UNLOCKING OUR FRENCH ADVENTURE - SIMPLE STEPS TO SECURE YOUR LONG STAY VISA AND MOVE TO FRANCE
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 3 фев 2024
- In this video, I'll provide an update on the status of our preparation and show you where to find the application for a long stay visa to get your move started
SUBSCRIBE TO MY CHANNEL:
/ @postcardsfrommygolden...
SOME OF MY MOST RECENT VIDEOS:
/ @postcardsfromourgolde...
#EXPATSINFRANCE #MOVINGTOFRANCE #LONGSTAYVISA
SUPPORT MY CHANNEL ON PATREON - Patreon.com/PostcardsFromMyGoldenYears
FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Threads: PostcardsFromMyGoldenYears
Twitter @AHSinNaples
Instagram: PostcardsFromMyGoldenYears
Pinterest: PostcardsFromMyGolden Years
CONTACT ME (PostcardsFromMyGoldenYears@Gmail.com) all business and collaboration inquiries
JOIN MY FACEBOOK GROUP: Postcards From My Golden Years - / 712424457148800
HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT MY NEW “POSTCARDS FROM MY GOLDEN YEARS” MERCH?
Here’s the link - postcards-from-my-golden-year...
Hi! I'm An Scott. I'm a happily retired 70 year old woman with my “golden years” on the horizon, living the “good life”, whatever that is on any given day, with my fun husband Jeff, and our “bossy” little Yorkie, Bella.
In just a few months, in April, 2024, when Jeff retires, we are moving from SW Florida, in the good old USA to Nice, France to live out our “golden years” on the sunny Mediterranean coast of southern France, in Nice France.
Moving from the USA to a foreign country is no small “project”. Through my videos, we’ll be taking you through the process, sharing the steps, talking about what we’ve learned and the ups and the downs.
SUBSCRIBE, FOR FREE, to my channel and as we progress through the steps of doing that, you’ll be able to follow along through each stage of our preparation and then catch up with us, as we settle in to our new life. We might even have some information you’re going to need if you’re also planning a move to France (or the EU)
For now, come with us as we embrace our days and nights living everyday as though there is no tomorrow.
MUSIC CREDITS:
ES_Floating On A Summer Breeze by Jon Bjork
Most of my videos are shot with my Samsung Galaxy S20 Note Ultra Smartphone and a circular ring light, as needed.
![100 Days - [Minecraft Creative 2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/OmogWsk_ZZg/mqdefault.jpg)
I am so grateful for your honesty and all these informative details! You were answering all my questions without even me asking them!😊 Thank you so much! I am happy for you that you are already in France, we all are inspired by you and your courage and enthusiasm!
Thank you very much for sharing. Your information is so practical and inspiring! We will be following your steps ourselves! Good luck selling all your stuff, good health to both of you and your doggy!
Thanks! And much luck to you as you blaze the path! 😊
I really appreciate the detail and screenshares for applying for the visa and the appointment with VFS global. I'm so excited for you both!
I paid 430.00 for my insurance.
What company did you go through?
@@juliehermosillo1701 eu RT opa
An, thanks for the insurance update. I love the chest. I can see why you would want to take it with you.
I don't know if you address this but it is REALLY difficult to get a French driver's license unless you come from one of the 13 states that have a license exchange agreement.
I wish I had become a resident of one of those states before I moved to France.
I am pretty much forced to give up driving(even renting a car) because of the cost and difficulty of passing the test.
It's really something to consider if driving is important to you and you are not pretty fluent in French. You will also have to go to driving school which can be $2,000-$10,000. No matter how many years you have been driving.
This was my biggest disappointment and I guess if it really mattered, I would make it a priority.
But for now I am planning to use the great transportation system!
I did a video about this some time ago, however we're from Florida so we'll be able to exchange our driver's licenses. Not as easy as handing them one and getting the other. It's still a process but not as much of a headache as having to pay for the driving classes to take the exams and I heard it's not cheap. I don't think I could give up driving though. We won't have a car in Nice but we do want to be able to rent one every now and then if we want to go somewhere that isn't close to a train or bus or we need to buy something large and drive it home. Thanks for your note! 😊
thank you very much, It was very informative and my best wishes for your success!
Thank you!
