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France: I Wish I had Known... Before Moving to France:
#1: driver's license exchange states. I actually did know this and made sure that I had one from an exchange state before coming over. I saved myself an enormous amount of stress, time, and money by doing this.
#2: If you don't have a 34-inch inseam, go buy a ton of pants now! In France, if you're shorter than that, you will have to have your pants hemmed, either by the store where you buy your pants (with about a week wait time), by a tailor, or by yourself. I simply wait until my trips to the US to buy jeans. Some online stores are now offering shorter pants (32-inch), but this is still too long for a shorty like me.
#3: Bring all of your favorite, high-quality furniture and kitchenware. Styles are different in Europe and you might not like what you find here. I know I miss my big, comfy American couch. I can't find anything like my chunky, sturdy dishes that I bought fairly cheaply at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. All the dishes I've seen here are either chunky but light or heavy, but thin and brittle and expensive. There's a lot more choice in the US in just about everything.
#4: Be organized and armed with lots of paperwork.
France: American marrying an Algerian in France:
I married a French man in France, but I don't think it would be much different for any two residents marrying in France. I would think that you would need to prove your residency here, but you're probably more informed on that than I am.
Why do you think it would be easier to marry here and then take your spouse to the US? I would think it would make things even harder. You still have the whole green card thing to go through.
United Kingdom: Cost of Living US vs UK:
I just wanted to clarify one thing. It isn't because you are a citizen of the EU that you will be considered a local resident. I am an American citizen who got hired by a UK branch of my US company. I was a local hire with a UK contract. By virtue of my work permit and my local contract (and of course, actually moving to the UK), I was a local resident.
Be careful about moving everything over. Some things are worth moving and some things are not. Since generally things are more expensive over there, you do want to keep most things because the cost of replacing them would be a lot more expensive over there. If I were to do it all over again, I wouldn't have moved my furniture because they were just too big to get in the door. I still have my queen-sized bed that I moved over, but I never bought a frame for it and now I can't since it's not a standard size here (which means that I only by sheets in the US). Electronic clocks are worthless. My paper towel holder was worthless since the rolls are shorter here.
ok, I know I'm digressing.
United Kingdom: Expat income tax and living expenses:
you can count on 40% going to UK taxes. You shouldn't have any US taxes to pay, but of course you have file. Even if you gain income on interest, you still have the 80k ceiling to protect you before you would have to pay US taxes (and if you're earn more than 80k on interest, you probably aren't hurting financially).
I really don't know about housing in London - I'm sure it depends on your needs and the location.
United Kingdom: Early Research - Expat Package US to UK:
Your package sounds reasonable, even pretty good. What really counts is your attitude though. You can afford to be a little worse off (which you probably will be in any case) because what you are gaining is an adventure and an invaluable experience.
I definitely took a hit financially when I moved over, although for the UK, it was a really good salary. And of course the standard of living is simply lower (space is at a premium and you simply won't find any at any price unless you are a millionaire). But it's all good enough when you look around you and realize where you are and that you are a very privileged person.
Seize this opportunity, especially because you guys don't have kids. You can have a great time in London. You'll have a lot of time to explore all of the UK and Europe. You'll never regret it.
France: Transferring money between countries:
I have BNP Paribas here and a small credit union in the states. I get charged a fee on both ends for an electronic transfer, so I try to wait until I can move significant amounts of money. Also it can take a while because the money has to go through an intermediate bank. It's always a little stressful because I don't feel like the form is really set up for an intermediate bank and I'm always waiting for the transfer to fail somehow.
I also take advantage of my trips home - I simply carry cash and deposit it when I get over there.
The paypal things sounds good though. I think I'll work on getting that setup.
United Kingdom: why won't inland revenue get off my back:
Hello,
I'm an american who went to live and work in the UK in 1999. I stayed for about 18 months and then moved on to France where I still live. I'm still getting letters from inland revenue asking me for tax forms for the current year.
I just can't believe it. When are they going to let it drop. I didn't think I was obligated to fill out UK tax forms the rest of my life when I'm not even a citizen and I don't live there.
What do you all think about this?
thanks.
France: moving back to US with French spouse?:
Hello all,
I'm a US citizen and I've been in France for 5 years. My husband (of 3 years) might have a job opportunity in the US. Does anyone know how long it really takes to get a Green Card? Does anyone know about taxes (French and US) when selling a primary residence here for one in the US?
Thanks for your help
France: New to the Nice area and searching for a job:
Have you tried Amadeus in Sophia-Antipolis? they're going through a massive hiring phase.
France: I would like to move to France:
1.Quality of life:
Honestly, I think the quality of life is better in the states. But there are other things which keep me here for the moment.
It's not true that you can only find fresh milk in the country. I live near Nice and I find fresh (pasteurized) milk everywhere. In fact, I by milk in glass bottles from a gigantic supermarket. I have never bought UHT milk, and I never will.
3. One of the best health care systems
I am really impressed with the health care system here. But there are of course inherent problems with it. The doctors are paid in such a way that they have to see as many patients as possible in the least amount of time that they can. This means that for one particular problem, you may have to see the doctor several times (more money for him). You always have to wait a long time for the appointment and you feel rushed while talking to the doctor. I'm particularly annoyed with dentists. I want manual cleaning, not the ultrasound sandblaster that they use, but dentists don't really want take the time to do quality work.
4.The beauty of the country.
Well, yes. But don't overlook the beauty of your home. There is plenty of dirtiness and ugliness here too. And the dog poop alone has been almost enough to drive me out of here. I always think what a shame that the French have such a beautiful country only to spoil it by letting their dogs poop everywhere (and I mean *everywhere*).
6.I want get far away from this administration.
I understand this feeling, but the reality is, people all over the world feel this way about their own government.
>How has your experience been?
I'm a simple employee myself. But after having lived here for 5 years, I can say that it seems much more difficult here than in the states. It's much harder to start a business and the laws are very heavy and restrictive. I know that companies have to pay 2x an employees salary: 1 to the employee and 1 to the government.
You should know that jobs in general in France are hard-won. Each one has many applicants and these applicants often try for the job through a competition (concours). If they win, they often go through a period of internship where they may not be paid anything at all or at the most a tiny stipend. The intership could last from 3 to 18 months.
Good luck and I hope you make an informed decision.
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