Go Back  British Expats > Living & Moving Abroad > Europe > France
Reload this Page >

Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Old Dec 13th 2017, 6:50 pm
  #1  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 11
AmberSN is an unknown quantity at this point
Question Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Hi Everyone,

I am really hoping some of you might be able to help me.
I have decided to move to France next year (~July/Aug 2018) with my 3 year old daughter. I lived in France from the ages of 5 to 18 years old and have currently been living in Canada for the past 7 years (now Citizen). So I do consider France as my home and I want my daughter to experience the same lifestyle, schools, food that I did.
The only problem is that I was too young to pay any attention to adulting in France (rent, bills, taxes...). So moving back is quite daunting and I don't know where to start. The Gov websites are quite confusing and my main issue is not knowing what's going to happen with BREXIT.

Questions:
How do you think Brexit might effect Expats?
Do I need to apply for some type of Visa? which one?
My daughter is not British but Canadian, do I need to apply separately for her?
How long does it take to find/sign up child for school?
Is it possible to rent without a job/guarantor?
Tips for single parent moving abroad?
How easy is it to switch drivers licence?

I'm hoping to move to Nice or a small town nearby.

Thanks for any help, advice. Very much appreciated.
AmberSN is offline  
Old Dec 13th 2017, 7:57 pm
  #2  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
EuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Hello Amber, welcome to the forum

I can't answer all your questions but here are a few comments for you to consider.

If you use your British passport to take advantage of EU freedom of movement, which you can do pre-Brexit, you don't need a visa, but you need to clarify what your status will be and meet the appropriate criteria. Presumably you're nowhere near retirement age, so if you're not a worker then your status will be inactif. In order to exercise treaty rights as an inactif you just need sufficient income to ensure you won't become a burden on the state. For an adult with one child the monthly figure you need is 933,94€. As long as you can prove you have that level of income, you have the right to live here and you and your daughter will be eligible to join the national healthcare system, with annual contributions to pay based on your income.

Finding a nice place to rent if you're not working can be difficult. Normally landlords prefer people who are employed on a permanent contract in France, and tenants are required to have a salary of at least 3 times the rent. Nice is quite expensive.

No idea what paperwork you will need for your little one, although I suspect that if the father lives in Canada you probably need his formal consent to bring the child to France. Kids normally go to the local school, you need to ask at the mairie once you know where you're going to live and they'll give you all the info you need.

Persevere with the French government websites, they're the best place to get info and they cover most things, but by all means come back to the forum if you need help finding or understanding anything specific.

As regards Brexit -

Last edited by EuroTrash; Dec 13th 2017 at 8:02 pm.
EuroTrash is offline  
Old Dec 13th 2017, 8:07 pm
  #3  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
scot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond reputescot47 has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

How will you earn your daily bread ?
scot47 is offline  
Old Dec 13th 2017, 8:19 pm
  #4  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 11
AmberSN is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Thank you so much, that was very helpful!
I'm not sure what I will be doing for work yet, I'm hoping to find a bilingual job. I do have a few friends who already work/live in Nice who might be able to hire me within their family business.
I'm not looking to live in Nice but a small village or town nearby. I miss the village life but after living in Toronto a town not too far is ideal.

Last edited by AmberSN; Dec 13th 2017 at 8:23 pm.
AmberSN is offline  
Old Dec 13th 2017, 8:40 pm
  #5  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
EuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

You need to be very sure before you arrive that you'll have an income, especially with your daughter to look after. Apart from the obvious fact that you need money to live on - as explained above, to exercise EU freedom of movement you either need a job, or you need an adequate income from another source. Without that you're not "legally resident", and if you're not legally resident you will have no entitlement to healthcare or anything else. Bluntly, as far as the government is concerned you shouldn't be living here, therefore it has no obligations towards you. It's not a situation you should risk getting yourself and your daughter into.

Be careful of assuming without asking them that your friends will hire you, because being an employer in France is expensive. Social charges are high and employers have a lot of obligations to their staff. It's a very big favour to ask.

Maybe before you commit yourself to a permanent move you should come over for a few months and rent a gite and look for a job. And take it from there.
EuroTrash is offline  
Old Dec 13th 2017, 8:50 pm
  #6  
dmu
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,883
dmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by AmberSN
Hi Everyone,

I am really hoping some of you might be able to help me.
I have decided to move to France next year (~July/Aug 2018) with my 3 year old daughter. I lived in France from the ages of 5 to 18 years old and have currently been living in Canada for the past 7 years (now Citizen). So I do consider France as my home and I want my daughter to experience the same lifestyle, schools, food that I did.
The only problem is that I was too young to pay any attention to adulting in France (rent, bills, taxes...). So moving back is quite daunting and I don't know where to start. The Gov websites are quite confusing and my main issue is not knowing what's going to happen with BREXIT.