The information you've provide is extremely valuable and your videos have convinced me that retiring to Nice, as opposed to Paris, makes more sense given my aversion to the cold and rainy Paris winters. I do love the rain but the winters in Nice are nothing compared to Chicago, where I was born and raised. I am curious if you were required to provide copies of your marriage certificates and/or divorce decrees. I no longer have a copy of my marriage certificate or divorce decree and have no idea how I would obtain copies. However, I could provide a copy of my birth certificate showing my maiden name. Thank you! 🙋♀
If you check out my newest video, that comes out this morning, about our Long Stay Visa appointment, I talk about the copies of my marriage licenses and divorce papers. I did included all of my former names, along with my maiden name, on my online application. For the in-person appointment, I had the marriage licenses and divorce papers, in a folder, for every marriage, but they were not needed. They didn't ask for even my current marriage license or my birth certificate. Check out my latest video, this morning at 8:30AM eastern US time for the details. Thanks for your notes! ☺
Thank you so very much for clarifying my queries re health insurance. We are hoping to visit in the early Autumn and will probably end up staying in Montpelier or thereabouts where we can hop on the tram to Paris for museums etc. Our move to France is all subject to our 12+yrs old cat who has hyperthyroidism and needs meds 2xs daily (still have to find someone reliable to cat-sit etc. before we travel in Sept). We do have a supplemental insurance and they said we could use this in the event of an emergency! I am so very grateful to have found your channel and your concise explanation of what one should expect when planning to retire full-time which is totally up in the air for now. I will never put my cat down because I want to leave! I just lost 1 of my cats who had a lot of health issues; vacation was never on the table when he was alive! Anyhow, thank you so much again for sharing your long stay visa prep work with us...much appreciated and many blessings in all ways.
The Supplemental insurance will work if you're just going to France for a visit, but unless it meets the requirements needed for the long term visa application, you won't be able to use it to satisfy the Long Stay Visa application. We're on medicare presently and yes, our supplemental insurance is fine in case of an emergency for a vacation. There is a difference. If you decide to get a Long Stay Visa and move to France:
The policy must have a $0 deductible with 100% coverage
The policy must include a repatriation benefit and an emergency medical evacuation benefit
The insurance provider must have an office in Europe
The insurance must be valid in the entire Schengen Area
For the Temporary Long-Stay Visa (visa de long séjour temporaire visiteur or the VLS-T Visiteur ,which is what those of us retiring to France will apply for), the insurance must cover the visa's entire validity period (1 year at the most)
You are so very kind and thorough in your response. I will keep these responses for future reference and many thanks for your time. I will keep following your posts because there is so much for me to learn from you and I am so happy that you guys are doing what is right for this time of your lives. When covid came upon the world, my first feeling was IT TOOK THE JOY AWAY FROM OUR LIVES and this plan will restore our joie de vivre; hopefully next year.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears
Hello, I got your link from Janice and France. I come to Nice every winter I have friends there so I’d love to watch your show from when I cannot be there. I live in Chicago. My plan is to eventually purchase a place there as well so glad to have found your channelthis year I’m only going to Spain and leaving through Paris but hopefully next winter I will be in again my favorite place. It is my happy place.
Welcome!! Good luck to you on your journey. So glad you found us. 😊
Thank you for the wonderful explanations and guidance. You clarified a lot of things for me.
Great video. Have you done Video on moving a pet? I heard it's complicated . P.s. i move your channel ; going through all the videos.
Hello! Yes! Check out this video of ours. ruclips.net/video/Pl8o-L8oVCk/видео.html
Love your very informative videos! Did you hear about any changes in the new law about PUMA for new expats? I would love to hear from you.
No, not aware of any changes. We are required to apply to be on the France health system after living in France for 90 days. We simply have to prove that we have the right to live in France. The France health system is rated #1 in the world for healthcare. The US is rated #37. We are looking forward to the upgrade. 😄
What a great update, filled with very useful information. Seems like things are progressing nicely. We will look forward to hearing all about your VFS appointments & your upcoming Menton video. From RUclips research only, we’re targeting Nice or Menton as potential sites for our move in a few years. Thanks so much!
Glad you found the video a worthwhile watch! All the best to you...
