Excerpted from “Buying a Home in France “
A ‘new’ house is generally defined as one built in the last five years, which is also the legal definition. Although new properties may lack the charm and character of older buildings, they offer attractive financial and other advantages: Continue reading “Buying a Home in France”
Buying a Business Property
Excerpted from “Buying a Home in France”
The procedure for buying business premises is essentially the same as for buying private property in France. This is generally a straightforward process, although there are certain precautions to be taken and regulations to be observed. You can obtain a mortgage of up to 80 per cent on a commercial property, but you must fund the business yourself.Before buying any business property, you must do your homework thoroughly, particularly regarding the history and viability of the business. Continue reading “Buying a Business Property”
French retirement homes
Excerpted from “Buying a Home in France ”
Traditionally, the French expect to care for elderly relatives within the family unit (indeed adults are legally obliged to provide for their parents in old age, according to their means), so retirement homes (résidence pour retraités/seniors) are less common than in many other Western countries, although they’re becoming more usual: there are now around 5,000 retirement homes. Continue reading “French retirement homes”
Health Emergencies in France
France’s emergency medical services are among the best in the world but may operate in a slightly different way from those you’re used to. The action to take in a medical emergency depends on the degree of urgency. Continue reading “Health Emergencies in France”
Working in France
Regulations governing the right of foreigners to employment in France are complex. If you do not have permanent residency (une carte de résident) in France, which authorizes you to work here, obtaining a work permit depends on where you come from, whether you have legitimate grounds for living in France, and what sort of gainful activity you expect to pursue. At present, citizens of pre-2004 member nations of the European Union and Switzerland need no official authorization to live and work in France (see further “Working in France for EEA Nationals”). For non-EEA foreigners, application for any prolonged stay (i.e., not a 90-day tourist visa) must be made through a French consulate in their home country. Any authorization to work in France will be contingent on obtaining permission to live here.
Continue reading “Working in France”