This May marked nine years since we packed up our lives and moved to Normandy.
We took the overnight ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe. I drove the Volvo, absolutely rammed to the roof with three children and our guinea pig, Max (who is now buried under a tree in the garden). My ex-husband followed behind in a hired van.
Well… one of them.
He’d already done one van run the week before and then hired another van for the second load. In between, he insisted we get rid of a ridiculous amount of perfectly good furniture rather than pay a professional removal company. Two lots of ferry tickets, two van hires, dumping half our belongings… all in the name of “saving money.” False economy at its finest. Anyhow….
Before we even left, he’d spent a week at the French house while I packed our entire house in Croydon on my Jack Jones. I also organised almost everything else – accommodation, schools, insurance, utilities, paperwork… pretty much the whole move. I am, of course, a martyr! A martyr whos arms ached for weeks afterwards as I had to carry all the boxes from our house, 100 yards up our garden path to put in the garage.
Article 50 – Why We Had It Easier
As we came here prior to the UK departing the European Union we all come under ‘Article 50’ for the purpose of residency permits. Basically it was easy to apply and most of those cards have or are now expiring. To renew is also a fairly straight forward process for us here in Manche 50 as luckily enough this préfecture in Saint Lo has a dedicated Brexit team and know what they are doing. It varies across the country.
Never to cut a long story short me – my youngest is 16 and I know what a faff it is when they turn 18 and he also would like a job during the school holidays. This is the only way you can get a carte de séjour for a child who is under 18.
The préfecture were very efficient – emailed me the forms which I completed furnishing lots of documents and a RDV was given within a week. I then thought mmmm, mine is due to expire in November maybe they could do mine too. Turns out they were okay with this and they booked my fingerprints to be scanned at the same time as my son. This rarely happens – a whilst you’re at it approach acceptance by French administration. Massive kudos if I don’t say so myself.
We drove up this week for our 10.15 am (I saw two other British couples I know of) and were in and out before our appointment was due. We will just wait and see when we can collect our cards.
It was too early for lunch so we headed back and had lunch in the new McDonald’s in Villedieu-les-poeles and I have taken a photo of their chicken hash brown burger (very filling you don’t need fries with it!) and the wooden curved bell (as Villedieu is home to the copper pots and bell production) which was created at a festival, that I missed, due to my knee pre-operation (more of which in another post).
After feeling slightly smug about the simplicity of obtaining our new cards – believe me there are lots that are not – I reflected on my imaginary French Administration Badge of achievement. This would be as follows and I thought it deserved a separate title in itself.
My Imaginary French Administration Badge
My Imaginary Badge would include…
- Completing almost the entire French education system with three children – from primary school right through to university and art school (thankfully we skipped maternelle!)
- Two scooter licences.
- One French driving licence.
- Student grants (bourses).
- Crous Guarantor (this one is painful am not gonna lie)
- Personal Loans
- University applications through Parcoursup.
- A French nationality application… followed by an interview… followed by an appeal.
- School transport applications every single year.
- Ordering school books.
Let’s just pause on the school books shall we. The books sound easy – is it F@#~!?!! You have to join another site to get your discount and then go back with a code and then remember to pay the balance and oh, don’t lose any books mid year otherwise you won’t get that back. Seriously, I get PTSD every year with this one, more so than doing a tax return or applying for residency.
Continuing on with my badge..
- French tax returns.
- Social contribution (cotisations) returns.
- CAF applications.
- Knee replacement surgery and months of rehabilitation.
- Organising physiotherapy outside the rehabilitation centre.
- Registering a French will.
- Navigating Separation and Divorce in France.
- Running a business as an independent (micro-entrepreneur) while also employed on a work contract.
- Instructing a bailiff three times for unpaid child maintenance, legal fees etc
- Instructing a recovery division of CAF (child benefit) for unpaid maintenance
- Filing a police complaint about your ex posting nasty stuff on line with your full name.
- Dating – can I include dating? As that’s just add some more things do..
- Mutelles and Children coming off and entering the work place
- DCEM cards – oh yes that’s a card for foreign minors to let them exit and return to France
- Buying/Selling a Car
- Speeding Fines – ekk
- Being on long term sick and understanding how CPAM works and what not.
These are a just a few of my French Administration tasks that I have fully completed – some multiple times. My advice to anyone is buy a decent printer and have a concertina folder. More folders on your laptop that have all your docs and your kids in one place (thank you Vicky for this top tip!). Did I mention folders?
I wouldn’t say I’m an expert… but after nine years I’ve certainly bumbled my way around French administration. Sometimes smugly and sometimes crying like a banshee whilst rocking backwards and forwards.
If you’re thinking of relocating to Normandy—or are already here and feeling overwhelmed by the your things to do list – I’m not going to complete your administration for you. Sorry. Not Sorry.
What I can do is share what I’ve learnt, explain the processes, point you in the right direction, and help take some of the wailing of “but I can’t do it because I need this and I can’t get this..” It is a vortex. A French vortex, sometimes a goddamn pantomime but you do fly out of it..eventually!
Whether you’re still in the planning stages or already living here, I’d be happy to discuss your move and put together a relocation support package tailored to your needs.
After all, if I can survive nine years of French administration tasks… then you have to too!
Just ask someone else if you have to order lycée books….
You have been reading Our Normandy Lif
Our Normandy Life 