Moving to France
Well, I’ve done it now… I finally got my act together (after more than 10 years) and figured out how to move to France. Basically, it just comes down to having enough money to obtain the long stay visa. OK, it’s a little more complicated than that (which is why I wrote an article about the entire process: Applying for a long stay visa), but the financial guarantee is what took me so long. After visiting the Consulate, I felt a rather unusual mixture of relief, excitement, and terror at the same time, but I think once I get over there I’ll feel like I’m finally home. 
18 comments
Permalink1
Wow, Im impressed! Are you moving soon? I have a feeling your blog is
going to get very, very interesting….and make sure to share all the gorgeous scenes
too.
Im envious Laura, but very happy for you, sounds like a dream come true. Ours is to
move to BC, its been way too long a wait, hopefully not much longer.
G.
Permalink2
I’m leaving at the end of July. I recently got back from 3 months in Toulouse (Jan-Mar) and
it made me realize that I need to live there longer.
I haven’t put up any photos of
Toulouse yet, but I do have some of two villages
nearby:
http://french.about.com/od/travelfrance/ig/Carcassonne
http://french.abou
t.com/od/travelfrance/ig/Albi
Permalink3
I hope you will be very happy there, Laura.
You’ve encouraged me to keep the dream alive! Thanks.
Permalink4
My husband and I spent a year in Toulouse in
1994, and now spend a month or two a year at our pied-a-terre in Castanet. The long stay visa
process was quite involved, and it’s not over when you get the visa stamped into your
passport. Once in Toulouse, you’ll have to jump through a few more hoops–it took us 9 months
to get our carte de sejour. One of the most amusing hoops was the medical exam (although we
had submitted a medical report with our application, that wasn’t good enough). Basically the
doctor asked us if we were healthy and if we had had our shots, and the nurse gave us a cup and
told us to “faire pipi” in it. Our French teacher at Alliance Francaise was horrified that a
medical person would use that terminology with an adult!
Permalink5
Eden – Merci bien.
Chris – Yes, the Vice Consul stressed the fact that the visa is
not what actually gives one permission to live in France, that upon arriving I need to head to
the préfecture pretty much immediately. BTW, I’ve noticed that the French really like to say
“faire pipi.” I remember listening to this radio interview with a guy of about 20 or 21, and he
used that term too. It seemed kind of odd that a “cool” guy in his early 20′s would use baby
talk, but I guess it’s not quite the same thing as saying “go potty” in English.
Permalink6
Felicitations Laura! It has always been my dream to live in France again and I feel
I’m getting a bit closer. Thank you so much for documenting the process. I love the step by
step. I don’t want to get too nosy but can you define “financial guarantee”. I understand that
that means you won’t be looking for work in France but do you have to show a guaranteed
monthly income? How does it work and what do they require? Thanks so much!
Permalink7
Salut Debra,
The financial guarantee is proof that you have a certain amount
of either savings or income for each month you apply for. This amount is not spelled out, but
the current thinking is $1,000 to $2,000 per month. (So to be on the safe side, you want to
shoot for the higher number.)
The proof can be recent bank statements (including
savings, checking, brokerage statements, IRA, etc.), a letter from your bank stating your total
balance, a letter from a parent stating that they will cover you for xx amount per month, or a
letter from your employer stating that you earn xx amount. We simply used bank statements, as
that was the easiest.
Good luck!
Permalink8
Hi Laura
Well done in making the decision. We moved to southern Brittany
just over four years ago and it was the best decision of our lives. We miss the family a
little, but hey, what a great community we live in. I sing in three local French choirs; my
hubby plays pool for the local team – we have great neighbours and with the help of French
classes and your daily lesson we are also cracking the language. We have no regrets. We feel
we have totally intregrated into the local community and have fab neighbours. I started a
business working with French and English speaking house owners taking bookings for holiday
(vacances) makers who wish to rent gites, and that also helps with the language as I end up
doing translations between the owners and the holiday-makers! Our eldest daughter even decided
to have her religious marriage service here, which takes place in two weeks, so again that has
helped with the language. Not that you will have any problems on that score! As long as you
have not thought you want to live here with your “holiday head” on your shoulders, you should
be OK. Did you know that there are more people (especially English) who are leaving France to
go back to the UK than there are coming here? True, there was an article in yesterday’s
Telegraph online. As long as you have thought about how you are going to earn a living, and
how much it costs to pay towards your cotisations….. you should profit from lower health care
costs than across the Atlantic! There are several ex-pat websites if you want a link to them,
ask and will post them on your blog. Good luck, I am sure you will love living in France full
time…..
Permalink9
In my 3+years and multiple medical exams and
tests I have never heard any phrase but “faire pipi”! Is there actually another
term???
btw, my medical exams also included a chest x-ray and eye exam, and they did
more than ask if I had my shots. As the French all have their little carnet with all their
vaccination information, the doctor was quite upset that not only did I not have an official
record, I really couldn’t say what shots I had or not since birth. So gather as much of that
info as you can before you go.
I also echo Karen’s sentiments above, you have to be
prepared for “real life” not “vacation life”, but as long as you are, you will love France.
Good luck!
Permalink10
“faire pipi” – uriner.
People stop saying faire pipi about the age of seven or eight.
