Comprehensive Guide To Moving - Rules Of Residency In France

Some Advice if You are Moving to France

Moving to France: A Comprehensive Guide

Relocating to France is a dream for many, offering the opportunity to immerse yourself in a country renowned for its rich history, stunning landscapes, and world-class cuisine. However, moving to a new country involves more than romanticizing the experience. It requires detailed planning, pragmatic decision-making, and a willingness to adapt to a new culture. Here’s a complete guide to help make your transition to France as smooth as possible.

Planning Your Move

The foundation of a successful relocation lies in meticulous preparation. Moving internationally involves unique challenges, so having a well-thought-out plan is essential.

Hiring a Professional Moving Company

Transporting your belongings across borders requires professional assistance. A reputable moving company will handle packing, loading, and transportation, ensuring your possessions arrive safely. When choosing a moving company:

Look for one experienced in international relocations.
Confirm they offer insurance for your items.
Read reviews and get recommendations to ensure reliability.

Managing Logistics and Paperwork

Relocating to France involves administrative tasks, including:

Customs declarations for your belongings.
Arranging a visa or residence permit.
Securing health insurance that meets French legal requirements.

Start this process early to avoid unnecessary stress as moving day approaches.

Choosing the Right Location

When deciding where to settle in France, it’s vital to consider more than just your holiday memories. Living somewhere full-time often differs significantly from experiencing it as a vacationer.

Visit During Different Seasons

That charming village where you’ve spent idyllic summers might feel entirely different in winter. Before committing to a location:

Visit during off-peak seasons to understand its year-round vibe.
Assess whether local amenities, such as shops and restaurants, remain open.
Consider the climate and whether it suits your preferences.

Assess Accessibility and Amenities

Ask yourself practical questions:

Are essential services, like schools and healthcare, within easy reach?
Is public transportation available?
How far are you from major cities or airports?

Understanding the logistics of your chosen area can make day-to-day life easier.

Navigating the French Housing Market

One of the biggest decisions you’ll face is finding a home. France offers a variety of housing options, but diving into the property market without proper knowledge can be risky.

Renting Before Buying

If you’re unfamiliar with the French legal system, renting is often the best choice. This approach allows you to:

Experience life in the area before committing to a long-term purchase.
Learn about the local property market.
Avoid potential legal pitfalls.

Engage an English-speaking lawyer or notary to help navigate rental agreements and property laws.

Helpful Resources

For insights into the French housing market, visit:

French Property

Legal and Administrative Requirements

France’s legal system can be complex, especially for newcomers. It’s crucial to understand the basics or seek professional guidance.

Key Considerations

Hiring a Notary or Lawyer: Work with an English-speaking professional to navigate contracts and understand legal obligations.
Tax Implications: Research property and income tax requirements.
Business Regulations: If you plan to work or start a business, ensure you comply with French labor and business laws.

Adapting to French Culture and Lifestyle

Moving to France means immersing yourself in a unique culture. Embrace the differences to make your transition smoother.

Language Skills

Although many urban French residents speak English, learning French will significantly enhance your experience. Fluency helps with:

Building relationships with locals.
Navigating day-to-day activities.
Integrating into the community.

Consider online language learning tools such as Duolingo or Rosetta Stone.

Cultural Norms

French culture values traditions, especially in dining and social interactions. For instance:

Meals are seen as a time for connection and should not be rushed.
Politeness and proper greetings are highly valued.

Healthcare in France

France boasts one of the best healthcare systems in the world. To access it:

Register for the Carte Vitale, which allows you to use state healthcare services.
Consider private insurance for additional coverage.

Visit Ameli for more information on healthcare registration and benefits.

