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BRITS IN FRANCE

Tea and Dordogne: How do the French perceive the Brits?

All countries have their stereotypes about their neighbours and goodness knows Brits have plenty when it comes to the French (arrogant, sexy and garlic-munching for example) - but how do the French see us?

Tea and Dordogne: How do the French perceive the Brits?
British citizens residing in the Dordogne village of Eymet celebrate the royal wedding in 2011. Photo by NICOLAS TUCAT / AFP

It’s not always easy to know how the French perceive Brits, so we resorted to asking Google. Or rather, we looked up the mostly commonly asked questions that start with pourquoi les anglais and pourquoi les britanniques . . .?

Google autocomplete uses a complex formula that is a bit of a secret, but one thing we know for sure is that it’s at least partly based on how often a certain question is asked.

We searched both anglais (English) and britanniques (British) because the French do have a bit of a tendency to mix them up and refer to all inhabitants of the UK (and sometimes even the Irish) with the sweeping les anglais

Here’s what Google suggested;

And we think these reveal some pretty interesting things about French priorities.

1 Why do the English drive on the left?

Yes, the UK is the anomaly within Europe when it comes to driving.

There is a historical explanation – it has to do with keeping your sword hand free while riding – but when it comes to the reason for the divergence between the UK and the rest of Europe, things get a bit more complicated.

It’s generally accepted that driving on the left was once the norm everywhere, until France and the rest of Europe gradually switched. Reasons for the switch may have been to do with the size of wagons, or Napoleon (he’s always a good bet when it comes to European history) or simply following neighbours for practical reasons. Either way, the UK is now the exception and it’s often see as a sign of the country’s status within Europe – part of it, but always slightly apart.

(We have no idea who the poor misinformed souls are who are Googling ‘why do the English drive on the right?’ but we really hope the internet put them straight before they got behind the wheel in the UK).

2 Why are the English leaving France?

Fascinating question – and possibly Brexit related. But there’s no evidence that Brits are leaving in France in any significant numbers. The Brexit Withdrawal Agreement gave a generous deal to Brits who were already living here and allowed them to remain, with a fast-track process to gain a residency card – at the last count 162,000 people had been issued with the special post-Brexit residency card.

And new EU data suggests that Brits are continuing to move to France; 7,927 UK nationals were granted a first-time residency permit in France in 2022 and by far the biggest single group – 3,182 – came here to work. 

Unless the question refers to the English monarchs finally abandoning their claim to rule France after centuries of warfare in the Middle Ages? Well, that was because we lost. But we don’t like to talk about it. 

3 Why do the English drink tea?

It’s a stereotype, but it’s pretty close to the truth. Brits do indeed drink quite a lot of tea and common chat among the British community in France is swapping tips on where to get ‘proper’ tea.

The history of why tea took off in such a big way in the UK has to do with its colonial history in the tea-producing country of India and at one point there were even tax breaks to encourage the Brits to drink tea. 

France does have plenty of salons du thé, but the tea served there is more likely to be a tisane (herbal or fruit tea) rather than English-style black tea with milk.

4 Why do the English play in blue?

Weird question, since it’s actually the French who usually play in blue. In fact the nickname for French international teams is les bleus (men), les bleues (women) and les bleuets (juniors) – in reference to their traditional kit.

England more normally play in white, but maybe this is a specific question in reference to an away kit. 

5 Why did the English colonise India?

When you search pourquoi les britanniques . . . the results are broadly similar but with more reference to Britain’s colonial past.

We’re not in any way trying to minimise the horrors perpetrated in the name of the British Empire, but France has a blood-soaked colonial past too.

In fact France still has ‘overseas territories’ that are part of its former empire. These days they are officially part of France – despite being on the other side of the globe to Europe – and give rise to some of the more bizarre France facts such as why France shares a border with Brazil and why France has 12 different time zones.

READ ALSO ‘Confetti of an empire’ – a look at France’s overseas colonies

6 Why do the British like Dordogne?

There’s no doubt that the south-west France département of Dordogne is popular with Brits – there are so many of them living there that the préfecture had to take on extra staff to process all the applications for post-Brexit residency cards.

The area has also earned the nickname ‘Dordogneshire’ and is particularly popular with retirees. It’s not only Dordogne though, the neighbouring départements of Charente, Charente-Maritime, Gironde and Lot are also popular with Brits.

And it’s easy to see why – beautiful countryside, far enough south for warm weather, reasonably inexpensive (certainly compared with Paris or the Riviera) and a relaxed pace of life. 

However, the largest British population can be found in Paris – which is unsurprising since jobs tend to be concentrated in the capital and visa data shows that the largest group of Brits in France are of working age. 

