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Everything you always wanted to know about France |
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Figs, Festivals and Formula 1 Summer is great, I just pick fresh figs and passion fruit from the garden and put them in my bowl of Special K for breakfast. Today is July 14 so fireworks and celebrations tonight. The law is changing relating to owning an offshore company if you are a French resident and we are trying to get clear and simple structures covering inheritance and gift taxes - I will write more about this as I learn. Thanks again to all of you for your kind mails and good wishes - I am looking at the weight I have to lose - it is equivalent to a sack of cement (25kg) or a 5 gallon can of petrol - the fresh figs will help. We are not in a water restriction area and the well is still high so we are lucky, but half of France now is officially a drought area and total bans seem to be on everything, so check before you leave for a holiday villa that the pool is OK. To check on the water restriction in the area you will be visiting look at... http://www.fblog.com/?q=node/view/232 Water restrictions When you sell a house in France it has to be certified as being free from asbestos - I was curious as to what this increasing awareness is all about so I read up on the problems - it can make for heavy reading so I found some accurate and straightforward data on this and made a page at... http://www.francevoila.com/mesothelioma/ Asbestosis and Mesothelomia please check the links there for more information and further reading. A lot of my mail is about buying property in France and the best way to do this. We have a calulator and a lot of links to companies on our page at... http://francevoila/mortgagecalculator/ Information My elder son helps buid the Renault F1 racing cars, he does a lot of the laminations and bodywork, every time they win he gets a bonus so he is doing well this year - you can see all the news at... http://www.renaultf1.com Renault F1 ======= In this weeks newsletter 1. Applying for French Citizenship 2. Single Mothers Coming to Live in France 3. Exploring France for a Home 4. Buying an Apartment in Paris 5. Child seats in a Car 6. Rights to Health Care in France 7. More About Getting Health Care in France 8. More French than the French ======= 1. Applying for French Citizenship Tony, Is there a way to apply for French Citizenship online or through the mail? Please advise. Thank You, Annetta == Annetta To apply for French citizenship you have to apply to the Mairie in the town you live. You have to speak French fluently. There is a lot of paperwork and investigation. I am not aware of any other way. Even my younger son who was born here, speaks French as his main language, has only ever lived and been educated in France and is a typically "French" boy - will have to apply when he is 18 for French citizenship and it is not an automatic right for him. Hope this helps Tony ======= 2. Single Mothers Coming to Live in France Tony I was fascinated to read your newsletter. So pleased to hear that you are well. I have one question: How was it possible for your mother to be treated in France? I ask this as I have often thought of moving myself and my two young sons to France, with my mother, who is worried that she would not be covered for health car on France. Also, where do you think is the best place for a single mother with fore mentioned two and three year olds to live? I would be worried about feeling even more isolated. (sorry that's question number two!) I'd welcome your thoughts, time permitting, Many thanks heidi == Hello heide Any citizen of the EEC has the right to live, work and receive the relevant benefits of any other EEC member. My mother paid for full social security benefits in the UK and therefore automatically has the same right to similar benefits in any other EEC country. Health charges in France are all paid for by the individual, the state will then repay 70% of the costs. Most people take out a supplementary insurance to cover 100% of the costs. There are a number of simple and inexpensive plans for this and unemployed and elderly people get full cover. Medical costs in France are low as wages are low and this is not a "litigation" culture. Our doctor will make a house call at any time for a fixed fee of 20 euro which is repaid to us automatically by the social services. Our additional health insurance costs from 20 euro to 100 euro per month per person, this will pay for all possible medical services, ambulances and medication. In villages around us there are many single mothers with young children - a lot are from the UK - you will need income, getting a job is near to impossible. France is keen to increase its young population, schooling and health are excellent. Getting unemployment benefits depends on having a previous contract of employment in France. If you are a registered resident of France you can receive the family allowance. These links give some idea of benefits and requirements. http://www.ilo.org/public/english/employment/gems/eeo/program/france/nfao.htm ilo.org http://europa.eu.int/comm/employment_social/missoc2000/f_part9_en.htm europa.eu.int Where to live is a matter of personal choice - we moved to the South of France, specifically the department of Herault after looking for four years. In 1992 it reminded me of my childhood in the UK in the 1950's - I also like sunshine and Mediterranean food, fruit and vegetables - unemployment is 30% in some towns here though. Hope this helps Tony == Thank you for all that information; greatly appreciated. I think I need to travel around, time and little ones allowing, to find the right area. As for work, I worked in a high profile (in a good way!) school for 8 years, so maybe at a later stage i might get work in an International School, for example. Either way, I will have some income of my own. I was also surprised but reassured to hear that in your area of France , single parent families are not unheard of; even where I live in Kingston on Thames, there are only one or two I know! I think I was concerned that should I move abroad, I would be a pariah! Thank you for all your kind help; I am just off to check out the other links. Wishing you and your family the best of health, Heidi ======= 3. Exploring France for a Home Hi Tony Congratulations on your recovery. My husband and I would like to rent a property in France with a view perhaps of buying a small property of our own at a later stage. Could you offer some advice. We are both retired. My husband is in a wheelchair and any prolonged trip would be difficult Since we live on the Isle of Man at present it is not so easy to travel across the channel as it might be if we were located in the UK, which