Final Thoughts

Relocating to France is a journey filled with opportunities and challenges. By planning carefully, staying informed, and embracing the local culture, you can make your transition a rewarding experience. For further insights and resources, visit:

French Property Guide

Moving Around The Global Village

It is becoming more and more common to change jobs or get a promotion at work which will involve moving house not just within the UK, but also throughout the world. When you are moving house onto the European mainland you are highly likely to want to take your furniture and personal belongings with you than to put them in storage. Logistically this is really much easier than you might first think. Generally it does not involve huge amounts of paperwork and it is just like moving house in the UK except that it takes a little longer for the journey.
If you are moving to Germany or perhaps moving to France, two of the most popular mainland Europe destinations, you just need to find a reliable removals company with experience of this type of move, like ourselves at European Removal Experts, who will collect and deliver for you. One thing that you should consider is whether you need your belongings to go into storage at any point, be it a day or a month or two, before they are delivered. When you make your move you may not be going directly to the house you are going to occupy long term so if this applies when you are moving to Germany or any other country it makes sense to use a company that can offer the whole package.
Of course, you may just want to follow the removal van in your own car and that can certainly be arranged. But we find it is more usual for our customers to want to meet us at their new European home. Once the furniture has arrived it can be placed in the correct rooms so that you can unpack and settle into your new home at your leisure, with a minimum of fuss. Bon voyage.

Moving to Belgium Let the Experts Help You

Moving home can be a traumatic experience at the best of times, but when you are moving abroad the stress and trauma involved can be magnified many times over. If you are moving to Belgium there are some things you should be aware of before you organise your belongings to be transported across the North Sea. Although we have been members of the European Union since 1973, moving to Belgium – or moving to Germany and any other EU country – is not as straight forward as it could be, especially if you are living in Britain but you are not a UK passport holder. For example, when you are moving to Belgium you should know that for all visits of longer than 90 days a visa is required for non-EU citizens.

With the exception of Cyprus and Malta, nationals of the new European Union Member States are currently subject to transition arrangements which remain in place for two years and require a long-stay visa for those who are moving to Belgium. However, if you are self-employed you will be exempt from the visa requirement.

Now we have cleared up the boring bit about moving to Belgium, it’s time to start planning the logistics involved in getting your furniture moved. Of course, you could do it yourself by hiring a lorry, but why add to the stress by doing this? Get in touch with the people at Europemove.com and they will take care of everything for you, which means you will be free to concentrate on your new life.

Removal to France - Removals to Basse Normandie- Removals Companies London UK

Moving to Basse-Normandie

Encompassing the north-western departments of Calvados, Manche and Orne is the administrative region of Frace, Basse- Normandie (Lower Normandy). This region was created when the Normandy region was split into Upper and Lower Normandy in 1956.
The region stands out from a historical point of view because it is the birthplace of William I also known as the Conqueror, also its coast was where several landings were done by the Allied troops in 1944, during the Normandy Invasion. These have ultimately greatly contributed to the liberation of occupied France during the World War II. Lower Normandy suffered significant damage during the War, especially its villages and towns were damaged greatly.
The region still has a strong rural character although not many are still working in agriculture. Western lands of the region are used as a permanent pasture or forage crops are cultivated there because the most dominating is the animal husbandry. For example, Perche and Auge are one of the major producers of beef and also Camembert cheese is largely produced in Orne. Other types of cheese are produced in Livarot and Pont. Horses are also raised in both Orne and Calvados in a large number. The farm are mainly small ones and those which are bigger are used to farm cereal and grow apple that’s later used for cider and cider brandy. On the northern side of Mache the farms that are there grow vegetables and near the coast oyster farming takes place along with fishing.
Over in the late 50’s, metallurgical industries and traditional textile have declined, and because Basse-Normandie gained from the effect of decentralisation of firms based in Paris, it led to the growth of industries such as the electronics, electrical and mechanical engineering.
Other industrial activities that have grown are shipbuilding and repair, commercial vehicles and automobile manufacturing along with beverage and food processing. They even touched the topic of nuclear waste processing.
The Basse-Normandie’s main administrative and business centre is located at Caen, and around it is where the concentration o industry related activities take place.
Basse-Normandie is also well-known for its costal resorts areas that frequently attract tourists from all over the place. Some of these are the Deauville, the Granville, the Trouville and Mont-Saint-Michael that has an abbey that is situated high above the sea and which has Gothic style architecture.
Normandy had its own regional language called Norman and it is still in use to this day in Lower Normandy. Even dialects have formed, such as the one in Contenin which stands out the most among all others. Nevertheless French is still spoken and you can get around just fine if you know it.
For those who love to read Basse-Normandie has had its fair share of great authors that were born there, such as Marcel Proust, Guy de Maupassant and Jules Barbey d’Auverilly. And many important Norman-language authors attached to Basse-Normandie in a special way, such as Cotis -Capel, Alfred Rossel and even Louis Beuve.
The region also has several famous people in various cultural fields, such as the Jean-Francois in visual arts and the composer Erik Satie for music.
Basse-Normandie hosts several renowned events such as the Deauville American Film Festival and the Deauville Asian Film Festival.
If you want to move to Lower Normandy, no matter where you go you will be able to fully enjoy picturesque landscapes and buildings together with the rich culture and history. If you’re undecided about how to go about moving to Basse-Normandie let us help you.

