Too many options or too few?
Aug 2nd 2018, 2:03 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 1
Too many options or too few?
Here's the thing..
I am 58, have lived in New Zealand since 1985 (but have just sold up to come back to Europe) and have dual NZ and UK citizenship.
My wife is 46, has lived in NZ since 2000 and has dual NZ and Moldovan citizenship.
I speak English and shout at foreigners to make myself understood (and popular).
My wife speaks English, French, Russian and Romanian fluently and was a UN interpreter.
We have a fair bit of savings but want to get an income (we have some ideas but nothing working as of now).
We want to become resident in the EU before Brexit hits the fan in order to become established so that we can remain in the EU country(s) of our choice.
My understanding is that provided we have a dwelling in an EU country before the March 2019 Brexit deadline, we can stay - is that right?
My hope is that as a spouse of a UK passport holder, my wife will have no problem and will have the same rights as me - is that too hopeful?
Our preference is France but we're open to any country as our income would hopefully not be specific to, or reliant on, the country of domicile - is there any advantage in being domiciled in more than one country for less than 50% of the time in each?
My understanding is that in France I'd be inactif and need my own health cover (my wife has just had 16 months of chemo/radiation and surgery for cancer in NZ but has been given the all clear with no expectation of a recurrence - touch wood - and has daily Tamoxifen for the next ten years with annual screening; nothing else.)
We also want to buy a campervan in order to drive around Europe looking for a good spot, but that would be the subject of another post, I suspect.
I am 58, have lived in New Zealand since 1985 (but have just sold up to come back to Europe) and have dual NZ and UK citizenship.
My wife is 46, has lived in NZ since 2000 and has dual NZ and Moldovan citizenship.
I speak English and shout at foreigners to make myself understood (and popular).
My wife speaks English, French, Russian and Romanian fluently and was a UN interpreter.
We have a fair bit of savings but want to get an income (we have some ideas but nothing working as of now).
We want to become resident in the EU before Brexit hits the fan in order to become established so that we can remain in the EU country(s) of our choice.
My understanding is that provided we have a dwelling in an EU country before the March 2019 Brexit deadline, we can stay - is that right?
My hope is that as a spouse of a UK passport holder, my wife will have no problem and will have the same rights as me - is that too hopeful?
Our preference is France but we're open to any country as our income would hopefully not be specific to, or reliant on, the country of domicile - is there any advantage in being domiciled in more than one country for less than 50% of the time in each?
My understanding is that in France I'd be inactif and need my own health cover (my wife has just had 16 months of chemo/radiation and surgery for cancer in NZ but has been given the all clear with no expectation of a recurrence - touch wood - and has daily Tamoxifen for the next ten years with annual screening; nothing else.)
We also want to buy a campervan in order to drive around Europe looking for a good spot, but that would be the subject of another post, I suspect.
Aug 2nd 2018, 3:36 pm
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: bute
Posts: 9,740
Re: Too many options or too few?
Having a house in a state within the EU is not enough Each state has its own rules about residence. Given your wife;s Moldavan origin and competence in Romanian I would go for Romania.
Aug 2nd 2018, 3:43 pm
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,888
Re: Too many options or too few?
Here's the thing..
We want to become resident in the EU before Brexit hits the fan in order to become established so that we can remain in the EU country(s) of our choice.
My hope is that as a spouse of a UK passport holder, my wife will have no problem and will have the same rights as me - is that too hopeful?
Our preference is France but we're open to any country as our income would hopefully not be specific to, or reliant on, the country of domicile - is there any advantage in being domiciled in more than one country for less than 50% of the time in each?
My understanding is that in France I'd be inactif and need my own health cover
.
We want to become resident in the EU before Brexit hits the fan in order to become established so that we can remain in the EU country(s) of our choice.
My hope is that as a spouse of a UK passport holder, my wife will have no problem and will have the same rights as me - is that too hopeful?
Our preference is France but we're open to any country as our income would hopefully not be specific to, or reliant on, the country of domicile - is there any advantage in being domiciled in more than one country for less than 50% of the time in each?
My understanding is that in France I'd be inactif and need my own health cover
.
gives the conditions for Résidence of EU citizens in France, i.e. proof of (private) healthcare coverage from Day 1 and sufficient monthly resources of 826,40€ for a couple.
If France is your preferred choice, you'd do well to post again in the France forum where those in the know can advise about your wife's status. AFAIK you yourself would have to comply with French residency requirements before your wife can benefit from your EU status.
Aug 4th 2018, 11:40 am
#4
Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Not in Paris
Posts: 18,192
Re: Too many options or too few?
I would concur. The difference in cost of living alone would make the OP's savings go more than twice as far as they would do in France. It would be worth doing for a couple of years whilst the OP and his wife to consider their options for no other reason then the OP's wife can start the process to apply for Romanian citizenship. She would then become an EU citizen in her own right and negate the effects of Brexit on their ability to move freely around the EU/EEA.