7 Why don’t the English have shutters?

Once you’ve lived for a few seasons in France you realise that shutters are brilliant – they keep your place warm in the winter and cool in the summer and are far more energy efficient than curtains.

So it’s a great questions, Frenchies – why don’t the English have shutters?

If you have information on shutters (or any of the other questions asked) feel free to share it in the comments section below

Member comments

  1. The Brits do not have shutters on the outside of their windows because their windows open outwards and we like to put ornaments on the window sills. However, older houses do have shutters on the inside of the windows and we also favour the decoration of curtains.

  2. English homes usually have windows that open outwards so shutters would be difficult unless electric which are horrid.

  3. I was told that Brits don’t like shutters, as they don’t like not being able to see outside, e.g., during the night. Hence, Brits have curtains, which they can ‘twitch’ at will.

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PROPERTY

What restrictions are there on foreigners buying property in France?

Purchasing property in France as a foreigner has several extra hurdles - here's a look at some of the restrictions and other challenges you will want to be aware of beforehand.

What restrictions are there on foreigners buying property 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.

The law

Let’s start with the good news – there are no official rules in France against non French-citizens purchasing property, neither is there any requirement to be resident in the country in order to buy property – indeed foreign second-home owners make up a small but significant slice of the property market.

Revealed: Where in France do foreigners buy second homes

But in practice there are a number of challenges foreigners face when buying French property, especially if they need a mortgage.

Property sale process

Before making your decision, learn the steps to buying property in France and the expected timeline.

Roughly, there are five steps: making your offer, a cool-off period, signing a ‘Compromis de Vente‘, providing the notary (notaire) with your deposit, and signing the ‘Acte Authentique de Vente‘ (deed).

READ MORE: How long does it normally take in France to buy a property?

The French property purchase system is likely to be different to what you are used to – especially the role of the notaire.

Also Americans might be surprised to learn that in contrast to the US system of having a realtor who guides you through the entire process, in France – as in most of Europe – buyers are expected to do much work of the house-hunting work themselves.

Bureaucracy

There are a few extra steps added if you need a mortgage, but generally all foreign buyers should be prepared to have a valid ID (passport), as well as other documents including your marriage and/or divorce papers (to demonstrate your civil status).

At some point in the process, you will need to open a French bank account, even if that ends up just being for utilities after you’ve made the purchase. The earlier you can open a French bank account, the better.

You should know that purchasing property in France does not automatically give you residency rights. If you are not an EU citizen, then you will need a residency card or visa to spend extended time in France.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: What type of French visa do you need?

Getting a mortgage

While there are no laws stopping foreigners from buying property in France for most people the biggest obstacle is getting a mortgage, as there are conditions that many foreigners cannot fulfil.

In France, the vast majority of loans are guaranteed by banks, and one bank’s offer to you may not be the same as another’s. You are free to contact several banks to find the best offer for your situation.

READ MORE: French property: How to get a mortgage in France

While there are alternative options besides banks, such as a ‘vendor loan’ (prêt vendeur) – where one sets up a credit contract directly with the seller of the property via a notary – this is much less common.

The biggest issue is that banks will require that foreigners prove that they will be able to legally remain in France for the entirety of the repayment period. As such, it can be very challenging those on short-term residency cards, to be accepted for a mortgage loan.

For the same reason, it is very difficult for non-residents to get a mortgage via a French bank.

Foreigners can also consider international options, or independent, specialised mortgage brokers, like those geared toward expats – however some have minimum income levels and minimum property purchase prices.

Another point to keep in mind is the fact that French banks also look favourably on ‘stable’ employment statuses, such as CDI (indefinite) work contracts, which, by their calculation, reduce risk of unemployment. It’s not impossible to get a mortgage if you are self-employed, but it’s harder.

Additionally, age can be a factor – lenders tend to be less likely to award mortgages to those nearing or above retirement age.

Americans – The situation is even more challenging for Americans in France, as banks can be reticent about working with Americans due to FATCA – which, according to the US dept of treasury, requires that “foreign financial institutions (FFIs) report to the IRS information about financial accounts held by US taxpayers, or by foreign entities in which U.S. taxpayers hold a substantial ownership interest.”

This has forces French banks to collect and maintain more information about their American customers. If the banks fail to disclose information to the IRS, they risk exclusion from the US market as well as penalties.

In a survey about the effects of citizenship-based taxation on Americans in France, one respondent said: “Multiple banks have denied me a mortgage because I am American.

“We used the services of a mortgage broker and when we went in for the final presentation a few weeks ago, only one out of the many banks queried offered us a mortgage, and it wasn’t even a good offer.”

READ MORE: Divorce, stress and fines: How citizenship-based taxation affects Americans in France

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