Europe Remove is specialised in Removals to France with door to door deliveries. We offer Storage and Removal Services at attractive prices and will ensure your moving will take place as a fast paced and secure operation.
We provide a cost effective and reliable service to you. Be it a small or a large number of boxes that needs moving, we can arrange collection of your belongings and relocation, as well as Storage, all only under the best conditions and with highly Qualified Professionals Removers.

You can even leave the Packing to us. We will make sure everything will be Packed Securely with only the best Packing Supplies available. If you’re not convinced just use our Free Quote service.
You can contact us for any questions you might have. +44 020 3150 2668

Photographer: Sandra Lopes Martins

Belgium: Culture and More!

Europe has a lot to offer, and it is arguably the most diverse continent on the planet, with each European nations having its particular way of doing things. Surely one of the most interesting and perhaps underrated European nation is Belgium, which although one of the smallest countries in Europe certainly punches above its weight in terms of cultural intrigue, history etc.

Food and Drink

Whilst France might enjoy the title of gastronomic capital of Europe, if not the world, Belgium is is just as exciting when it comes to food and drink, and drawing upon its uniquely diverse culture, you’ll be struck by just how varied and delicious Belgian cuisine can be. In fact, there are some things that Belgium does best in the world, for example Belgium produces over 800 kinds of beer as well as lots of lovely, world class chocolate.

Culture

Belgium is unique in that it is an especially diverse culture, and there are several languages native to the country, including English, French and Flemish, and the capital of the nation Brussels is officially trilingual. Rather than seeing the abundance of language in Belgium as a challenge, anyone moving to Belgium should see it as a testament to the uniqueness and the cultural intrigue that Belgium, one of the most special European nations, has to offer.

So, relocating to Belgium could be one of the most exciting decisions that you ever make, and at European Removal Experts its our business to take the hassle out of that European move!

Making the Move to Rustic Germany

Whilst moving to Germany or moving to Holland etc will afford you with the same kinds of challenges wherever your going, one of the remarkable things about Europe is that despite the close proximity of nations, there is an unrivalled diversity of cultures and languages.

Perhaps less celebrated than other destinations is rustic Germany, not only for its majestic countryside, but also for is more than similarity to the vernal hills of the English countryside. However, unlike the UK, which of course is an island, Germany is slap bang In the middle of Europe and therefore by moving to Germany you are literally moving to the centre of Europe.

There is definitely a cliched idea about the German countryside: i.e. Alpine landscapes trawled by ramblers in Lederhosen, however just as the UK has a hugely diverse environment, so does Germany. For example, by moving to Germany you will be moving to a country that not only has Alpine mountain ranges, but also sandy beaches at the Baltic sea.

So, whilst Germany is the strongest economy in Europe there are more reasons to become an emigre than this – and rustic Germany is one of the most awe-inspiring places in the world, let alone Europe. And therefore anyone considering relocating to Germany would do well to consider a rustic location.

At European Removal Experts wherever your destination, whether its rustic Germany or a vibrant capital city like Paris, we are committed to making the moving process as simple and effective as it can be!

How to Reduce the Stress of Moving to Switzerland

Moving to Switzerland can be a fantastic time, but it can also be incredibly stressful. All the legal processes can seem like a minefield, and then you’ve got to think about the reality of living there. But there are ways that you can reduce the stress of moving to Switzerland, and these are just a few of them.

• Be prepared. This is probably the most important piece of advice that anyone will be able to give when moving to Switzerland. You need to start planning well in advance of your desired move date, as there’s no way that you can relocate on a whim as there are far too many things to take care of.

• Learn the language. This will make the transition as smooth as possible, as if you’ve spent the time to learn it the locals will be more accommodating and you’ll find it easier to become part of their culture.

