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Moving to France – What You Need to Know

So, you are moving to France!

Whether you are emigrating, taking a short term assignment or joining family in France we have put together the information you will need to make your move a smooth one.

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Why Expat Families Should Stick To Their Family Rituals?

When moving to another country and wanting to build a life there, you must adapt to numerous completely new things. Those could be a new language, school or working environment, manners, food, roles in society, and so on. However, as much as adapting can sound good, it’s crucial to maintain a balance. Fitting in is…

How To Explain A Gap In Your CV

There can be many reasons why you have a gap in your CV and many try to hide the reasons feeling it will reduce their chances of getting the next job even if the gap was for a valid reason. How should you deal with the career break? Illness, accident, caring…

Digital Nomad Visas Prompt Continued Interest In European Property

New data released today from overseas property portal Kyero.com shows increased interest in European property from overseas buyers in the first three months of 2022, which it partly attributes to the rise of digital nomads looking to work overseas post-Covid, and new visas being introduced encouraging them to do so. …

5 Reasons TEFL Is The Perfect Job For Expats

Teaching English abroad has been a popular option for travellers for a number of years, but now more than ever it is a good time to make TEFL work for you. If you’re living in Thailand, Turkey or Tunisia, here are five reasons teaching English as a foreign language is the perfect job for…

Why Should You Look After Your Body and Health?

No matter how minor your health problems are, they can obstruct or even overwhelm other aspects of your life. Even simple health conditions like aches, pains, fatigue, and indigestion can have a negative impact on your happiness and stress levels. One option for increasing your capacity to manage stress and feel better is to…

Things to Stop Doing If You Want a Longer Life

Whether you’re in your 20s or 30s, or in your 60s, 70s, or beyond, there are a number of things you may pledge to do to “slow down” your biological clock if you want a longer life. In fact, studies demonstrate that it’s never too late to start practicing healthful practices. …

The Health Challenges Of The Expatriate Community

No matter where you reside, health should always be a top priority. For some communities, the elusive goal of optimal health is harder than for other populations. Expatriates live outside their native country and could have challenges with a language barrier as well as many other challenges that come from living in a new…

Best Ways To Stay Healthy When Living Abroad

There are many reasons that people choose to leave their homeland to move to another country such as jobs, marriage or simply because they preferred another lifestyle. If becoming an expat is in the near future for you, one of your considerations will be health and fitness. Here are some of the best ways…

Top Tips For Managing Currency Risks When Retiring Abroad

Retiring to a life overseas, comes with many important considerations, not least of all how to manage the exchange and international transfer of your money, be it accumulated savings or ongoing income. Written exclusively for Expat Network by Tom Arnold of Currency Index There are various options open to you in terms of the…

How To Open A Restaurant In Another Country

If your dream is to open a restaurant, but you haven’t quite found the perfect opportunity to do so, starting one in a new country may be the right option for you. Opening a restaurant in a completely different country is a little more involved than opening one locally, but it can be an incredibly…

Initial Considerations

Will your partner be travelling with you?

If so, what will they be giving up in your present home and will they be able to continue with their career in your new home? You will need to check whether a separate visa is required for your partner to work or if your visa gives that right. If they are unable to work you will need to decide on the effect on your finances and what alternatives are available to give a fulfilling life (home business, training, voluntary work).

Are you taking family with you?

Moving with family raises many exciting opportunities, but also can create challenges. The HSBC Expat Explorer survey indicates that expat kids can take six months to settle in to their new country (see article). Getting young or even older children to prepare to move and leave their friends and family behind can be a challenge and should be thought through.

The options for education is another area that needs to be thought through.

Moving your child to a new country with a different education system can be a great opportunity to broaden their experience, but if they are close to key exams the timing can make this inadvisable. If you do take your family with you, it is important to decide between joining the local school system or choosing an international school.

Where will you be living?

Whether you will be living in a house or apartment, furnished or unfurnished, these decisions will affect what you need to take with you. The time you are planning to live overseas will also affect whether you should leave your property at home empty, rent it out or sell it. See the article Sell, Store or Ship.