The Insider Guide to Living in France
By Jean Taquet

• Moving to France
• Housing
• Finances
• Marriage and Cohabitation
• Estate Issues
• Children
• Health
• Driving in France
• The French Police
• Consumer Affairs

 

1. MOVING TO FRANCE: WORKING, RESIDENCY AND BUSINESS
A. GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

• Notifying the Proper Authorities
• Notarizing a Signature

B. WORKING RIGHTS, PAPERS AND RELEVANT ISSUES

• Obtaining Working Papers
• Working Papers: The Company's or the Employer's Responsibility?
• Student Working Rights: Changing Status from Student to Teacher
• Student Visa Expires But I Want to Stay
• Working Rights: Obtaining a Carte de Commerçant
• Unemployment Benefits
• Declining a Transfer Post: What Are My Unemployment Benefits?
• Protection as an Illegal Immigrant: Unjust Contract Termination
• Salary From the UK for Work in France
• Tourist Status
• Changing Jobs in France/Dependency on Yearly Contract Renewal
• What Role does the "Fondé de Pouvoir" Play?
• Can My Carte de Séjour Carry Over to the Next Job?
• Salary Concerns: The Cost of Living in France
• American Working in UK: Regulations for a Transfer to France
• Working Rights: For Fiancé Following Her French-Employed Partner
• Work Visa Application Pending: Can I Still Work in France While Waiting?
• How Do I Become an Official Baby-Sitter
• What is the "Loi No. 78-17"?
• American Business-Man Hiring Another American: Is it Possible?
• Can I Work While Receiving "Allocation Parentale d'Education"?
• Salary in Lieu of Vacation Days
• Taking an Abusive Employer to the Labor Court
• Waiters/Waitresses and Their Rights to Tips
• Restaurant Tickets
• Temp Agencies: Legal Working Hours and Lunch Breaks
• American Corporation Sold to French Company: Settlement Problems for Resigning Employees

C. RESIDENCY PREMITS AND CARTE DE SÉJOURS

• EU Citizenship: Obtaining the 10-Year Residency Permit
• Obtaining EU Status: Declaring Spanish Nationality
• Can I Have Dual Residency?
• EU (German) Residency Status Via Marriage: Recognized in France?
• American Green Card Holders: Loss and Replacement Issues

• US/French Citizen With American Wife: How Do We Establish Permanent Residence?
• Obtaining the Carte de Résident
• Bi-national Cohabitation as Relates to Carte de Séjours
• Getting the 10-Year Residency Card via Student Status
• Carte de Séjours: Getting One for Moroccan Mother-in-Law
• What to do When Proof of Domicile is Denied by Landlord: Case of a French-Born Citizen Who Did Not Grow Up In France and Her Filipino Husband
• Marriage Between Two Expats: Student Status Plus Salaried Status Equals?
• Born in France But Adopted in a Foreign Country: What To Do?
• Maintaining French Residence if Work Takes You Elsewhere
• Visiteur Artiste Status: Working and Residency Issues
• British/Russian Homosexual Couple and the PACS Law: How it Affects Residency Permits

D. STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

• Starting a Company: Starting a S.A.R.L.
• Small US Corporation Doing Business in France: How do I Set it Up Legally?
• A Frenchman's Dream: How to Start a Business in the US
• Corporation Headquarters in a Private Apartment?
• Customer Service in Your Business: Why Won't French Professionals Call Me Back?
• Starting a Business in the UK or France: EURL and Association Statuses

E. SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND RELATED BUSINESS CONCERNS

• Where to Get Information About Responsibilities of Travailleur Inépendant
• Billing for Services Via US Company: Case of Successful Consultant Wary of French Social Charges
• Self-Employment: "Promesse d'Embauche" Via a Romantic Partner?
• Social Charges Stopped During Leave of Absence: Case of Self-Employer
• Declaration of Income: Freelancing Case
• Non-Profit Association vs. Self-Employment Status
• "Travailleur Indépendent" Status and Taxes
• Why and How Does a French Company Have to Pay for Independent Services: Case of Continuing Education (English) Sessions Within French Companies
• Freelancers Collecting Owed Money
• Claiming Unpaid Fees: For Self-Employers
• Self-Employment: A British Journalist's Situation

 

II. HOUSING: OWNING, RENTING, BUYING AND SELLING
A. RENTING

• Three Months Notice to Move Out of Rented Apartment
• Water Damage Responsibility
• Water Damage: Responsibility When Source of Leak is Unknown
• Unsafe Electrical System: Repair Responsibility
• Rental Deposit: One-Year Down Payment?
• Renter's Protection: Increases in Common Charges
• Landlord Visits Concerning a Tenant's Departure
• Legally Held to a Signed Contract
• Discord With Agency: Promised a Concierge and He/She is Not There
• The Landlord's Right to Withhold a Deposit
• Rights When Exchanging Apartments
• Right to Sublet Apartment
• Sewage Problem
• The Right to Withhold a Deposit #2: Can I Refuse to Pay Last Months Rent?
• Right to Continue the Lease After Giving Departure Notice
• Right to Withhold a Deposit #3 and Charge Exorbitant Extras
• Burglary Leads to Agency Problems: Advocacy Group to Protect Tenants' Rights?
• Homeless in Your Building's Hallway

