France is a wonderful place to live, however, if you are moving to France you most likely need assistance even if you speak French. In addition, if you only speak English you will definitely need assistance and here is why:
France is known for its tendency to have very detailed and slow moving administrative procedures and you can dare to do all this work yourself or you can hire a professional to do the work for you depending on how much time you have to spare and how well you manage stress.
If you do it on your own you definitely need to speak French. You also need to write French and know all the professional etiquette in your communications with French administration. Then as you work on what needs to be done you also need to know how to make sure the form you are completing is in fact the right one by understanding all the fine print. Since we have met clients who were sent the wrong forms by a French government employee which they completed and sent to the government to only find out later the form was the wrong one delaying an important application.
You also need to know who and when to follow up with once the forms are completed even for simple tasks. We have met people who have waited over a year for a business address change because they thought it was already processed when they got a confirmation code online when in fact the form was never reviewed.
Moving to France is also more than downloading the right forms online. You also need to know how to set up certain utilities like electricity, telephone etc. You need to know the right questions to ask in French so you get the right service at the right cost and you don’t pay any unnecessary or unwanted fees.
You may also need help to know how to follow up with a utility company when they double bill you due to a mix up in an address change.
We do not want to scare you so ‘Yes’ you can do it yourself or you can contact a team of English speaking professionals depending on your needs.
Pros and Cons of Self Managing the French Administrative Process
Pro
You save money since you do not have to pay for expert assistance
Con
You don’t know if you have made a mistake completing a form until you receive a letter from the French government or a local utility provider perhaps with a fine attached.
Con
You risk not knowing the right forms to complete and the right declarations to make.
Con
You risk calling on the phone and making a situation worse due to a lack of ability to speak in French and explain to the operator the simple request you have.
Con
You have to use a lot of time to read online in French and English all the tips you can find to help you make the right decision before taking action.
Con
You definitely leave yourself open to experiencing lots of stress when most likely you moved to France to enjoy your life more.
The benefit of hiring professionals is that you save a lot of time and stress and what is more important than your time and your health?
If you need help moving to France please click over to our Extra Services page and check out what we offer including:
English speaking French legal service assistance
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English speaking French insurance service assistance
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English speaking French translation service assistance
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English speaking French administration service assistance
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Contact us directly by phone or email for additional service you may need