GhostofMozart

Hey everybody.

I'm an english graphic designer, I lived and worked in China 6 months last year and it was amazing. My french gf came with me but we found that 6 months was enough (china can be pretty intense) so we moved back to Manchester.
We've been back for a few months and can't find any work apart from bar jobs.
She's got a desire to move to her home country and more specifically Paris because her family live there, scattered about in different parts of Paris.

On a scale between 0-10 my french is a 1 but with a lot of hard work between now and the summer maybe I can get that up to a 3-4? (my brain struggles learning languages, it sucks.)

So if I move to Paris in the summer what are the chances things will go well?

English guy > can hardly speak french > looking for graphic design work.

dmu

Hi, my French nephew is a graphic designer and he moved to Berlin because there wasn't enough work in Paris. Not that there's much in Berlin, but living costs are lower....
You'd both have to sort out your separate healthcare coverage, until you find work and enter the French S.S. system. Unmarried or unpacséd couples aren't covered by their respective S.S.s. If you go free-lance, you must set up a business structure, the simplist being "Auto-Entrepreneur", which will give you S.S. coverage, but the côtisations have to be paid however much (or little) you earn.
If you can live with your gf's family, then go ahead and see how it works out!
Meanwhile get your gf to speak French to you as much as possible!

EuroTrash

Hi.

I think healthcare situation will depend on how long your gf has been out of France, and whether she was working and paying social security contributions up to when she left. You won't have any entitlement to French state healthcare until you start working, so if she doesn't have sufficient cotisations to slot straight back into the social security system, that'll be your first challenge.

And that'll be your second challenge. Unemployment in France is at least double that in the UK - highest in Europe I believe - so you're competing with a lot of desperate French unemployed for the few vacancies that exist. Sorry to be blunt but finding a job in Manchester, where there are plenty of jobs to go for and where you speak the language, has got to be vastly easier than finding a job in France. But, it will be far easier in Paris than in most other parts of France.

Top tip is to take lots of money with you - Paris is an expensive place to rent, and you probably won't get any help from the state while you look for work.

dmu

Even if the gf does get back into the S.S. system, the OP wouldn't be covered by her and must do his own thing (or get married/pacséd).
I presumed that they were going to live with the gf's family, but you're right to bring up the question of renting. Landlords, esp. in Paris, demand proof (payslips) that prospective tenants earn 4 times the rent, otherwise it's necessary to find a Guarantor (usually the family as it's a scary commitment).

paulberg

Hey man,
I'm doing the same thing with my French GF.
I'm bricking it - but I'm sure it'll be all fine.

Any idea where you guys are headed?

GhostofMozart

Might not be happening now, I've just found a great job. We was thinking I living next to Saint Lazare train station in Paris. What do you do for work, can you speak french well?

dmu

Glad to hear you've found a job (in the UK?)! I used to work near to St Lazare and wouldn't have enjoyed living in that quartier!

dmu

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!
As already asked, how is your French and what are your lines of work? Have you got accommodation lined up, like the OP, otherwise you'll have problems renting without justification of income....
Note the other info in this thread re healthcare coverage of couples who aren't legally bound.
(Sorry, not familiar with the expression "bricking it" - I've been here too long!)

paulberg

My French isn't so bad. I mean I can understand most of it. I lived in Canada as a child and had to learn.
No accommodation: have significant savings. We're thinking her Dad will just rent a flat under his name, we live there and pay the rent kind of thing.
Nothing is impossible.

Re health care. I'll just hop on the eurstar back to London if I need anything urgent or visit when I'm visiting.
I work in Digital, Agency side as an account director. Job market looks pretty OK.
Bricking it, shitting a brick. worried.

Tweedpipe

Thanks for enlightening us! On initial read I assumed you were a bricklayer.

paulberg

I aim to please!

How long have you been over there? Are you in Paris?
I can't wait to get moving!