spoke too a couple of them were seriously looking to move back to the UK.
We looked at a couple of properties in Cahors. There is defo value for money in property - but to get the best VFM you need to be 15-20 mins out of town by car. We got the feeling in the summer it would be lovely, but the winters were quite cold and baron. We were also quite surprised to hear crime was actually quite a problem and was becoming worse so leaving the house unattended for periods was not always a good idea. So I think thats something to just be aware of - probably area specific. The other thing that shocked us was the cost of living, it has sky rocketed up IMO. Defo more than the UK.
We put a pin in it and kept looking round. We very, very nearly went for Thailand but the distance put the Mrs off. Its still somewhere we would seriously consider. Visas are easy to get - esp the DTV or Elite. You can rent property quite cheaply and I would say overall COL is about 50% of the UK. Tax isnt so much of an issue so long as you understand the rules. The only major downsides are distance, climate in June - August and healthcare is paid for (although that has benefits tbh)
But in the end we went with the Scottish west coast. Small town, nice area, good value in the property, easy access to airports and hospitals etc.
We might stay here 5-10 years, or maybe forever we dont know yet. But we are enjoying it so far with no regrets tbh.
My wife is Irish so Brexit does not really factor and we are retired no kids. We were down in Agen.
We spoke to a fair few Brits who lived there long term already and the general vibe we got was the place was changing a lot. I would say out of the 5 or 6 people we spoke too a couple of them were seriously looking to move back to the UK.
We looked at a couple of properties in Cahors. There is defo value for money in property - but to get the best VFM you need to be 15-20 mins out of town by car. We got the feeling in the summer it would be lovely, but the winters were quite cold and baron. We were also quite surprised to hear crime was actually quite a problem and was becoming worse so leaving the house unattended for periods was not always a good idea. So I think thats something to just be aware of - probably area specific. The other thing that shocked us was the cost of living, it has sky rocketed up IMO. Defo more than the UK.
We put a pin in it and kept looking round. We very, very nearly went for Thailand but the distance put the Mrs off. Its still somewhere we would seriously consider. Visas are easy to get - esp the DTV or Elite. You can rent property quite cheaply and I would say overall COL is about 50% of the UK. Tax isnt so much of an issue so long as you understand the rules. The only major downsides are distance, climate in June - August and healthcare is paid for (although that has benefits tbh)
But in the end we went with the Scottish west coast. Small town, nice area, good value in the property, easy access to airports and hospitals etc.
We might stay here 5-10 years, or maybe forever we dont know yet. But we are enjoying it so far with no regrets tbh.
Perhaps not such an issue OP if your wife is fluent, but for your own banking you might want to look at Britline, by Credit Agricole.
https://www.britline.com/
https://www.britline.com/
gotoPzero said:
It was always a dream of mine to retire to France, spent quite a bit of time there over the years but not much in the last 10. About 2 ish years ago we went over for 3 months after putting our house on the market.
My wife is Irish so Brexit does not really factor and we are retired no kids. We were down in Agen.
We spoke to a fair few Brits who lived there long term already and the general vibe we got was the place was changing a lot. I would say out of the 5 or 6 people we spoke too a couple of them were seriously looking to move back to the UK.
We looked at a couple of properties in Cahors. There is defo value for money in property - but to get the best VFM you need to be 15-20 mins out of town by car. We got the feeling in the summer it would be lovely, but the winters were quite cold and baron. We were also quite surprised to hear crime was actually quite a problem and was becoming worse so leaving the house unattended for periods was not always a good idea. So I think thats something to just be aware of - probably area specific. The other thing that shocked us was the cost of living, it has sky rocketed up IMO. Defo more than the UK.
We put a pin in it and kept looking round. We very, very nearly went for Thailand but the distance put the Mrs off. Its still somewhere we would seriously consider. Visas are easy to get - esp the DTV or Elite. You can rent property quite cheaply and I would say overall COL is about 50% of the UK. Tax isnt so much of an issue so long as you understand the rules. The only major downsides are distance, climate in June - August and healthcare is paid for (although that has benefits tbh)
But in the end we went with the Scottish west coast. Small town, nice area, good value in the property, easy access to airports and hospitals etc.