is why I wanted to do some preliminary searching from here. Best wishes Joyce Roy == Hi Joyce You could browse through the archives as I have often written about this http://francevoila.com/archives.html Archives Simply, the best way is to travel through France to find the area you feel comfortable with for services, climate, people etc - then stay a while - or come back several times over a year - some places great in June may be hell in August - climate can go from 25 degrees in summer to minus 16 degrees in winter in some places. Once you have found an area - you need to choose the village, town or city in that area which suits you. My observations are that in France, even two villages only 5 km apart can have totally different "personalities", and suit different people and their dreams. Do this work slowly, stopping a while in the cafes and bars. A very pleasant way to spend a few months, years or even a lifetime. Different departments and even different villages have such totally varied "personalities" that it is not easy to look for something as important as a home from a distance. If extensive travel is difficult, you can look carefully, by searching through Google, at things like climate, local services and communications you will need - also think about wheelchair access - generally in the South of France older house are impossible for wheelchair access - they were designed to be lived in on the first floor and animals, (friendly and dangerous), crops etc were kept of the ground floor - there are always hundreds of steps. In general this applies to most farming communities in France (that is - most of France). Many modern bungalow developments seem to like the "grand flight" of steps up to the living area and multi level plans for the interior. Also most towns and villages in the south were built on hilly areas for defence and safety from flooding It took us a long time to find a house with a ground level apartment where my Mother could come to live with us - we still have four big steps from the front to the back of the house, so I think this is a most important criteria for you to consider. Public transport in towns is generally good - in villages can be very limited. Trains are superb and not expensive. Most towns will have good hospitals services. Small towns usually have good private clinics with excellent services - your health cover works exactly the same for both. Once you have decided climate and services - then choosing a place needs local knowledge - descriptions and photos are not really much use and estate-agents "enthusiasm" is useless. There are some specialists who will interview you to discover your exact wishes and needs and then research for you, they charge around 200 euro a day and can save you a lot of money and time if they are on your wavelength - they can also negotiate prices and services and actually save you money if you are fortunate. With agent fees (which the purchaser pays) and taxes you are likely to pay 20,000 euro on top of the price of the property in other charges, so local, independent and unbiased, help can be very valuable Hope this helps best wishes Tony ======= 4. Buying an Apartment in Paris Tony, I have been a long time subscriber and very much enjoy your letter. I was a little distressed to hear of your illness...life is so short and we are all so vulnerable, (we just do not always realize it). Please keep yourself healthy, and I share in your relief for your recovery. I have considered buying an apartment in Paris for some time. Since the year 2000 in which I first thought of making a purchase I have watched the euro climb significantly against the US $ and have seen the price of apartments in Paris rise in their own right. The reason to purchase in Paris is that I absolutely love the city. I would like to spend 3 or 4 months a year there. Do you think it wise to purchase an apartment and then rent it out the balance of the year? I wondering whether it is worth the trouble as opposed to just paying rent for the time I want to be here. Of course, short-term rentals are expensive, but so is maintenance and management. Again, take care...I want you to continue to write for many years. Russell = Hello Russell If you are depending on rental income to justify an apartment in Paris and plan to operate through agents then my personal opinion is that this is not viable. There are many agencies who can help - they will cost about 50% of the revenue and you will still have to pay insurance, maintenance costs etc. Then you have to pay tax on the property and income tax on the revenue - I think you also will pay tax in the USA on the income as well, as the double taxation agreements are not applied there. Paris is very popular, but at present there is a big supply of rental accommodation so occupancy could be lower than expected. It all depends on the apartment If you can justify owning an apartment without the rental income - I still believe prices are very good value for property in one of the best places in the world. The euro is a little weaker at present. Best wishes Tony ======= 5. Child seats in a Car Is a car seat for baby under 2 years old in the vehicle is compulsive in France? Frances == Hello Frances Yes, all children must be secured - a child under two must be in an approved seat which faces towards the main seat, not just a raised seat. Older children must be in an approves seat. All seat belts must be worn at all times. Tony ======= 6. Rights to Health Care in France Tony, It's scary to know you went through such an experience. Thank you for sharing it, and letting us know that you are well---thank heavens! Will you say more about the health care system, particularly, how does someone (your mother, for instance---and, well-wishes to her and her new lease on life) who has paid into the UK system become eligible for the France health coverage? Also, is it national health coverage in general, or simply the way it is run in the UK, that you do not care for? (We in the USA need a better solution for health care than we have now). I have always liked your website/newsletter. I wish, though, that there were more articles about living in France as opposed to articles about buying to rent out. My dream is, in several years, to buy (?) an apartment and live in it myself for however long I am able to live in France. I am not wealthy, but I would be self-sustaining. Is it too much to hope that there would be a small, decent, place available (in Paris, perhaps) in the $100,000 USA range? Take care of yourself, Tony. With best wishes-- Ruth == Hello Ruth Thank you for your thoughts. Nearly all my mail is about buying or renting property in France so I tend to write about that - I am planning different publications focusing on other things so hope to