Moving to France?

Are you planning to move to France? Are you pursuing your dream of 'Living like God in France'? Many preceded you and moved carefree with De Haan. De Haan's moving specialists will take care of everything, every step of the way, whether you're looking to move all your household contents or simply a few of your cherished belongings to a vacation home. An international move to France is no longer a problem with an internationally accredited mover such as De Haan relocation.

Carefree moving to France

Your love for French chansons, a pain au chocolat that comes fresh from the over, the soft French cheeses: all characteristics of the southern European country that you have fond memories of. You would therefore like to move to France: the country where you feel at home. A move to France, or actually any other (foreign) country, is quite a challenge. After all, there are many things that need to be arranged before you cross the border. There is a chance that you will forget, overlook or be faced with surprises. You don't have to worry about this at De Haan. We have already moved so many households to France that it is now child's play for us. And of course we still do this with all our attention and your interests first.

Proper preparation for your move to France

France! Its beaches, mountains, meadows, vineyards, fields, hills, forests,... and then there's its cuisine and its wines. Who hasn't ever dreamed of a home or vacation cottage in France? But before you start enjoying your new home, the culture, and the cuisine, there's a lot of work that will need to be done.

There are numerous practical issues. You'll have to register with local authorities, arrange insurance cover, and find a general practitioner. Not to mention learning the language! You'll have enough to think about, let alone moving all your household goods and belongings.

What should I do if I move to France?

Perhaps you are thinking about realizing a new living environment or work challenge in France. You are wondering what to do now that you are moving to France. In addition to all things to arrange, there is also the actual move. As a moving specialist in, among other things, moving to France, we collected information for you from our customers and our permanent team of experts. You can find it in our e-book 'what should you pay attention to during your international move (including saving tips)'.

Can I just go and live in France?

France is part of the European Union. If you are an EU resident, you can live in France without a visa or residence permit, for example to spend the winter or enjoy a second home.However, if you are going to stay in France for more than 8 months in the coming months, even if this is not a continuous period, you are obliged to inform the Dutch municipality of this. You will then be deregistered at your Dutch home address. The Dutch municipality will then pass on your departure from the Netherlands and new address within 5 working days to Dutch government agencies that use your data to perform their duties. Including the tax authorities. If you deregister, this will also have consequences for your health insurance, for example.

Are you moving to a new commune in France? In that case, report your residence principale to the new commune to which you are moving in France.

What does a move to France cost?

The work involved in packing and loading at the place of departure and at the place of arrival determines, among other things, the budget. The cost of moving to France depends on various factors. Consider, for example, distance, volume, type of goods, location, the services to be chosen and accessibility.

A move to the South of France, such as moving to Nice or moving to Toulouse or Bordeaux, is simply further in kilometers than a move to Paris in France. The above city names are the most common routes for our moving trucks loaded with relocations to France. Are you going to live further outside these common routes? Or is your new place of residence in France difficult to access? Then take into account possible additional costs such as parking permits in cities or the use of smaller shuttle buses in the case of narrow streets to reach your new home address.
If extra packaging of fragile items or interim storage is necessary, this forms an extra component in your move to France budget.

Is it expensive to live In France?

Numbeo, which monitors the cost of living in various countries, indicates an above European average for France. Of course, the fact whether you live in an expensive city like Paris or Nice or in the countryside there causes major regional differences. This makes France not expensive to live in when you compare it to Switzerland or Scandinavia. However, if you compare the costs of living in France with Spain or Portugal, living in France is expensive. Regardless of where you live in France, you are required to pay income tax.

How much money do you need to live in France?

Shopping in France is more expensive than in other EU countries. It therefore pays to compare the prices of the various French supermarkets when shopping in France. There is often more than 15% between them. Paris is the most expensive city to live in France.

Where is it nice to live in France?

The high quality of life makes it good to live anywhere in France. Where to live in France is very personal. The romantic capital with its countless entertainment options, the French Riviera with its beautiful Nice, the colorful Provence, Normandy, which is much visited by tourists.... plenty of choice. The Aquitaine region in southwest France, for example, is sought after by burgundians. Do you speak French well and don't like cities? Then the French countryside may be good living in France for you. Keep in mind that there may not be a general practitioner, pharmacy or hospital here, something the French refer to as a 'désert médical'.

How long are you allowed to live in France during retirement?
If you are younger than the pensionable age, you may stay abroad for a maximum of 4 weeks per calendar year with AOW pension. If you have already reached retirement age, a maximum stay of 13 weeks in France is permitted according to the Dutch Participation Act. If you no longer live and work in the Netherlands, you do not accrue AOQ via the compulsory Dutch insurance. Possibly in France where you will live and work.

Does France offer child benefit?

As a member of the European Union, France has child benefit. This is awarded to children living in EU Member States. You can therefore simply claim child benefit, the 'allocations familiales', if you go to live in France.

How does health insurance work in France?

In the Netherlands, almost everyone who lives and/or works here is insured for healthcare costs via the Wlz and the Zvw. When living, working or studying abroad, your personal situation determines whether you will remain insured in the Netherlands. Make sure you have this completely clear before you move to France.

Accessibility of care in France, including affordability and timeliness, ranks a good 8th according to the Commonwealth Fund report. The Netherlands ranks second here. Health insurance is regulated differently in France than in the Netherlands. It is true that employees in France also contribute to healthcare costs through part of their salary, but unlike in the Netherlands, health insurance in France works on the basis of a principle of solidarity. This means that you pay less for more illness. You can check this with your employer. In any case, you are entitled to healthcare in France.

What do I need to work in France?

As an EU citizen, you do not need to arrange a visa or work permit to work in France.
If you don't speak French, working in France can be difficult, unless you start working for a multinational in France. Be prepared that the corporate culture when working in France is very different from the Netherlands.

If you are going to work in France for more than 183 days a year, income tax will have to be paid at the French rate.

No stress for your move to France with De Haan

Are you already getting a bit of stress from moving to France? De Haan's experts are ready and waiting to relieve you of all the burdens. We'll pack, load, and ship your belongings to your new address safely. We'll also assign a dedicated move coordinator who'll oversee everything, every step of the way.

We're ready and waiting to move whenever you are! Smooth, trouble-free international relocation with De Haan.

Planning to move to France? Then keep the following in mind:

#1 Learn the French language. How beautiful is the French language? Unfortunately, this Roman language is also very difficult to learn. The French are very proud of their language, so they will hardly speak English. If you have a move to France on the agenda, it is therefore wise to also learn the French language.

#2 Working in France. The French have a different way of working than we Dutch. Are you moving to France? Then it is good to read about this in advance. The French work culture, for example, is somewhat different. For example, they hardly start before 09:00 and they have a very extensive lunch instead of just half an hour behind the desk. In addition, there is a clear hierarchy in the workplace.

#3 The French culture. In France everyone enjoys life. Although the French themselves are very reserved and prefer to keep private and work separate, the country is bustling. Cities such as Paris and Saint-Tropez are especially popular for their cultural activities.

Your 'one-group' Consolidation Benefits

One-group consolidation means high-quality relocation services at an affordable price. As part of one-group, we're in virtually every location in Europe on a weekly basis.

Our organization has a fleet of some 700 trucks moving dozens of households every day. You can opt to have your belongings picked up or you can take them to one of our storage depots yourself to cut costs. Together, we'll then set a date that suits you to move all your household goods anywhere within Europe.

It goes without saying that in the meantime you'll be able to make use of our secure storage depots.

Other European countries where you can move to without worries:

• From France to the Netherlands
• Portugal
• Belgium
• Switzerland
• England
• Germany

Would you like to know exactly what your move to France will cost? Please feel free to request a no-obligation quote or price estimate. Would you prefer a personal meeting with one of our relocation advisers? Then you can always reach us by phone. We are happy to help you. 

Moving to Paris

Do you want to move to the city of love: Paris? You can also call in De Haan to assist with this move to France. Did you know that France is one of the most popular countries to move to among the Dutch? In this blog you will also discover all the other countries we would like to move or emigrate to.