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If So-and-So Gets Elected: A Post Election Webinar About Moving to France

Graphic courtesy of France24.com ©Studio graphique France Médias Monde
Graphic courtesy of France24.com ©Studio graphique France Médias Monde

We’re now just a few days away from the U.S. presidential elections. From everything we see and read, the outcome is still incredibly uncertain and it’s even tough to know if the polls being cited are even for real. I had a Republican client on a consultation not long ago who was sure that the Democratic candidate was going to win because there were so many Republicans like him who won’t openly voice their opinions, but won’t vote their party line, either, and prefer to vote for what’s best for the country instead. Whether his prediction is correct or not is to be seen. We’re all on the edge of our seats.

Meanwhile, I hear it everyday: “If so-and-so gets elected, I’m leaving and moving to France!” We all know who that “so-and-so” is because expatriates are overwhelmingly on the left politically. That’s just the way it is. Normally expatriates are well educated, well traveled and open-minded. The also realize they are immigrants themselves, and tend to be liberal thinkers.

You might think that once you live in France (or anywhere outside of the U.S.), as an American, you won’t care what happens in the U.S., but that’s far from the truth. It’s just the opposite. In some ways, we Americans care even more about what happens, even though we don’t live in our own country anymore. We follow the news, we vote absentee and we campaign, just as if we were still resident in the U.S.

Fabien Pelissier of Fab Insurance, a French insurance and relocation advisor with whom we work and recommend to our clients, invited me to join him on a webinar on Thursday, November 7th, just two days post election, to discuss how the outcome of the election is going to affect Americans’ desire to find an alternative place to live—and specifically France. He and I both want to help educate those who wish to make a move about the advantages of living in France and how one might go about accomplishing that goal.

Fabien Pelissier of Fab Insurance

Fabien Pelissier

It’s actually a lot easier than you might think—a dream we can help you make come true. We literally do it every day and it’s the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life…changing people’s lives and making their dreams come true. That might sound trite, but these are the words we hear regularly, with thanks from those we’ve helped.

I couldn’t say no to doing the webinar, even though I will just be settling in to my daughter’s house in the middle of Maui where it is sure to be peaceful…and safe. The reason to be concerned about safety is because there are rumblings that if “so-and-so” loses the election, there is likely to be violent fall out from the losing side. We saw it on January 6th four years ago, and we could easily see it again, but worse. I don’t want to be anywhere near that, quite honestly.

The format of the webinar is informal—just an interview between Fabien and myself, each of us asking questions of the other, to get our perspectives and opinions. I offer up some of these questions and answers to you now, not to give away our game plan, but to ask you to participate in our discovery…together. You can help us formulate the information you want to know by emailing us with your own questions.

I will be asking Fabien if he thinks the French government might view Americans as immigrants differently depending on who gets elected. The immigration authorities call the U.S. passport a “golden” one, and in my imagination, France will welcome new American arrivals with open arms, just like they do now. The only thing I anticipate is that should “so-and-so” get elected, the official website for visas is likely to get overwhelmed with new applicants and even break down. I’d advise you now to go to the site and book your appointment BEFORE the elections!

Form to obtain a French visa

Another question for Fabien has to do with how French locals might react differently to Americans living in France or even those just visiting, depending on the outcome of the election. He’ll know how the French view us on the whole, but I remember when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. The Mairie of the 3rd arrondissement (the city hall) held a town hall meeting, open to the public, just to discuss how it was possible that the U.S. could elect him, of all the possible candidates, particularly when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was his opponent! I was impressed!

Lastly, it might be fair to ask him if he knows of any policies or incentives the French government would put in place to actually make it easier to move to France for U.S. citizens. Truth is, it’s so easy now, that there’s nothing needed that I can think of. As long as you can prove you have enough money to live off of without working in France (based on French minimum wage—1,766.92€ a month), have health insurance for one year and a place to live for the first 90 days in France, a one-year renewable “Carte de Séjour Visiteur” (visitor visa) will be granted. And for the moment, it only takes about two-to-three weeks from the date of your appointment to have it in your hot little hand! (Expect it to take longer depending…)

Macron and Biden, French/American relations

On the flip side, Fabien may have a host of questions for me, starting with what makes France an appealing destination for Americans. For those of you who have explored many of the countries in the E.U., then you know that no other country can touch France when it comes to lifestyle, culture, infrastructure, healthcare, and financial—it has the best tax treaty with the U.S. of any of the other countries. We’ve had a lot of clients moving from Portugal who were seduced by low property prices and the one-time “Golden Visa,” but who discovered that Portugal “just wasn’t France.” Those are the words they use to describe what it lacks, on just about every level. Italy is a strong contender, but for emotional reasons, not practical ones.

