France, traditionally a popular holiday destination for the Dutch. Who doesn't see all those caravans/campers leaving for France every year? All French campsites are full of Dutch people in the summer and so we see: France remains a favourite holiday destination for us Dutch people. Maybe you are also someone who has always been on holiday to France and have now decided that you want to live in France. However, you have to arrange things properly if you want to go to France moving. So read on quickly and perhaps you will find our useful information useful.
Moving to France
France is a beautiful country and if you are going to emigrate you will notice that it is a dream come true. The nice thing is that it is a country in the European Union and it therefore feels extra familiar when you go and live there. Emigrating to another country seems easy at first sight, but there are a number of factors that you should take into account. In France, for example, it is very useful to learn to speak the language. French people often do not speak English. So if you are going to live there and have to arrange things, it is good that you already have a basic knowledge of the French language, because unfortunately English is not of much use to you.
Preparing for emigration to France
First of all, it is important to arrange all your affairs in the Netherlands properly before you actually emigrate. Think of your rent, bills and taxes. We will discuss all these topics in this article so that you can live in France with peace of mind. You can also consult our website to properly handle everything step by step.
Documents
If you want to live in France, the first simple step is to check your documents in the Netherlands. Check carefully until when the documents are valid and renew them if necessary. Of course, you want these documents to be valid for a longer period of time when you emigrate to France. This is also very important for arranging your affairs in France. You do not want to be busy arranging a new passport or driver's license while you have other more important matters that you have to do. It is also wise to make copies of these documents in case of theft, loss or damage. So do not only keep the documents in a safe place during your emigration, but also store the copies safely.
It is also useful to request any diplomas, for example. DUO. This can be done easily online. However, a Dutch diploma abroad must be NUFFIC diploma description. Maybe you are not going to study in France and you do not think you need this at all, but in the case of working in France you might need it. It is possible that an employer asks you for your diplomas.
Legalization of documents
Your diploma is not the only document that needs to be translated. This is also the case with other official documents. This is also called legalizing documents. When your Dutch document is legalized, it is provided with a certain stamp or sticker. It also sometimes happens that a document first has to be translated before you can legalize it. This is because countries want the documents in their own language. The best thing you can do is to first contact the embassy/consulate of France to ask what requirements your document must meet. You can often find more information about this on their website
Cancel rent
Furthermore, you should of course also cancel your rent in the Netherlands. Do this on time, because of course you have a notice period. This is noted in your contract. Check this carefully and prevent that you unnecessarily have to pay another month or maybe even two months rent in the Netherlands while you have already moved to France. Because the house in France is of course not your second home, but you have actually moved there.
Moving companies
When moving your belongings, you should look carefully at international moving companies. They have a lot of experience with international moving. Their movers are also more experienced and will deliver your belongings neatly to your new home in France. The moving costs for international moves depend on your wishes. For example, you should take into account the size of your belongings and how many movers are needed. Because you obviously don't have time to call/email every international moving company to request quotes, it is best to request quotes without obligation via MOOVA. Compare free quotes without having to do much!
Unsubscribe in the Netherlands
When you move to France, you must deregister with your current municipality in the Netherlands. This is a legal requirement when you want to emigrate. This is of course a scary step, because it all becomes very close to home. You can deregister with the municipality up to 5 days before your departure. Sometimes you also have to go to the town hall, but this varies per municipality. That is why it is best to consult the website of your municipality to see exactly what you have to do.
Insurances
When you deregister with the municipality, you can also cancel your health insurance. In France, you can then arrange for your French health insurance through your employer or government. You can cancel your Dutch health insurance by means of a special cancellation form due to emigration with your health insurance. Do not forget to deregister with your family doctor and dentist. Furthermore, in the Netherlands you must of course also cancel any home contents or car insurance, because you do not want to pay for this unnecessarily.
Digi-D
Also make sure your Digi-D is in order. Many people think they no longer need it after emigration, but this is certainly not the case. There may be things you need to arrange afterwards and you can use your Digi-D for this.
Taxes
Furthermore, the tax authorities are of course very important. This sounds like a lot of hassle, but if you are going to emigrate to France, it is best to make sure that your taxes in the Netherlands are properly arranged. To properly arrange your tax affairs, it is best to contact the tax authorities. They will then send you a form that you must complete regarding your move. You will then also automatically receive additional information about what else you need to arrange. Arrange this properly, because when you have your affairs in order, you can move to France with peace of mind.