Bonjour An et Jeff, We are all very lucky that you are “taking us along” with you on your French adventure of a lifetime. Merci beaucoup! Could you please reply with the features and m2 that are important and realistic for your rental apartment? I need a reality check on my wish list! I hope to visit Nice in the Spring for approximately two months as a “scouting mission”. Bon voyage to you two! Doug
Thanks for your note. As far as our wishlist for our Nice apartment, we're not looking for anything luxurious....just the basic comforts of living that we have spent our lives in the US, probably taking for granted :-) Things like a kitchen with some counter space, a cooktop or stove (not a hob with 2 burners), an oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, a large refrigerator as opposed to what we, here in the US, call dorm refrigerators, a dishwasher, 2 bedrooms (with at least a queen sz bed- but we're ok with buying our own queen or king for the master bedroom, too) , at least one bathroom, 2 would be preferred, a balcony and/or large floor to ceiling windows in the living room with lots of light, Closet space. Although we are downsizing substantially, I'm still bringing at least 60prs of shoes and a lot of clothes. LOL. Washing machine/dryer, AC and a lift, in a well maintained building---these are all the things most Americans want and/or need to be happy. Regarding square footage, we haven't really set any requirements. We'd love 1000sq ft, but realistically apartments in France are smaller. We're open to any size that we can get our "stuff" in comfortably. We're also open to an unfurnished apartment so we can pick all of our own furniture...and have a 3 yr lease, as well. As "seniors" who plan to travel a lot, we're just looking for a nice, comfortable place to call home when we're not traveling....and not too much for me to clean! And no more than 5-10 minutes from the Tram 2 line and under 15 min walk to the Promenade. That sorta limits the neighborhoods you can consider. The fact is that if you aren't extremely wealthy people, with unlimited money, you can't be too picky. You have to be willing to accept that this is what you can find in France. We're just looking for comfort and proximity to the center of life in Nice.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears
Bonjour An & Jeff, Wow! Thank so very much for providing your thorough list of “requis appartement caracteristiques”. I am very grateful for your helpfulness. All of your fans wish you a successful apt. search. Doug
So how did you appointment go?? I’m rooting for you!
Curious though, for your move do you require to get multiple certified copies of divorce as you will have to reapply for the next 4 years..?
Can’t wait to hear the next update!!! Paige and Geoff
I had copies of all of my driver's licenses and divorce decrees. They didn't ask for them. Had no interest when I mentioned I have them.
Hi An! thank you for the great video with so much needed information. I wanted to ask, about putting your Medicare part B on hold.
If you would have to come back to the US, is it a problem to get it started back up again? We are planning a trip to Nice in April so I'm so looking forward to it! Thank you again for all your great information and videos! Ruth
We have not yet made the appointment with Social Security to pause our Medicare deductions, so unfortunately at the moment, I don't have details. From what I have read online, there is no problem restarting the part B medicare deduction but there may be a penalty. We have no plans to return to the US once we move so for us it isn't important. We probably won't meet with anyone at Social Security until next month, so for a more "exact" answer, we'll have to wait to see what they say, in our meeting. Thanks for your nice note. 😍
Hi An. I would love to know how you are going to handle your bio identical in France. I take them also. Have no other meds or anything at all. Thanks. I follow all your words of wisdom
I brought around 4 mos worth of bio-identical hormone creams/pills with me. There are a few doctors here that I found online just searching "hormone doctors Nice". When I get to having about 1 month of hormone creams left I will start contacting the doctors I found online and see who to start with and go from there.
Thank you, An and Jeff, for sharing this information! Since my wife Cindy has MS, survived breast cancer, and her mother and aunts had a history of ovarian cancer, finding an insurance policy that covers these issues may be a challenge. There is much to learn. Thanks again for posting this video. Dean & Cindy
I too am a breast cancer survivor. Perhaps finding the International Health Insurance policy you need to get your Visa may be expensive, if you want to buy one that covers pre-existing conditions for that 1 year period, however, one she gets into the France Social Security system, (the first step in getting on the national health plan) she will be able to get on the national health plan in France and THEN all pre-existing conditions, all medical issues, are covered as though she was/is always French. So you would just need to get any insurance policy that you're comfortable with, that meets the requirements for the long stay visa, for those first months while you're processing through the system and then once you're on the French health system....good to go. Everything is covered. We're bringing around 3 months of each of our prescriptions and will seek out a doctor shortly after we get to Nice, and ask them to write new prescriptions so we can continue with our treatments, as needed. The cost of medical care, even before we get into the French health system is significantly less than what the costs are in the US. Prescriptions too. So, personally, I'm not concerned paying out of pocket for a few months till I get on the national health plan.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you An & Jeff for the additional information. We received quotes from Cigna. There is much to process. Thank you!