I have a feeling he’s going to ask how cost of living compares between the U.S. and France, and that’s an easy answer: about one half! I talk to people every day who describe their health insurance and health care costs, their high property taxes, cost of educating their kids, inflation, necessity of owning and operating a car (or a few), etc., etc. No doubt, a retiree’s pension from the U.S. can go an awful long way in France and support a much richer lifestyle.

He might ask what experience I’ve had with French healthcare in the 30 years I’ve lived here and that’s an easy answer: amazing! Fortunately, I’ve been very healthy up to my ripe old age of 72, but I believe France is to thank for that. I eat better/healthier, I get more exercise than if I was in and out of a car all day and preventative medicine is part of the normal program. In addition, it’s so inexpensive to visit a doctor, get prescriptions, that there’s no hesitation to stay pro-active and pro-healthy. The cost of medical care is literally one-tenth of what it would cost Stateside—in fact, it’s almost a joke every time the radiologist or pharmacy presents the bill. When I chuckle at the price, the person presenting the bill starts to apologize for it being expensive! And then have to explain, “You don’t understand. If this were in the U.S., it would cost 10 times as much!”

Adrian undergoing dental care in France

I know he wants to talk about what areas of France are popular for expatriates, but I prefer that the question be about what areas of France make sense for expatriates. I’ve held several webinars on this very subject—how to decide where to live in France—because I have strongly held opinions on how to choose rationally rather than emotionally. Too many people have read Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence and then dream about living in a stone or stucco cottage in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by lavender fields or the like. Their view of France is through rose-colored glasses. Then, they get here and find out it’s not ideal—they’re living in their bubble (car) just like they did in the U.S., have no one to relate to (since they can’t speak French and the locals aren’t interested in befriending them), can’t find good healthcare nearby, and want to visit Europe but it’s take too much time and energy to make transportation connections, so they are stuck, bored and unhappy. I urge them to consider what’s important to a happy life instead: climate, access for ease of travel, healthcare availability, community. I have my list of favorite spots in France, so expect me to talk about them on the webinar.

Cover of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence

On top of it all, I’m sure you will want to know what are the cultural challenges you might face moving to France. I contend it’s the toughest part of the move. If we have enough time, I’ll be happy to impart my viewpoint on why and how we are so different, and how an American must deal with those differences. Just consider this: English Law vs Napoleonic Code. That’s the basis of our differences and that’s where we need to start in understanding how to maneuver on their soil. I’ll be sure to go into greater detail on the webinar! In fact, I’m doing a webinar on December 12th with the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA focused on just that, so don’t miss it!

Cartoon graphic comparing Civil Law vs Common Law systems

This webinar on November 7th is just one hour and we have much to discuss. In fact, there never is enough time to say it all, and that’s why we do one-on-one consultations to help our clients set out in the right direction. It’s never too early to start on the path to get it right.

So, first join our webinar and then book your time with me or one of my staff to talk about you and your needs. Here’s more info:

Moving to France Post US Elections
Thursday, November 7th, 2024
10:00am Pacific/11:00pm Mountain/12:00pm Central/1:00pm Eastern/7:00pm (19h) CET (France)

You’ll receive login details upon registration.

Graphic promoting the Moving to France Post US Elections webinar

Here’s how to find more information.

Here’s how to register for the webinar.

Here’s how to book a consultation.

And here’s how to email us with the questions you’d like answered.

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds on Castel Hill in Nice, FranceAdrian Leeds
The Adrian Leeds Group®

Map of European time zonesP.S. Note that France went off Daylight Saving Time yesterday. So, for practical purposes, keep in mind the time difference is one hour less than usual until the US falls back next weekend.

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