• Make sure you have translators on your side when sorting out the details. Although you may be learning the language, it’s still advisable to have a translator on-hand so you don’t have to worry about miscommunication when dealing with, for example, house sales and visas.

• Book removals services well in advance. Professional services can get booked up weeks in advance, and if you don’t want to be in Switzerland with your possessions in the UK make sure to book early.

So, although moving to Switzerland can be stressful, if you bear in mind these tips you’ll find the whole process far easier. Here at European Removal Experts we understand what you’re going through, so come to us to see how we can help.

Some Benefits of Moving to Germany

If you are moving abroad with your job, the chances are that the company you work for will be paying your moving costs. This is good news for you, because it means that you will be able to employ a team of experts to take care of every aspect of the move.

Although we tend to think of sunny climates like Spain and Portugal as the destinations Brits choose when moving abroad, more of us these days are moving to Germany and moving to Switzerland in order to continue working for the company we are currently employed by, or to look for a new career. If you are moving to Germany, this is a relatively straightforward process as the country is an EU member. Moving to Switzerland is a little more complicated, but citizens of EU member states will find it a lot easier moving to Switzerland than somebody from outside the European Union.

If you are moving to Germany, you can look forward to earning a salary similar to that which you would earn in London, but be prepared for the higher tax rate. The benefits of moving to Germany include much lower rents for flats and apartments, as well as generally lower living costs than the UK and an excellent health care service, which is thought to be superior to the NHS. However, if you are moving to Switzerland, be prepared for higher costs in just about everything compared to living in Britain, so make the most of the beautiful countryside and pristine streets in the towns and cities!

Speed Demon: Take Care on Germany’s Autobahn Roads

Moving to Germany can mean a huge plethora of thrilling new opportunities for every traveller. The kids might think moving to Germany will mean less school (German students generally only attend in the morning), teenage girls might become light-headed at the prospect of relocating to Germany to find… German teenage boys! But there’s one thing Dads, Granddads, sons, brothers and mates are thinking when the subject of moving to Germany is raised… AUTOBAHN!

Germany’s Autobahns are super-highways not dissimilar to our own UK motorways. Access to Autobahn roads is legally prohibited for vehicles unable to reach and obtain a speed of 37mph (60 km/h) The advised upper speed limit is about 80mph (130km/h), however there is no legal limit in place.

Foreigners can often get carried away at the suggestion of NO SPEED LIMIT, meaning crashes and collisions are more common amongst non-native drivers.

We’ve gathered these helpful tips from our drivers and clients –

• Be careful when entering and exiting the Autobahn. There are often sharp bends at access points!

• Don’t panic when people flash their lights at you; it’s often simply a polite notification that they’re approaching at high speed.

• Let go of the element of competition – it really IS NOT A RACE!

• Be wary of road surfaces. Some Autobahns are poorly maintained and can be dangerous when sensible driver restraint and caution is not employed.

• Never dawdle in the left (overtaking) lane; the Autobahnpolizei (Autobahn Police) won’t hesitate to issue a fine with your name on it!

The Benefits of Travel

In the recent general election, one of the hot topics was that of immigration and the effects this has on jobs. With the development of the European Union one of the key changes has been with border controls. People who live in E U member states are no longer considered citizens of just their country of birth but are also citizens of Europe. As such they have rights to travel and work in other member states and are entitled to the benefits not only of their country of origin but also of the country they move to. This has led to the development of a more flexible mobile workforce.

When we think of UK citizens moving abroad we usually think of people buying holiday homes and moving to France or Spain. However if we consider countries like Germany it is more likely that people will be moving there because of work.

If you are considering moving to Germany then we at European Removal Experts can help to make the transition as pain free as possible.

Once there it is also good to know that under EU legislation citizens of one country are entitled to the same benefits such as medical help.

Sometimes these benefits continue to be paid directly by the UK directly to you and sometimes they are paid to the country you are resident in and they in turn provide the same service as would be received by a native resident.

Also once you are working and paying into local tax and social insurance packages you are also entitled to additional benefits such as unemployment benefit and assistance when looking for work.

It is therefore good to know that even when making a big step like moving to Germany, you will not be without support should things not go entirely as planned.