Questions:
How do you think Brexit might effect Expats?
Do I need to apply for some type of Visa? which one?
My daughter is not British but Canadian, do I need to apply separately for her?
How long does it take to find/sign up child for school?
Is it possible to rent without a job/guarantor?
Tips for single parent moving abroad?
How easy is it to switch drivers licence?

I'm hoping to move to Nice or a small town nearby.

Thanks for any help, advice. Very much appreciated.
Hi, and welcome to the forum!
Can't advise on the first 3 questions, except that you yourself wouldn't need a visa if you're coming in 2018.
- The time it takes to go to the Mairie of the Commune where you settle! Your daughter would go to the nearest Maternelle to your domicile. You need proof of domicile (rent receipts, utility bills), your two Birth Certificates and IDs, and proof of certain vaccinations in order to enrol. The 3 compulsory ones used to be DTP, but the new Government decided to add 8 other ones and you'd have to research that requirement....
- Very unlikely, and a healthy bank balance wouldn't be sufficient. As ET says, you must usually justify a regular monthly income of at least 3 times the rent before landlords will consider you.
- If you're alone, you must quickly set up a child-care network, particularly for Wednesdays and the long school holidays. You'll not find it easy to go out and meet people if you haven't got regular baby-sitters.
ET is correct in saying that you must obtain your daughter's father's written consent to take her out of Canada.
You must take out private healthcare coverage if you are "inactive" or until you have a salaried job or you set up a business structure if you're self-employed. This is compulsory and in fact a necessary requirement when you apply for residency after 3 months, as is a minimum income, as ET has said.
Take a look in the Read Me: Moving to France FAQs above for any other aspects.
Is there a particular reason for choosing the Nice area? As mentioned, it's very expensive there....
Hope this helps!
P.S. Just noticed your most recent post, and ET's. I agree, don't overestimate your chances of working for friends, employers have horrendous social charges to pay...

Last edited by dmu; Dec 13th 2017 at 8:54 pm.
dmu is offline  
Old Dec 14th 2017, 9:38 am
  #7  
dmu
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,883
dmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Can you apply for a UK Passport for your daughter? That would be one issue less to consider (Visa-wise).
dmu is offline  
Old Dec 14th 2017, 2:25 pm
  #8  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 11
AmberSN is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Thanks Eurotrash and DMU for your advice! Very much appreciated.

I am aware that I will need to purchase private insurance and have sufficient funds while I am inactif, I have been saving and should be good for 6 months +.
I would love to go for a few months until I find employment but financially it doesn't make sense. Toronto is expensive, my rent is $1550/month for a 2 bedroom, my daughters daycare is $1600/month even if she misses days you still have to pay (thank God I have subsidy but that means she has a max of 30 days/year she is allowed to not be present), flights to France are usually $1000 each for a 2 way.
It might be trickier but leaving everything behind seems like the best option.

I am choosing Nice as a starting point because I will be staying with friends until I am able to settle in. I am open to moving wherever I find work. However, I would like to stay in the South of France for at least a year because I am quite familiar with the area and I have help until I can stand my own two feet.
My brother lives 20 mins from Paris, so being close to train station/airport are a must.


** I have British Citizenship through double decent so unfortunately I cannot pass it down to my daughter.**

I know its going to be extremely challenging but I always find a way to make it work and I am very independent.

PS: It is currently -14 and snowing today! The only thing that keeps me going is knowing its my last winter here!!
AmberSN is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 9:12 am
  #9  
dmu
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,883
dmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by AmberSN

