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France - An Expatriate Guide

Overview
Climate and Weather
Getting There
French Culture
Speaking the Language
Government
Religion
Visas, Residency and Documentation Required
Currency
Foreign Currency - how to secure a favourable exchange rate
Cost of Living
Banking
Taxation
Insurance
Business Culture
Credit and Loans
Healthcare and Medical Treatment in France
Emergency Services
Crime and the Legal System
Social Security in France
Finding Employment
Retiring to France
Education and Schools
Driving in France
Food and Drink
Leisure, Entertainment and Sports
Arranging a Telephone and/or Internet Connection
Taking Your Pets
Expat groups in France


French mortgages


France - Property

Regional buying guides:

Alsace
Aquitaine
Auvergne
Burgundy (Bourgogne)
Brittany (Bretagne)
Centre (Centre - Val de Loire)
Champagne-Ardenne
Franche-Comte
Languedoc-Roussillon
Limousin
Lower Normandy (Basse-Normandie)
Lorraine
Midi-Pyrenees
North-Calais (Nord-Pas-de-Calais)
Paris-Isle-of-France (Ile de France)
Pays de la Loire
Picardy (Picardie)
Poitou-Charentes
Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur
Rhone-Alpes
Upper Normandy (Haute-Normandie)

Property Types
Buying New Property in France
Buying Older Property in France
Glossary of French Property Buying Terms
Property Prices
Finding Your French Property
Purchasing French Property
French Mortgage Questions Answered
Property Purchase Tips
Renting Property in France
French Buy-To-Let Scheme
French Leaseback Basics
Introduction to French Leaseback
French Leaseback Properties
Reserving a French Leaseback Property
French Mortgages for Leaseback Properties
Leaseback Contract And Management Company
French Leaseback Rental Income
Leaseback Property Personal Use
Leaseback Property End of Contract
French Leaseback Costs
French Leaseback Property Scheme VAT Rebate

Download this guide as a PDF file for printing, emailing, reading offline etc. only £1.95 (multiple currencies accepted)


France - City and Region Guides

Cities

Paris

South of France

Best Places to Buy Property in the South of France
Health and Beauty in the South of France
Shopping and Socialising in the South of France
Exclusive Transport in the South of France


France - Latest Articles

Property in the South of France - Focus on Sorede
French Real Estate Markets Show Amazingly Strong Figures
Buying a 2nd Hand Car in France
Dealing with funeral arrangements in France
New Consumer Protection Laws on Real Estate Sales and Rentals in France
The Cost of Staying Healthy in France - New Health Reforms Explained for Brits Buying and Living in France
Faire Le Pont - The Month Of May And Other Holiday Periods In France
Inflated House Prices in the South of France
Renovating French Properties
Holidays in France

Read more articles or submit article

Expat Financial Services - Trusted Partner Network

Currency Transfer

Pension Transfer (UK)

Insurance

Mortgages

Banking

Tax Filing (US)

Saving Investing (US)


Expat Focus Recommended Website Award - France

Expat Focus Recommended Website
Anglophone-Direct

www.anglophone-direct.com

Website and busy forum for the English speaking community in Pyrenees Orientales

Click here for previous winners


Expat Experiences of Life in France (submit yours here)

April Hollands

La Balme Peak

I'm April Hollands, originally from Melbourne, Australia before spending a few years in London, then flitting between the French Alps as a ski bum in winters and working two jobs in Cambridge to pay for the luxury, then finally moving to the French Alps permanently and finding work. ...

Read more...


Sion Dayson

Sion Dayson

I'm Sion Dayson, an American in Paris. I'm a writer originally from New York and North Carolina. Unlike a lot of expats here, I had never dreamed of living in Paris. I spoke Spanish, longed for warm weather, and didn't display any Francophile tendencies. So wouldn't you know it? I fell in love with the City of Light one cold, rainy November. I was in Europe for a work conference and had a layover in Paris. Three days of exploring and the city worked its magic. I couldn't shake the place. I planned a month-long holiday for the following April...

Read more...


Cynthia Caughey

Cynthia Caughey

I'm a 51-year old American expat living in Chambery in the French Alps. I moved here in 2008 to marry my fiance, now husband, who is a French citizen. We met when I was vacationing in Provence on a train to Avignon. After a 2.5 year long distance relationship between Chambery and Los Angeles, I moved to France at the age of 49. It was a very difficult decision since I left behind a city I loved and lived in for 26 years...

Read more...


Alan Simonds

Alan Simonds

We were over here on holiday in 2005 and drove past the end of a lane which had a sign for a building plot for sale. We looked at the land which amounted to about 1.4 acres and had a stream running along two sides. We were totally smitten and decided to buy. We settled here in France in May 2006. The main reason for coming was for a better quality of live, escaping from the pressure of work and the traffic in South East England....

Read more...


We came to France 2 years ago just looking for a better life for the family- more time, less stress. We found that. Not all ex-pats come to another country with tons of cash, dream home or the perfect job waiting. Some of us moved to find a better way of life. We do get more time now with less outside stress. Our older girls are doing really well in school and are so much happier that we can give them more time...


I have read a lot of literature with regard to the pitfalls of trying to open a Bank account in France whilst still living in the UK. That is a 'non resident' bank account. I have to say everything I have read was unfounded! Upon making the first approach to Credit Agricole, I was obviously asked for colour copies of our passports along with a utility bill of where I live in the UK, not more than three months old, no problem here I thought...


If you are choosing a school for your kids, our advice would be to chat to the Mairie. The state schools are good here, my youngest (14) is in his second year and doing ok. No knowledge of the language when we moved over a year ago, but it doesn't take long for them to learn the rudiments. The kids & the teachers have all been a great help to him...


Read more experiences here or submit your own!


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Expat France Videos and Podcasts

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