B. OWNING: BUYING AND SELLING

• Renovation Work
• Loans for Property Purchase: An Unclear Agency-Bank-Costumer Relation
• Surveys of Property Prior to Purchase

• Selling An Apartment: Reinvestment and Capital Gains Tax Issues 
• Partial Cash Payment to Purchase Apartment? 
• Estate Disputes: Buying a House Not on the Market 
• Buying a House: Signing at the Seller's "Notaire" 
• Selling: Real Estate Agent Exclusivity 
• Bill from the Syndic After Buying an Apartment
• Renting Out Your Apartment: Evicting a Tenant 
• Ownership of Real-Estate: Who Decides What? 
• Dissatisfied With Quality of Workmanship 
• A Ground Level Shop Illegally Using Water from Building 
• The Right to Expel a Tenant 
• Right of the Tenant to Purchase the Property 
• Sound-Proofing: Tenants' Rights to Rent, Sell and/or Fix the Problem 

C. MISCELLANEOUS 

• Real-Estate Agencies in France
• Noisy Neighbors
• Noisy Neighbors #2: Right to Privacy and Quiet
• Noisy Neighbors # 3: Living Next to a Chinese "Sweatshop"
• Pets in an Apartment
• A Smooth Move 
• Insurance Claim After Robbery
• Chimneys: What is a "Sweeping Certificate" ?
• What is the Role of the Concierge?
• Common Space: Rights of the Syndicat Regarding Bicycles in the Courtyard 
• Safety Checks by City Inspectors
• Promised a Concierge # 2: Indemnity From the Agency? 
  
  

 

III. FINANCES: BANKING, TAXES, GOVERNMENT AID, AND RETIREMENT
A. BANKING

• Opening a Bank Account: Why Were We Denied Services? 
• Banking Transactions: Value Dates 
• When Bank Accounts are in the Negative 
• Banking Concerns: What is an SICAV? 
• Interest-Bearing Checking Accounts 
• Disputing a Credit Card Charge 
• Bank Error and a Lost Check: What Can I do? 
• Credit Card Theft: The "Avis à Victime": Fraud Victim Asks for Damages 
• Trust Funds: As Relates to French-American Citizenship

B. TAXES

• Double Declaration of Taxes
• Schedule of Payment as Relates to Loss of Employment
• Declaring French Income Tax in Canada
• Hiding Income from the Tax Authorities 

• Taxable After Retirement 
• Tax Breaks for Unmarried Couples Living Together
• Television Taxes: The "Trésor Public Service Redevance de l'Audiovisuel" 
• Paying French and US Taxes 
• Cost of Taxe d'Habitation 
• "Taxe d'Habitation" and Primary vs. Secondary Residencies 
• Why am I Being Taxed on the Sale of My House?

C. GOVERNMENT AID

• Subsidized Housing for Foreigners?
• "Caisse d'Allocations Familiales" (C.A.F.)
• Government Assistance to Low Income Families

D. RETIREMENT ISSUES: PENSION FUNDS, SOCIAL SECURITY, ETC.

• Retired and Receiving Pension: How Do I Pay French Taxes?
• Losing Pension Funds
• When Husband Dies: How do I Take Care of Finances - Pensions and Social Security? 
• Retirement Benefit Accruals

 

IV. MARRIAGE AND/OR COHABITATION: UNION, DIVORCE, AND SEPARATION
A. MARRIAGE 

• Changing Prenuptial Agreement: "Communautaire" or "Séparation des Biens"? 
• Prenuptials/Property Separation Option: Making Sure Wife is Never Responsible for Husband's Debt 
• Prenuptial Agreements 
• Are There Legal Differences Between Marriage in US and Marriage in France? 
• Can Two Americans Get Married Under French Law? 
• The Woman's Rights in Marriage: Estate and Purchasing Property Issues 
• Carte de Séjour Renewal: Why Does My Husband's Name Have to Replace Mine? 

B. DIVORCE AND SEPARATION ISSUES 

• American Leaves French Wife in US for Another Woman 
• Spouse Asking For Immigration While Administration is Unaware of Divorce of First Marriage 
• Husband Disappears Leaving Behind Debt: What To Do? 
• Do French Judges Tolerate The Husband's Infidelity?: Choice Between French/American Divorce Procedure 
• He Left Me With The Bills: French-American Marriage Registered in New York 
• French Husband Moves in With Pregnant Mistress: Legal Grounds Moved 
• Foreign Spouse Facing Deportation After a Divorce.