Pension and benefits
Take a good look at your Dutch AOW to know what you are entitled to. Are you retired or will you retire soon? Then it is best to request information from your pension fund about the AOW you have built up in the Netherlands. Here you can also indicate that you are going to emigrate abroad and you can ask about the possibilities.
If you receive benefits and are going to emigrate, it is wise to first contact the UWV or the relevant municipality, because sometimes it is unfortunately the case that you cannot take your benefit abroad. And of course you do not want to end up without an income.
Other matters
Don't forget to cancel any mobile subscriptions or gym subscriptions. You also shouldn't forget the gas, electricity, TV and internet providers. Also look carefully at the contracts so that you don't get any surprises. If you have children, you should also unsubscribe them from their school or daycare.
In France you can still use your Dutch bank account for a long time, but eventually it is useful to open a French bank account. You do not have to do this immediately, so feel free to do this later.
Town hall in France
When you move to France, it is not possible to officially register at the 'la Mairie' or the town hall. This is because in France there is no population register like in the Netherlands. You can only register as a voter at the la Mairie on their 'liste électorale'. This is a list where people who want to vote can register. In France, an estimate is made of the total number of inhabitants of a village, city or region based on this list.
However, you must report a birth, death, marriage or if you have school-age children at the town hall. These reports will then be entered in the civil registry. In French, it is called the "état civil".
You also have to go to the town hall when applying for permits or renovations. Furthermore, you will of course retire at some point and you also have to apply for this at the town hall. For this you have to apply for a certificate. This is called the 'certificat de vie' and you also have to forward it to your Dutch pension fund.
Self-employed in France
First of all, it is good to know that you can simply keep a company in the Netherlands. Also at a French address. At the Chamber of Commerce you can simply change your address to an address in France. The only condition is that you must continue to pay taxes in the Netherlands. For the first 6 months this could be a good solution, but for more information about this we refer you to the Chamber of Commerce or perhaps you can also consult your accountant for this.
Do you still want to register your company in France? Then you need to do this at the 'Centres des Formalités des Enterprises' (CFE). This is the agency that registers companies and is comparable to the Dutch Chamber of Commerce. Below we have listed the agencies for you:
- Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI)
- Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA)
- l'Union for the Recouvrement des cotisations de la Sécurité Sociale et des Allocations Familiales (URSAFF)
- Treffe du tribunal
France has many different business forms. Depending on your company, you will be placed with one of the above-mentioned CFEs. Does your company fall under multiple CFEs? Then this will be divided among the different CFEs. What is good to know is that a sole proprietorship is registered as a micro-entreprise. This means that you can easily do your bookkeeping and that you are not liable for VAT. You are therefore not allowed to collect VAT. You must briefly state this on your invoices. When your company is registered, you will be registered with the tax authorities 'Impots', a health insurer 'Caisse Maladie', and a pension fund. There are only a few institutions available for a health insurance fund or pension. When you receive a list, it is best to choose one of the top ones, because they say that these are often the better ones. After a few weeks, you will receive more information at home and you will still have to fill in a number of forms.
Registering your company means that you will also pay for this annually. You can expect the first bill after about 3 months. You pay at the URSAFF. This is a central organization that collects all social insurance costs. You probably won't earn anything in the beginning, but they don't mind and you will be insured. Your health insurance fund covers about 70% of the medical costs. You have to pay the rest yourself. You can also get extra insurance for this, but this can be quite expensive. Don't be alarmed at the costs you pay to the URSAFF in the beginning. Expect an amount of around €3000. These are your medical costs, disability, pension, etc.
You are now also a tax resident and this is very important with regard to the other matters that you need to arrange in France. There are often intermediaries who speak Dutch and would like to take over all your administrative tasks. This is easier for you, but of course it is for a fee. You then hand over everything and do not have to go to all the authorities yourself. French employees often do not speak English, so do you not speak French yet? Then hiring an intermediary is certainly something to think about.
Study in France
You must show proof of enrolment from the university where you want to study. You must also be insured, but this does not necessarily have to be through a French health insurance. Your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). You must also demonstrate that you will have sufficient income during your stay and you must also provide proof of European education programme can show.
Finally
For further information on these topics or other questions, you can always consult our other articles.