I am choosing Nice as a starting point because I will be staying with friends until I am able to settle in. I am open to moving wherever I find work. However, I would like to stay in the South of France for at least a year because I am quite familiar with the area and I have help until I can stand my own two feet.
I'm not sure that the Mairie would accept a Déclaration sur l'Honneur from your friends to prove domicile when applying to enrol your daughter at the Maternelle.
"Justificatif récent de domicile" as per:
https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F1864
normally means rental receipt, utility bill, Property Deed. If no one on the forum knows for sure, your friends could go along to the Mairie to ask... Likewise as to whether the Déclaration would be valid for all the other Administrations which require proof.
Don't worry about the "Livret de Famille" requirement (unless they exist in Canada) - British parents seem to manage to do without when enrolling their children in school. The important document is the full birth certificate of you both, which will need translating into French. There again, I don't know whether this needs to be done by a Traducteur Assermenté nowadays. The Mairie will inform your friends....
Good luck with your venture!
dmu is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 9:51 am
  #10  
BE Forum Addict
 
cyrian's Avatar
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Scotland & Touraine [37]
Posts: 3,013
cyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond reputecyrian has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Hello Amber,
The french authorities normally require birth certificates to be less than 3 months old.
You should get the child's father's written (and certified by a solicitor) permission to leave Canada. The french can be a bit sticky if such permission has not been provided.
cyrian is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 9:58 am
  #11  
Home and Happy
 
Pollyana's Avatar
 
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Pollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond reputePollyana has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by AmberSN
Thanks Eurotrash and DMU for your advice! Very much appreciated.

I am aware that I will need to purchase private insurance and have sufficient funds while I am inactif, I have been saving and should be good for 6 months +.
I would love to go for a few months until I find employment but financially it doesn't make sense. Toronto is expensive, my rent is $1550/month for a 2 bedroom, my daughters daycare is $1600/month even if she misses days you still have to pay (thank God I have subsidy but that means she has a max of 30 days/year she is allowed to not be present), flights to France are usually $1000 each for a 2 way.
It might be trickier but leaving everything behind seems like the best option.

I am choosing Nice as a starting point because I will be staying with friends until I am able to settle in. I am open to moving wherever I find work. However, I would like to stay in the South of France for at least a year because I am quite familiar with the area and I have help until I can stand my own two feet.
My brother lives 20 mins from Paris, so being close to train station/airport are a must.


** I have British Citizenship through double decent so unfortunately I cannot pass it down to my daughter.**

I know its going to be extremely challenging but I always find a way to make it work and I am very independent.

PS: It is currently -14 and snowing today! The only thing that keeps me going is knowing its my last winter here!!
I my be wrong but I think if your daughter is only Canadian she will need a visa to allow her to live in France.
https://vancouver.consulfrance.org/Do-I-need-a-visa
Pollyana is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 10:47 am
  #12  
dmu
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,883
dmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond reputedmu has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by cyrian
Hello Amber,
The french authorities normally require birth certificates to be less than 3 months old.
You should get the child's father's written (and certified by a solicitor) permission to leave Canada. The french can be a bit sticky if such permission has not been provided.
I forgot to specify this.
@Amber - you would have a time-line to follow as from next Spring, bearing in mind the time between requesting yours, receiving it from the UK General Register Office, and leaving Canada. If an official translation is necessary for the two Birth Certificates, they would have to be done by a Court-approved translator in France. And if you have to apply for a Visa for your daughter, as per Pollyana's site, you'd no doubt have to apply for the two B.C.s, or at least yours, twice...
If Passport Control at French Airports is anything to go by (prevention of kidnapping by a divorced parent, among other reasons), you might already have problems at the Canadian Airport if you haven't got this formal permission.
Research is the keyword, at the French Consulate and local French Mairie....
dmu is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 10:59 am
  #13  
Lost in BE Cyberspace
 
Joined: Jan 2012
Location: Dépt 61
Posts: 5,254
EuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond reputeEuroTrash has a reputation beyond repute
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

What kind of work do you do, Amber?
EuroTrash is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 1:51 pm
  #14  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 11
AmberSN is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by EuroTrash
What kind of work do you do, Amber?
I'm a Disability Coordinator for an insurance company. I mostly handle short-term and long-term disabilities claims for Ontario & Quebec. Basically admin. I'm also a qualified Medical Administrator.
AmberSN is offline  
Old Dec 15th 2017, 1:55 pm
  #15  
Just Joined
Thread Starter
 
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 11
AmberSN is an unknown quantity at this point
Default Re: Single mother moving to France with British & Canadian Citizenship

Originally Posted by Pollyana
I my be wrong but I think if your daughter is only Canadian she will need a visa to allow her to live in France.
https://vancouver.consulfrance.org/Do-I-need-a-visa
Hi,

I don't think so, hopefully I'm not wrong.
I should be able to bring a child under 21 who is not Europeen, I have scheduled an appointment with the French consulate so I will make sure to check. Thanks!


https://www.service-public.fr/partic...osdroits/F2653
AmberSN is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.