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LIVING IN FRANCE

Squatters to sweet nothings: 6 essential articles for life in France

From dealing with squatters or working remotely, to terms of endearment and how to have a chat at the supermarket, here are 6 essential articles for life in France.

Squatters to sweet nothings: 6 essential articles for life in France
What are the tax implications of working from a beach on the French Riviera? Photo by OLIVIER MORIN / AFP

The wonders of modern technology mean that a lot of jobs can now be done remotely, opening up a whole new world of work opportunities for foreigners in France who have not yet perfected their French.

Unfortunately, the visa and tax systems haven’t had an update in some time, so it can be hard to find information about the residency and tax implications of living or visiting one country while simultaneously working for a company in a different country.

We have spoke to an immigration lawyer and an international tax expert to get the full detail on what you need to know.

Working remotely from France – what are the rules for foreigners?

Explained: Tax rules for remote workers in France

If you have property in France you obviously want to enjoy it yourself rather than have it taken over by squatters.

French law has made it difficult in the past for property owners to evict squatters – with second-home owners having particular problems due to time limits in notifying authorities.

However the process has become a little easier recently, with changes to the rules to make the system slightly more user-friendly.

How to get rid of squatters from your French property

If owning property in France is a bit out of your price bracket then you will probably be looking to enter the rental market.

But when searching through property listings it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking at, what all those confusing acronyms mean and whether a place has one bedroom or just one room.

We’ve therefore put together a guide to renting vocabulary to help you find what you’re looking for.

The vital French vocab for renting property

The city of Paris has big plans to make the historic central areas more pedestrian and cycle-friendly by limiting access to motorised vehicles.

Sometimes reported as a total ‘car ban’, the plans are in fact not that simple and allow plenty of exemptions for certain vehicle types. They will also only affect certain parts of the capital.

Still, City Hall reckons that their plans will cut around 250,000 journeys a day.

MAP When and where is Paris banning cars?

And finally we’re looking at one the best known – but in fact frequently misunderstood – French words.

Chérie is widely used as a term of affection even by non French speakers, but over the past decades it has undergone something of a transformation in France, leaving foreigners red-faced as they apply it in inappropriate circumstances.

We asked French language expert Camille Chevalier-Karfis to give us the rundown on when to use chérie and also chère.

How the French really use cher and chéri

And if all this isn’t enough, did you know that The Local France now has a podcast? Click here to listen to our pilot episode on the French presidential elections. 

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LIVING IN FRANCE

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

Buying a property, préfecture problems, buying and selling concert tickets, how and where to watch Euro 2024 action - plus of course what France's snap elections mean for foreigners in France - are all this week's must-reads from The Local.

Préfectures, property and Euro 2024: Essential articles for life in France

We don’t normally do politics here – the ‘Essentials’ newsletter is supposed to be practical and we usually leave that political sort of thing to editor Emma Pearson and her election bulletins.

But there are some things we can’t ignore. And one is that there’s a snap-election coming up, and there’s a possibility that Marine Len Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National party could do well. So – from visas to cartes de séjour and French language tests – here’s a look at some RN’s policies that could affect foreigners living in France, or hoping to move here someday.

What a far-right prime minister could mean for foreigners in France

There are several things to consider before buying property in France. You may want to visit the area during different seasons to be sure that you enjoy it rain or shine, and you will want to consider how much you would end up paying in property taxes, as well as whether or not it will be a main residence or second home.

And then, there are the extra hurdles for foreigners purchasing property here. Here’s a look at some of the restrictions and challenges you will want to be aware of beforehand.

What restrictions are there on foreigners buying property in France?

Many foreigners have experienced problems with their local préfecture – from long delays in processing applications to difficulty getting appointments and problems in making contact with préfecture staff.

If you’re a non-EU citizen living in France then you will need either a visa or a carte de séjour (residency permit) – and in the early years most people will need to regularly renew their cards – this means that you will have to interact with their local préfecture, or sous-préfecture. Here are a few tips to make the process a little easier on the blood pressure…

Top tips for dealing with delays or problems at your French préfecture

A football tournament kicked off on Friday – you may have heard something about it. From TV schedules to bars, cafés and fan zones, here are your options for watching all matches of the Euro 2024 football tournament in France.

How to watch the Euro 2024 tournament on TV in France

If you are buying or selling tickets to events such as concerts, matches or festivals in France, then there are some rules to be aware of, especially as the Olympic and Paralympic Games approach.

The rules for buying and selling tickets in France

From strike action to Olympic disruption, via ‘black days’ on the roads and the €49 rail pass, here’s a look ahead to what to expect if you’re travelling to, from or within France in summer 2024.

Travel to France: What to expect on roads, rails and airports this summer

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