Off to France in September!

[YesNoMaybeWhat]

It came around really fast and I'm very excited, a little nervous and slowly getting packed. I have 2 weeks to get 7 year old dd settled in school before my job starts. Ill get some admin done too including phone, Internet and bank account. At some point I'll apply for my residency card (on a talent visa) and see about getting the car registered. Ill search for French lessons that I can keep up for the year. Ill do some light exploring during school hours to get to know the area better. Ill join a bunch of Facebook groups. Ill worry about tax!

For those who made the move, looking back, how were those first few weeks/months?

Are you bringing your UK car over? Personally I wouldn't; it's a real hassle. We sold ours and bought one there.

In terms of admin, you need to think about your visa/carte de sejour, carte vitale and bank account.

We bank with Credit Agricole Britline: English speaking staff and super easy to seal with. In the early days, I relied heavily on my Starling app; opened online and I can slush funds between my sterling and euro funds. Was a lifesaver the first few weeks. Revolut would work perfectly, too.

When was your driving licence issued? If after Jan 2021, you can only drive for 1 year before switching to a French one. I exchanged mine for the French before it was due to expire.

Assume your employer will help obtain carte vitale? In the meantime, know that you can still book doctor and dentist appointment via the Doctolib app. Just keep receipts for eventual reimbursement via your CPAM.

Bring official copies of birth certificates etc for your visa.

If married/pacsd, get your electric account in joint names, as can be used as proof of address.

Bon chance. We made the move 3 years ago and love it.

BTW, tax gets done jointly if you're married. DH does ours online. You will need to list every account you've got open, and take note of those closed. If you trade via a platform eg Hargreaves, you'll have to list every sale within the tax year and work out the profit. Very onerous!

Assuming French contract, of course.

Check out your local AVF; I'm on my local committee and run welcome sessions for newcomers, in English, explaining how things work in France. Local Facebook pages are a must, too.

Hi. EU citizen, lived in the USA most of my life. Now retired, thinking of moving to France. Is there a website you can recommend that provides information in English about how to do all the needed bits? And if there's a reputable entity in France that can help with doing taxes when it's time? My French is very basic, and I'm a bit leery of trying to manage government forms on my own. Thanks.