I don’t know where you
live but I am very sad over what has become of France. See:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Check.asp?idArticle=12134&r=snlxf
The sad, sad fact is
that everything was predictable in the early 60′s.
Don
Permalink11
Laura:
I completely understand
and applaud your decision to move to France. After numerous vacations in France, we finally
decided to buy a timeshare as a first step toward our dream of retiring in France. Our anxiety
was high, mostly because we had to quickly learn French real estate and banking terms. But
without a doubt, we feel that we are closer to “going home”.
Permalink12
Bravo, Laura! Un grand pas vers
l’avenir!!
Avec mon mari nous partons la semaine prochaine pour 6 mois, en France, dans
plusieurs regions. En juillet, nous serons dans un petit village Durfort, pres de Toulouse et
Revel. Je donnerai un atelier de Cours Intensifs (Total Immersion). J’aimerais beaucoup vous
presenter a mes etudiants adultes si cela vous etait possible. ils sont tous d’un niveau
INT-AVances.
Semaine du 10 au 17 juillet.
Je sais c’est encore loin…
A tres
bientot, j’espere,
nadine
nadalang@comcast.net
Permalink13
All right guys ! It sounds like some of you are
quite intrigated by the fact that French people say “faire pipi” even when they are adults.
Well, I can not believe that I am going to right about that topic but I know what it is to get
confused or even “lost in translation” !
Laura is right, “faire pipi” isn’t the translation
for “go potty” which is “aller au pot” in French therefore “to have a pee” is the translation
for “faire pipi” ! So, I hope you are still with me !
“Aller au pot” is typically baby talk
and it is mostly used when the babys are in their potty training period, then comes the “faire
pipi” or “aller aux toilettes”.
As an adult I will use “faire pipi” when I am with my
familly and close friends but it might depends on the situation, then I will use “aller aux
toilettes” in other situations or even the “veuillez m’excusez” in very situations such as
when I am having dinner outside. In that case, you don’t have to be specific, the people know
why you are escaping for a brief moment !
A nurse should use the appropriate verb “uriner”
(“pisser” in slang) but in a way to be more friendly and well understood she might use “faire
pipi”as well.
I hope it will help those who wants to get the fluency in French !
SL.
Permalink14
Hi Laura,
I am so happy for you. You get
to live out your dream. I am inspired by your actions. It has always been my dream to own a
home in Paris and to live in France. I know one day I’ll get there.
In the meantime, I
will settle for frequent trips to Paris. I will be there this summer, late July early August to
attend my cousin’s wedding.
I posted a question on the french forum but no one answered it.
Perhaps, you could.
While I am in France, I would like to take the DALF. They do not offer
it in the U.S.–they do offer the TCF–but that is a certificate that expires every two years
while the DALF is a diploma.
Anyway, I wanted to take some courses at the Sorbornne to get
ready for it, but they don’t offer these courses at the Sorbornne during the summer session.
Since you’ve studied in France, would you please direct me to a school or organization
that would prepare me for the DALF. If you know of any good books, workbooks that would prepare
me for the exam, I would really appreciate it.
Finally, how long do you intend on staying
in France?
Permalink15
Nadine – J’aimerais bien, mais je ne serai pas l avant la fin d’avril.
Sabine – I know that the Alliance française (including in the US, I believe)
offers the DELF/DALF; they may also offer preparatory courses. I’ve never taken it so can’t
make any specific recommendations – everything I know about it is here:
rel="nofollow">DELF/DALF
. In particular, check out the official site linked from thatarticle, as it offers practice tests.
My visa is for one year, but I’m hoping to be
able to renew it indefinitely.
Permalink16
Dear Laura, i have been reading you since the
the french culture days on About.com (i was isamarguerite there
I was living in the USA
then, but i moved back to France. infortunately not to Toulouse, but i go there very often,
because i am from there and that’s where all my family is.
My daughter (21) is there , and
i am sure she would love to help you with anything (she is perfectly bi-cultural and
bi-lingual, and so are you… you should get along
)D
if it can help the blog, i have a
“toulouse” page, with pics.
it’s there
http://members.tripod.com/~Isabelle/toulouse.html
and i know they have an association, in
case you need turkey on thanksgiving … http://www.americansintoulouse.com/
if you would
like to meet me next time i go, just email me. we’ll try to go to places you haven’t seen
yet.
welcome in toulouse!
isa
Permalink17
I am one of those people that
never had any desire to travel to Europe.
Then last year I moved to the south of France
because of my husband’s job. Neither of us knew any French so I was pleased to find the
About.com e-mail lessons. Thankfully, his company helped us through the move and carte de
sejour process, but there was still quite a bit of culture shock. Since then I’ve read a
few books on the French way of life that have helped me with the odd social
differences.
Learning a new language at age 45 is difficult, but most of our experiences
so far have been very pleasant. The people are nice, the area is beautiful, and the food is
wonderful. It’s a peaceful, slower way of life here. I know I could cocoon myself in the
American groups that are here, but then I would miss out on half the fun.
I’ll be here
for another 3 years and I’m sure I’ll miss it when we have to leave.
Permalink18
Laura, Congratulations! Both on moving to France (a life-long dream of mine) and on your
cutting-edge contribution to teaching and explaining the French language. Bravo!