• Divorce Problems: As Applies to Prenuptial "Séparation des Biens" 
• Married to Abusive, Well-Connected, French Womanizer: What Can I Do? 
• Bi-National Marriage, Divorce, French Children: Can I Claim French Nationality? 
• Obtaining a French Passport After French-Foreigner Marriages Fail? 

V. FAMILY ESTATE ISSUES: DEATH, WILLS, AND INHERITANCE

• "Concubinage" (Living Together) or Marriage? How It Affects Inheritances
• When French Husband Dies: Do I Own Any of His Estate?
• Owning Paris Apartment: Inheritance Issues for American Couple: What is a SCI?
• Paying French Mother-in-Law's Debts After her Death 88
• Securing a Will: Making Sure Property Goes to Husband Then Son 
• "Certificat de Concubinage": How it Relates to Death and Succession of Properties 
• Father's Estate: Preferential Treatment Between Children of Different Mothers 
• Americans Retired in Paris: French Inheritance Duties on Real-Estate 
• Disinheriting a Child Living Abroad? 
• American Couple in US With Paris Apartment: Minimizing Estate Taxes 
• French Inheritance Laws and Taxes: Children Get More Than Concubines 
• Inheritance Laws for French-American Couples: "Toutines" and Property Purchases? 
• Wills: American Leaving Property to Family Back in the US 
• "Donation Entre Epoux": Who Inherits the House? 
• Will Validity for Adopted Children 

 

VI. CHILDREN
A. EDUCATION

• "Dérogation" for Primary School
• Day Care: Registering Before the Pregnancy 
• Bills for Public Schooling 
• Acceptance of Only Toilet-Trained Children In Preschool? 

B. NATIONALITY CONCERNS 

• Obtaining French Citizenship for Children Born in France from Expat Parents
• Americans in Paris: Will Our Expected Child Be French? Are We French?
• French-American Couple: Child's Dual Nationality
• American-Irish Couple in France: What is the Baby's Nationality? 

C. IN CASES OF DIVORCE/SEPARATION

• Who Gets Custody of Dual-Nationality Children? 
• Custody Concerns 
• Child Visitation Rights 
• Alimony Payment for Children Born Out Of Wedlock 

D. IN CASES OF PARENTS DEATH 

• If French-American Parents Die: Can Family in US Take Care of the Children? 

E. MISCELLANEOUS 

• Your Teenager in France: Age Limits to Drinking and Sexual Activity? 
• Child Restraining Car Seat Requirement (In Taxis) 
• Fight at Playground: Can the Child's Mother Sue Me? 
• France on Abortion 

 

VII. HEALTH

• Can I Receive Treatment When Residing In France Illegally?
• The Right to Stay for Severe Medical Reasons 
• Medical Expenses: How am I Covered? How am I Reimbursed? 
• Emergency Room Expenses: Billing Procedure for Foreigners 
• Medical Care Reimbursement: Changing Sécurité Sociale Branches 
• Pharmacy Hours (In Emergency Cases) 
• Health Insurance for an Ex-Spouse, Mid-Divorce 
• Medical Insurance Coverage: Will My Son be Covered as a Student Abroad? 

VIII. DRIVING IN FRANCE

• Drivers' Licenses
• Traffic Violation and Appeal 
• Car Accident Forms 
• French Driver's License 
• Keeping My French Car: Is Left-Side Driving Legal in the UK? 
• Driving License for EU Member 

IX. DEALING WITH THE POLICE

• Security Deposit Con Man: How Do I Get My Money Back?
• Compensation for Victim of Unprovoked Violence 
• Complaint Letter to Police Station 
• A US Citizen on Probation in France: What Are the Consequences? 
• Photography/Filming Regulations: Is it Forbidden to Photograph the Police? 

 

X. CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND RECREATION 
A. CONSUMER AFFAIRS

• Buying a Train Ticket 
• Gas Masks to Avoid Cigarette Smoke 
• Rights as a Non-Smoker 
• American Credit Cards in French Shops 
• Christmas-Time Solicitors: What is this French Custom? 
• Returning Faulty Electronic Merchandise 
• Change of Mind After Making a Big Purchase 
• Wednesday Sirens: What Are They? 
• Customer Satisfaction: The Differences You'll Find in France

B. RECREATION

• How to Exercise in Paris 
• Fire Arms in France: Gun-Shooting Clubs 

ABOUT JEAN TAQUET

 

 

This is not a book written by a US College drop out, this fully detailed book is written by a French jurist and associate member of the Delaware Bar Association, specializes in civil, criminal and commercial law. He frequently gives courses about the legal system in France and speaks regularly at Working, Living and Investing in France conferences - If you want to live in France - get this report!