France: worth writing home about?

France may be a popular destination in which to buy a second home for holiday or investment purposes, but it is somewhere you would want to hang up your onions and live permanently? TheMoveChannel.com finds out...  

Emigrating abroad is something many people spend a great deal of time thinking about - usually when they are sitting in a city traffic jam, queuing or being mugged for their mobile.

Escaping it all is not a new dream - but does leaving your homeland behind really leave behind all your problems too? Whilst France has never topped the list of the most popular places for Brits to move to - that accolade has always been fought over by Australia, Canada, Spain and New Zealand - it has always been in the top five.

Many people move to France chasing the rural dream - that dilapidated farmhouse, a veggie patch, gruff but honest neighbours who spend weekends making jam. Forget your Fendi baguette, (designer handbag for those men amongst you) it's all about wholesome family outings and knobbly carrots in rural France. Or is it?

That rural idyll can fast become less than ideal as the winter months roll around as they insist on doing year after year. Isolation, loneliness and boredom can take over, especially if you don't speak the language.

So how do I move there?

Anyway, if I haven't totally put you off - let's get down to the nitty gritty. If you are a citizen of the European Union, (EU) you automatically have the right to live and work in France. As of November 2003, EU members may enter France to look for employment, start a business or just visit, without the requirement for a ‘carte de sejour' (French resident permit).

Although you don't have to have the permit by law, it is still worth applying for it as it acts as your French ID. It is also worth applying for this well in advance as it can take up to three months to be issued.

Applications must be made individually for each member of the family. If you do not receive a regular salary you may need to provide proof of sufficient funds to support you for the duration of your stay.

If you are a non-EU citizen, you will need to apply for a work visa. Your employer will generally need to support your application for the initial visa and then the following resident permit.  

To go about getting the visa or permit, you will need to contact the French Embassy or consulate in your country of residence before you arrive in France. Procedures vary for different nationalities and activities; therefore it is important to clearly outline your reasons for application, who will be accompanying you and whether they also have a requirement to work or study.

Let's talk money...

Whilst quality of life may well be better in your new adopted country, setting up your new life will not be cheap. According to foreign currency experts HiFX, the average UK family emigrates abroad with assets of £250,000 from the sale of a house, car and some savings.

By transferring their worldly goods to their new country via a high street bank, that family risks losing up to £10,000 of their assets.

It is worth giving the cash transfer some real thought as banks typically charge around four per cent more than currency specialists.

Don't be caught short - make sure you have a cushion of cash to support you in case finding a job takes longer than you anticipated or your money doesn't go as far as you thought. Don't forget all that DIY on your farmhouse will be costly too!

Picture by beggs