France visa consultant - is there such a thing?

[Itslookinggood]

So after a tough few years, I would like to relocate for a few years to France, near Geneva. I already work there a lot (freelance consultant), speak French, and have lived overseas for a lot of years - but last 15 in the UK.

obviously post- Brexit this is not straightforward but looking at the visa categories, on the surface, it seems I might well qualify for a long stay visa of up to 4 years. Have 1 DS, 15, who can attend international school Geneva ( familiar with the system & can hopefully manage the fees for a couple of years).

However, I don’t know the visa system for France now, and don’t want to risk screwing up an application by applying in the wrong category etc. Checked online and there are a lot of ‘visa companies’, but unsure which are reputable etc. Is there such a thing as a visa consultant, or good company, who could help me navigate all this? Or am I best trying to do it myself? Thanks!

Hopeful bump!

I don't know of any, so couldn't advise, but have you tried asking the French consulate nearest you? It's the sort of thing they may be able to help with. If they don't do it themselves, there might be agencies they work with who are presumably more legit and reliable!

I got my long stay visa a year ago. I am retired & have moved to join family.

I used the French government site which was fine but a hell of a lot of paperwork & many things had to be translated (eg birth certificates) by an accredited translator

france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/

And when you go to the visa offices (in Wandsworth, London) to present paperwork & have fingerprints taken etc prepare yourself for a L O N G wait!

Thank you both. magi that is so helpful to k ow that you did the process yourself.

long wait I can do. Just need to know whether it’s feasible or not.

can I ask how far in advance you applied to actually moving? I have about 18 months to go, but need to work out when to apply.

thank you x

Not a visa consultant, but I think you definitely need professional advice. I live in the area in France and DH works in Geneva. Frontalier permits (to work in Geneva) are difficult to acquire for Brits who didn't live in the area prior to Brexit - including those who hold a WARP but previously lived in a different part of France. If you were fulfilling a short contract the company would have to prove they couldn't find a Swiss/EU person who could do it. I'm not sure whether it would be easier for you as a freelancer with several clients though. You could possibly try the Facebook group RIFT - Working across Borders, though they are mainly focussed on protecting the rights of pre-Brexit residents (and more on France/U.K. workers, but Switzerland comes up sometimes). They don't allow official recommendations but people PM them sometimes. Good luck.

You can only apply in the 3 months before you go.

The thing is, in order to work, you will need a business plan and you will need medical insurance and somewhere to live for the visa application. Probably also the DBS/Criminal check.

There is a facebook group called 'moving to france after brexit' and this question comes up multiple times a day. I;d join it if I were you.

We also retired here and got our visas a year ago.

Ok that is massively helpful - thank you all.

I am freelance (self employed, think management consultant) and work from home, though several clients are Geneva- based. Long track record, etc. So I would plan to effectively work in France on a freelance basis ( occasional meetings in Gva) and send DS to one of the international schools in Gva if feasible.

I’ll try both FB groups, Thank you so much.

Medical insurance I can do - accommodation would be a hassle but I can hopefully find somewhere to rent initially for a year, before deciding whether to make thr move permanent.