British expat in France explains why one part of life is ‘incredibly difficult’

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Ally Mitchell moved to France in October 2020 to live with her boyfriend who she met in New Zealand. She lives in the beautiful French city of Toulouse.

Ally told Express.co.uk that she loves her life in Toulouse and finds French people to be incredibly polite.

She also enjoys the city’s cafe culture and the “wonderful” food, particularly charcuterie and steak.

However, she told Express.co.uk there are a few things that Britons should be aware of before moving to France.

Although Ally is making steps to learn the language, she still finds communicating challenging.

She said: “Communication can be difficult. I can’t really progress with advancing my life here in areas of administration or in my career until I can speak French at a more advanced level.”

The InterNations Expat Insider Survey spoke to expats in 57 cities around the world about their home.

Expats who had moved to Paris found it hard to get by in everyday life without speaking French.

For any lucky potential expats moving to France who happen to be named Emily, Duolingo is offering a free month’s promotion of French plus lessons to mark the launch of season two of Emily in Paris.

Ally told Express.co.uk that moving during Covid also presented some “confusing” challenges.

She said: “ Moving during Covid was badly timed! There were more restrictions and requirements, and the UK Government didn’t know what evidence I would need to leave the country, so there was endless confusion.”

Although travel restrictions were relaxed towards the end of 2021, the emergence of Omicron has led France to ban British tourists.

Any potential British expats will need to be up to date with all the latest rules if they want to move during Covid.

Brexit has also had a significant impact on the rules British expats have to follow if they want to move to France.

Ally told Express.co.uk: “Brexit was also a complication as both the UK and French Governments were adjusting to the new regulations.

“There wasn’t a lot of clarity about what made one eligible to become a resident and calling Government hotlines was a waste of time, so I would contact a lot of advisory companies and charities for help.”

It could be worth hiring an immigration advisor who will be able to advise any British expats on all the new rules.

Ally added: “French bureaucracy is not only slow, but it is a catch 22!

“To open a bank account you need an income, but to have an income you need to have a bank account!

“It’s incredibly difficult to do your administration alone, especially if your language skills aren’t up to standard.

“Luckily I had my boyfriend to help and Ameli (Healthcare and Social Security) has an English-speaking hotline.”

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