Assistance Services

Even the French admit that their bureaucratic systems are complicated! If you come from abroad, and don’t speak the language fluently, you may be finding things very daunting. Having lived in France for many years now, I’ve negotiated most of the situations you’re facing and found the pitfalls for you. I know where to phone and who to speak to in all sorts of different circumstances.

Here are some examples of situations where I can help you:

Property purchase and restoration

• Property finding – I work with FrenchEntrée.com as a property finder. Please see the property finding page for more details

• Explaining the purchase process, answering your questions and accompanying you through the various stages. If you like, I can even sign on your behalf at certain meetings, saving you a trip to France.

• Finding and communicating with an architect or project manager.

• Finding out what planning permission is necessary for your project, and filing the application

• Organising quotes from reputable tradespeople for any work that you would like to have carried out, help in comparing the quotes, follow up of the work

Settling in

• Opening a bank account

• Set up and connection of essential services, including identifying and comparing the different offers on the market where applicable – water, gas, electricity, internet, telephone

• Finding school, crèche or registered child-minder places for your children

• Organising insurance for your property, car and family

• Health cover – determining your entitlements and helping you to enrol in the system, comparing offers for top-up insurance if you require it

• Reregistering and insuring your vehicles

• Obtaining residency permits (cartes de séjour) for non-Europeans

• Finding and contacting local clubs, associations or groups according to your interests, to help you to integrate into the local community

Setting up a business

• Helping you to understand the different ways of structuring your business and their implications in terms of tax, social contributions and legal obligations

• Finding out where your particular business needs to be registered, and the registration requirements

• Assistance with organising your all-important market research

• Helping you to find your professional services – bank, lawyer, notary, insurance broker, tax office, accountant…

• At your discretion, I can accompany you at meetings and at any training courses which may be required.

Ongoing and emergency help

• Dealing with enquiries from the tax office

• Interpreting in medical situations

• Assistance in emergencies – burglary, accident, illness, legal problems and more

If your particular worry isn’t on the list, do ring or send an e-mail, I’ll almost certainly be able to help!

Please note – I can’t give legal, financial or business advice. I can, however, help you to obtain and understand such advice from registered professionals.