How Easy Is It To Move To France?

So, you’re really excited because you have decided to take the plunge and move to France, but are wondering just how easy it is to do? Well, it can be as easy or as difficult as you want to make it. The first thing to do is write a list of what needs doing. The length of this list will depend entirely on what you’re moving and how much stuff you will have to take.
 
Of course, if you’re already living in a country that’s part of the European Union, this will make things much easier for you as there will be no red-tape in terms of visas etc. In fact, if you have a list that covers all angles and are already in the EU, moving to France does not have to be difficult at all there are just a few things you should consider.

First or all, the French are very well-known for their patriotism and are proud of their language, if you arrive in France without even a little bit of the language, life could be pretty tough to start with. Getting some French under you belt would be the first thing I would do, and make sure you have enough to go about daily life.
 
Second of all you should already have visited France, at least for a holiday. In my opinion you should take a “working” holiday, treat your time there not as a tourist but as someone who lives there. This will give you an insight into how the culture works and what daily life is like.
 
So many people make decisions to move to a country without really knowing what life will be like, and this could make you feel pretty miserable if you find it’s not what you thought it would be. France is a beautiful country and the people are welcoming, but being on holiday and falling in love with a place isn’t necessarily a good reason to move there.
 
If you happen to be English, make sure you join as many forums as possible on the internet and choose forums that have people posting that live in the area you want to be. If you can make some friends this way, you will already have a social network before you arrive. Not only that, you will find that ex-pats are more than willing to share their experiences with you, they can give you tips on the best properties to be found and will let you know what day-to-day life is like.
 
The more support you have from people already living in France, the better. This will help you make the transition from one country to another far easier. You can also find out about education and what the best schools are for your children, information on living costs and whether it’s possible to get your favourite food items. We all forget the little things like which hairdresser to use, what doctors are best and is there a hospital close by.
 
If you take all of these things into consideration, your move to France will be an easy one, and you can start to enjoy the climate and the people from the minute you arrive.
 
Keith Barrett has travelled around Europe and writes for The Road Ahead about European moves. He enjoys considering his next move!