Q & A

Subject: Retiring and moving to France.

Question: I’m retiring after from the practice of law. My wife is retiring from teaching. We have visited France extensively but as tourists and as guests of various martial arts related functions.
We want to retire and live aboard our 36 sailboat and eventually buy a small home for the remainder of our retirement years.
What are the chief considerations for a move to France? Also, my wife and I are professional clowns. See www.grampadclown.com which we like to do on a part time basis. I also teach martial arts on a part time basis and want to do both in France.
Can we do teach and earn money in France. We are not wealthy but can live without income if necessary however we do want to teach and clown as much as possible.
Are there monetary bank account requirements?
Are we allowed to "set up shop" as clowns. I do understand the street vendor registration requirements.
Any and all information you could provide would be really appreciated. Perhaps I've asked too much of you. I appreciate any responsive information you would be willing to pass on to us.
We are experienced travelers to France...but completely in the dark about the move.
We do plan to sail our boat from San Diego through Panama and later ship our belongings to our new home.

Answer: Glad you liked my June newsletter. In my opinion the chief consideration, or question you need to ask yourself for a move to France is; Can you live in a country were the people speak in another language? This is my second experience of living in France, so far it has gone very good, except for not finding a permanent job. The first time was very difficult, mostly because of not speaking very good French and feeling left out. This might not be a problem for you as you will have your wife, that is someone to speak English with and going through the same things as you. Another consideration is culture, things happen differently and at different speeds, slower in my book. If you have a look(I suggest you do.) at some of the Q & A’s on my web site, where I have been asked about moving to France, most times I tried to stress the negatives. I did this because traveling in a country and living there are two very different experiences, that really have little in common. Right now I love the excitement of living in a foreign country, but it still can be very tiring. I just don’t want you to make the investment of moving here and ending up not liking it and moving back to the states.
As for your question about "setting up shop" as clowns, I am sure it’s is doable. But I have heard it is very bureaucratic, the French want every paper to be just right and the French tax system you will have to deal with, for me is un-comprehendible.
Another thing you should look into is getting a Carte de Sejour(A long term visa.), it could be a very long process. My first time I had to go to the Préfecture, the government office were you will need to go, every three months to get my Carte de Sejour renewed, before I got one the lasted a year. Also, I think to get a Carte de Sejour you will need proof of health insurance. I would suggest you call your nearest French consulate to get a full list of things your will need to get a Carte de Sejour.

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