be writing more about life and living here as well. Any EEC citizen is entitled to benefits such as health and education in any other member country as in most other federations, so my mum can have the same health care here as in the UK or in Italy - just that in France it is working better it seems. Very little can be bought for $100,000 anywhere in France now - and certainly not in Paris where a small, decent studio apartment will start at $250,000. But Paris is still cheaper than most other European capitals and a fraction of the price of London. Hope you can find your dream best wishes Tony ======= 7. More About Getting Health Care in France Dear Tony Great to hear your good news re heart attacks etc. Somewhat on the same subject, I have recently received copies of form E121 and they say send them to local health authority, which I take to be CPAM, in my case at Gueret since I am living in La Creuse. Is it as simple as that or would you recommend I take them in person, and is there anything else I should be doing? I am 65 years old. I would welcome any advice you can give. Regards, Patrick == Hello Patrick Yes this should be all that is needed - I would go personally and get receipts for everything - here is some advice I found on the web... Be sure to register with the local Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM), so you are covered by the French medical system. You must provide documentation to prove your entitlement and a bank account number to receive the refunds. The registration process easily takes a couple of months. The CPAM refunds around two thirds of medical expenses and most medicine. If you do not want to pay the remaining part yourself, you can sign up with a medical insurance company (mutuelle). They do not require a health declaration, and existing conditions are covered. Often, a French employer will suggest a scheme, but you are free to choose. It typically costs between 30 euro and 50 euro a month per person. When using medical services, be sure to ask if they are conventionné before booking. That means that they adhere to the fees recognised by the CPAM. You pay for medical services and then claim a refund from the CPAM and your mutuelle. Be sure to be registered before you send any claims for refunds. Keep copies of all the claims, and verify that all are refunded in 1-2 months time. Whenever you pay for a medical service or medicine, they must give you a receipt known as feuille de soins for services and volet de facturation for medicine. On the latter, the pharmacist or you must stick the small labels with barcodes that you find on all refundable medicine. At the pharmacy, also ask for a facture subrogatoire. You may need that to claim a refund from your mutuelle. When you claim a refund for medicine from the CPAM, you must include a copy of the prescription (for renewable prescriptions, send it only once). In pharmacies, you can register your entitlements to refunds, so that you don't have to pay anything. In that case, you have no formalities yourself, and the comments above do not apply. If the pharmacy does not want to register you, find another pharmacy. Pensioners with entitlement to health care from another EEA Member State should request the appropriate Exxx from their local health authorities. This form must then be provided to the CPAM in France. Pensioners and other immigrants who are not planning to work and who don't have entitlement from an EEA Member State have the choice between buying into the French health care system through the CMU (Caisse de Maladie Universelle) or taking out a private medical insurance Tony. ======= 8. More French than the French I commented recently that workers in France do not seem to know much about hard work - there is a tendency to not turn up on time (or ever), to disappear and to work strange hours and times, often dictated by digestion and opening hours. It is not just the French local who has this characteristic, but often the ex-pat worker as well - this arrogant apathy seems to go with the territory and has a certain element of charm once you get used to it. A reader sent me this comment and here is my exchange with this (unsigned) mail - I did trace the mail back to a British person who has been here 7 years and is working as a sub-agent for an estate agency... == "all the workers I have come across here know a great deal about hard work " == Interesting comment, certainly not my observations and experience of 15 years working and employing people in France, from Paris to Provence. I am comparing to the UK, USA and many other countries where I have also some experience In France, many tradesmen are "competent" within blinkered strictures of their own trades, few are willing to expand or learn "outside of their box" - many pseudo-professionals are incompetent to the point of criminal negligence as they refuse to develop their skills to the benefit of clients - Accountants, Notaire and Immobilier are among the worst for this and I have a very low opinion of most of the scores of these "protected species" who I have been in contact with. The protected job environment, short working week, obligatory holidays, enforced union rights and distortion of both capitalist and socialist ideals has paradoxically created a high industrial productivity - mainly because employers avoid actually employing anyone and have automated their production as much as possible. Communist edifices like EDF, SNCF, FT and the huge Civil Service exist only to justify their own existence and often apply the worst doctrines of communism and fascism. The only people I know who work hard are those working illegally, criminals because they cannot afford the restrictions on their "wish to work". Tony == Put a French not English head on your shoulders and take us off your mailing list please == I have no idea who you are - you seem to have adopted the French obsession with anonymity - you can unsubscribe from the newsletter at anytime - the link is on every newsletter. What is the difference between an "English head" and a "French head" - sounds a very racist remark to me. Tony ======= I really do try to reply to all mail, most are questions about property or living in France. I publish comments in this newsletter which I believe are of interest and may help find answers to questions put by others wanting to come to France. By linking the points I make to our weblog at http://www.fblog.com FBlog I hope readers will go to the adverts which help support our overheads. Our business is our advertising sites for property and rentals at http://rentalsfrance.com/ RentalsFrance http://francevoila.com/ France voila Please make use of these sites for rentals and sales (and do visit the adverts). |
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