We might stay here 5-10 years, or maybe forever we dont know yet. But we are enjoying it so far with no regrets tbh.
That was not the ending to that story I was anticipating,...My wife is Irish so Brexit does not really factor and we are retired no kids. We were down in Agen.
We spoke to a fair few Brits who lived there long term already and the general vibe we got was the place was changing a lot. I would say out of the 5 or 6 people we spoke too a couple of them were seriously looking to move back to the UK.
We looked at a couple of properties in Cahors. There is defo value for money in property - but to get the best VFM you need to be 15-20 mins out of town by car. We got the feeling in the summer it would be lovely, but the winters were quite cold and baron. We were also quite surprised to hear crime was actually quite a problem and was becoming worse so leaving the house unattended for periods was not always a good idea. So I think thats something to just be aware of - probably area specific. The other thing that shocked us was the cost of living, it has sky rocketed up IMO. Defo more than the UK.
We put a pin in it and kept looking round. We very, very nearly went for Thailand but the distance put the Mrs off. Its still somewhere we would seriously consider. Visas are easy to get - esp the DTV or Elite. You can rent property quite cheaply and I would say overall COL is about 50% of the UK. Tax isnt so much of an issue so long as you understand the rules. The only major downsides are distance, climate in June - August and healthcare is paid for (although that has benefits tbh)
But in the end we went with the Scottish west coast. Small town, nice area, good value in the property, easy access to airports and hospitals etc.
We might stay here 5-10 years, or maybe forever we dont know yet. But we are enjoying it so far with no regrets tbh.
Interested in France and then Thailand. Moved to Scotland due to concerns around cold and baron winters in...France!
Big E 118 said:
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you're a tax resident, you'll have to declare it anyway and pay the tax accordingly.You might omit to do that but bear in mind that fraude fiscale in France is far more seriously penalised than in the UK and the Trésor Public is far more brutal. Prison sentence entirely realistic.
Obviously your adviser may want to confirm the above. I just hope he/she isn't costing you much if that's the level of guidance you're paying for.
GetCarter said:
Be prepared to pay a lot more tax.
"among European OECD countries, France = 55.4 percent".
Interesting thread, I am looking too. I know Bergerac area very well, it is a wonderful place. Is tax "fixed" in France like here or can you self assess like in Germany? In Germany my headline rate of tax was "high" at 50%, but it was flat. Everyone also self assesses (I paid someone to do it for me) and I always ending up paying 30 plus %, a long way off the 50%."among European OECD countries, France = 55.4 percent".
You need to look at what you get in return for your tax. It's far far more complicated than that anyway. Basically, it depends on many factors and a simplistic view based on a flawed index can lead to the wrong conclusion. Even the various indices don't agree! (unsurprisingly as there are many ways of looking at things but none look at the benefits, neither health nor pension contributions...).
MisanoPayments said:
Perhaps not such an issue OP if your wife is fluent, but for your own banking you might want to look at Britline, by Credit Agricole.
https://www.britline.com/
Friends had huge issues with them as Britline were based IIRC in Normandy. Trying to get help and counter service in The Auvergne was a nightmare so they went with the local Credit Agricole group. Some banking in France remains very regional.........https://www.britline.com/
nickfrog said:
Big E 118 said:
You'll also want to be looking into Luxembourg based Assurance Vies for any cash wealth you have, you won't want to be keeping that in France.
If you're a tax resident, you'll have to declare it anyway and pay the tax accordingly.You might omit to do that but bear in mind that fraude fiscale in France is far more seriously penalised than in the UK and the Trésor Public is far more brutal. Prison sentence entirely realistic.
Obviously your adviser may want to confirm the above. I just hope he/she isn't costing you much if that's the level of guidance you're paying for.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff