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Pensions in France
PENSIONS IN FRANCE Some of you are working in France and are therefore entitled to a French pension. Here is an explanation of how it works and how to get it. Introduction: There are 2 pensions in France: the “retraite de base”, which applies to everyone and is...
Website Police
Websites from the Gendarmerie (French police) Pharos: This is the web site from the French home office dedicated to reporting crimes that you have witnessed. When you click on “report a crime”, you can choose from different sections between Terrorism, pedophilia,...
Protection Insurance
SICK PAY SELF-EMPLOYED INSURANCE This article is mainly directed at Artisans, Commerçants and people who work for themselves, who moan all the time about having to pay their cotisations to URSSAF!! Well, I can’t please everyone all the time! I found out the...
Élections Européennes :
ELECTIONS EUROPEENNES- EUROPEAN ELECTIONSI don’t want to put salt on the wound, but on the 9th of June French people will vote for their European parliament representatives. Due to Brexit, you can’t! 81 MPs will be elected in France, 2 more than previously. In total...
How to fill out your tax form as a British resident in France? (Online version)
For any further information, please contact Isabelle Want at the following email address : Isabelle.want@bh-assurances.fr or by telephone on 06 17 30 39 11
How to fill out your tax form as a British resident in France? (paper version)
For any further information, please contact Isabelle Want at the following email address : Isabelle.want@bh-assurances.fr or by telephone on 06 17 30 39 11
Assurance vie in foreign currency
Most of you by now know about the savings account called Assurance Vie which is an investment with tax advantages (revenue and inheritance tax) and many of you have asked me in the past if you could do an Assurance vie in British Pounds so you did not have to suffer...
The end of the green card
From the 1st of April 2024, all vehicles in France which already have a green card (proof of insurance) will be integrated into a system called FVA which allows the authorities (gendarme and police) to check the insurance status of that vehicle. This system is updated...
Canicule- Heat wave
We have not been experiencing any heat waves so far this year so this is more in hope than expectations!!!This is the worst summer in France I have known!!
Election municipal and what is the job of the Maire
he election municipal is not just to elect your Maire but also his team of conseiller municipaux. It will take place on the 15th and 22nd of March 2020. You do not vote for a Maire but for a list of people. The first one on the list is the person...
Going back to the UK-What to do:
ell, I guess not everybody is happy in France!! So some of you may wish to go back to the UK or leave for sunnier countries like Spain! So here is what you need to do: Tax: You must i nform your local tax office by a simple letter with your new...
How long do you keep paperwork for ?
As you might have found out in France, we love paperwork! Well, French people do not like it, but it would seem that our government and civil servants do…. And maybe insurance companies, banks, etc do as well! But fear no more! If you are fed up with filing, you can...
La chandeleur
After the “galette des rois” in January, we have the “crêpes” (pancakes) of February!! Needless to say that if you have taken a New year resolution such as losing weight, January and February in France are not helping!! The Chandeleur which means the candle feast is...
La Galette des rois
In January, you will see a lot of pastry cakes called “galette des rois” in bakeries and supermarket. It is a pastry dessert eaten on the 6th of Jnauary to celebrate the visit of the 3 wise men (3 kings in French) to the divine enfant “Jesus” (Epithany). But as French...
La Toussaint
The 1st November is All Saints day, and it’s a bank holiday. The 2nd of November is the day of the dead. To celebrate all Saints day, French people put Chrysanthéme flowers (Chrysanthemum flower) on the tomb of their loved ones that have passed away. This tradition...
French regions
It might not come to you as a surprise but this was first set up in 1789 after the Revolution by the parliament created by revolutionists. There are 101 departements in France grouped inside 18 regions in France and abroad. Funny enough, they pretty much have kept the...
Pâques – Easter and Poisson d’avril (april fool)
Yes, we also celebrate Easter and it is the most important celebration of Christianism. Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the full moon that follows the 21st of March. It celebrates the resurection of Jesus. Le Lundi de Paques which is Easter Monday is bank...
Wild rubbishes
In 2018, it is estimated that 520 000 tons of rubbish have been deposited in the wild, the equivalent to 52 Eiffel towers!! And this is on the increase!! It represents 21kg of rubbishes per inhabitant per year. This is highly uncivilised when you consider all the...
Bank holidays
The Month of May in France is famous for bank holidays!! So what a good oportunity for me to enumerate them all and how they work compare to Great Britain. First of all, we have more than you BUT if it falls on a Sunday, tough luck!! We don’t have “in lieu”. And in...
Le Panthéon
ne of the news of this Month is the entry of Josephine Baker in the Panthéon, which gives me the opportunity to explain what is the Panthéon. It is a monument based in the 5th arondissement of Paris which was originally built as a church in the 18...
Sport Tourism in the Charente
s it is July and the weather is great, why not make the most of our wonderful department and try some rambling, climbing, archery, horse riding, sailing, paddle, mountain biking or canoeing!! There is a special site...
Respecting your neighbours
am sure it does not come as a surprise to you that we have laws in France to help maintain peace in villages between neigbours. And it won’t surprise you either that most French people do not respect it!! Or choose to ignore it!! For instance,...
Pineau des Charentes
his is a aperitif wine which has been invented by mistake in 1589 (according to the legend!). A vineyard worker had poured some grape juice inside a barrel that already contained some eau de vie (the liquid to make Cognac). When they opened the...
List of documents for applying for french residency
ou have been living in France for more than 5 years: Your situation: Documents you need : You already have or had a carte or titre de séjour (even expired) Your carte or titre de séjour even if expired I never had a carte or titre de séjour Your...
Les Soldes
he Soldes happens twice a year in France and the dates are decided by the prefet( chief of police) of each department after consulting with shop owners. The only product allowed to be sold at reduce price (even below cost) are the ones that have...
Help in preparing your death
n case of your death, your family will need to know what property you have and where it is. Having the following information will help them and save worry and uncertainty. So, feel free to print this page and fill in the relevant information and...
Cannelés
he Canelé is a mini cake that originated from Bordeaux and is now the official specialty of Bordeaux (with red wine of course!!). Nobody knows when it was first created and by who!! It was very fashoinable in the 1930ies but almost disappeared...
Be vigilant with Fraud
llianz like many other compagnys is victim of Fraud. So we are asking you to help us fight it. Criminals can try to use our logo to get access to informations in oder to steal money!! If you think you have been victim of a fraud which involved a...
Rule of urbanisme
ow most of you are renovating your houses in France but are you fully aware of the rules and yes, paperwork that goes along with it!! Those forms are to make sure that the work you do is OK and conformed to the rules of your commune (town or...
Why you need to change your UK car registration to French
ell, the answer is straight forward really: because It is illegal for you, if you live in France, to drive a UK Registered car. Why: Because using a foreign registered car enables you to avoid parking and speeding tickets!! And the French...