Some Of The Things You Need To Consider When Moving To France

 

As regards, Brexit, the good news is that if you are resident in France before the transition period ends on December 31st, you will be able to stay there. All UK nationals resident in France will have to obtain a new residence permit in line with the Withdrawal Agreement and this includes: 

 

• UK nationals with a European carte de séjour (even if it is marked “permanent”, or has no expiry date) 

• UK nationals without a European carte de séjour (it is currently optional to have one) 

• UK nationals applying for a second nationality 

• UK nationals married to or PACSed to (in a civil partnership with) EU nationals 

• UK nationals recently arriving or well established in France 

 

When the system opens, you will need to apply using the online residency portal. As a result of Coronavirus, the opening date of the website has been put back to October 1st and you will have until June 30th 2021 to apply. You can read more (in English) on the French government website here: https://brexit.gouv.fr/sites/brexit/accueil/vous-etes-britannique-en/droit-au-sejour-en.html There is also a list of FAQs there. 

 

As regards, Coronavirus, France categorised each department as “red”, “orange”, or “green”. Currently all departments on the French mainland are green, but there may be certain restrictions still in place. As from Monday July 20th wearing masks is compulsory in enclosed public spaces, which includes the following: 

 

 

It is also compulsory to wear masks on public transport. 

 

As regards removals to France, at Movers International we are back up and running again. Government advice is that you should do as much of your own packing as you can, and we are able to supply you with suitable packing materials. Cardboard boxes from the supermarket or your greengrocer will not usually be up to the job. Use your own towels, sheets, clothing, and so on to pack delicate items. This will save space and as a result save you money. Don’t make any boxes too heavy because if you find them difficult to lift, then so will we. 

 

As regards, your removal date, you need to book with us as early as you possibly can. In the summer and school holidays we can get very busy indeed and clients who leave it too late often find that they can’t get a removal company at all. Furthermore, as lockdown has eased, there is a backlog of people who had planned to move but were unable to, so the pressure is going to be on. 

 

Of course, when moving to France you need to organise all your documentation. This includes birth and marriage certificates (if applicable), medical documents including EHIC and vaccinations, driving licence and vehicle documents, banking and other financial documents such as life insurance, UK tax documents, and any documents regarding education and qualifications. 

 

You also need to set up a French bank account. You can do this before you move as the banks will allow you to set up a non-residence account when you don’t have a French postal address. 

 

In addition, you need to set up a list of emergency contact addresses, phone numbers, and emails in case anything happens to you or your loved ones. This should include the British Embassy, and any relevant authorities in France. 

 

You also need to arrange for electricity and gas supplies. Many French people use EDF for electricity and GDF for gas. If you don’t have this organised, you could be sitting in the dark when you arrive, and have no cooking facilities!