@@DeanRamser you're always welcome!
i am so glad I found your channel and I wish you and your husband best of luck in your choice to move to Nice France. I am a bit confused about the health insurance bit...i.e. we plan to move full-time in the near future and my query is this: would we need to show health insurance coverage for a 6wk visit? Or only if we plan to stay longer than 3months. We are both retired and in our early 70's; no major health issues. osteoarthritis/osteopenia (me) my spouse in great health. When you can spare a moment, a response would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks from 2 grateful former New Yorkers and we are so very happy that you guys are sharing such invaluable info with us🙏
No, the insurance I was talking about is the International Health Insurance policy, you are required to purchase if you are applying for a Long Stay Visa to retire to France, and stay for at least a year or more. It's not like a travel insurance policy. I believe if you plan to stay for a long period, even under a year, you will have to check to see what kind of Visa you may need. I am not familiar with the shorter Visas. I doubt you need one for a 3 month say or less but I'm not sure. Everything I speak about in my videos is related to seniors "retiring" to France, to say, for at least a year or forever, as in our case. In that case, in order to acquire the Long Stay Visa to live in France you have to show that you have a 1 year International Health Insurance policy that will cover you for an emergency hospitalization, associated expenses and repatriation, if necessary. As for the pre-existing conditions on the 1 year policy we did initially try to buy, we thought, like you, that we're in great health...however, that insurance company must have been looking at medications II take for post menopausal quality of health (bio-identical hormones) and meds for osteopenia and high cholesterol (a statin) as "expensive" so they added the surcharge?? Neither of us has any serious health issues. We never got a clear explanation. If you're not planning to retire to France for a year or more, you won't be applying for the same Visa, so for you don't need to worry about it, unless whatever Visa you pursue requires it. The health costs in France are extremely low compared to the US. So even if we have to pay for something out of pocket, we're fine with it. And we have to get on the France Health plan asap after we complete our 90 day requirement. Once we get on the national health plan we will have 0 concerns
Love your info videos. I’m getting excited for you, while I wait until September for our move!! You mentioned that you found a more detailed list of documents to bring to the in-person interview. Might you be able to share that website? I too am very detail oriented and have been searching for a checklist of some sort. Best of luck at the interview!!!!
I did not find a "website" with everything all spelled out, per se. I did a lot of reading and made a lot of notes on what I read, that gave me more details on what other people used to satisfy the list of requirements. I also read different comments on forums and blogs I had found over the last 8-12 months, posted by people who shared what they brought to their in-person interview. I am hesitant to provide our list now that we've actually gone through the application process, because I don't really know your individual situation and I'm not an expert I don't want to provide you with info that may not be relevant to you and your situation. When you make your application, online, and your appointment, you will get the list of documentation to bring with you. **I don't believe everyone gets the same list of what to bring to the in-person appointment. The most "general" item on our list, that didn't provide "exact details" on what to bring, other than to suggest copies of bank statements, was that they want proof that you can afford to live in France, for the entire length of the first 1 year Visa. I recall from my research, that it said that you have to be able to show you have at least the current "minimum wage" in France in monthly income. The gross hourly minimum wage was recently increased, just this year, to €11.65 or €1,766.92 gross per month, based on a legal working week of 35 hours. So, you should no doubt, bring all of the documentation you have, that might show that you have at least that amount of income, in liquid funds, per month, probably on your bank account statements for the last three months, plus investment info, maybe your last income tax return. Your should probably also be able to show that you have sufficient funds equal to 3x your expected monthly rent and/or living expenses if you will own a house. I think it's sort of common sense. You have to try to guess what questions they could have. If you're married, what was your maiden name? (I'm bringing my "long form birth certificate", which I recently ordered, because I think it has to be dated within 3 mos. and all of my marriage and divorce papers) Did you retire? Bring your pension statement that shows what your monthly payment will be and/or download your Social Security Statement from the Social Security website, showing your monthly payment. Include a note saying you're dropping the Medicare deduction, if you're doing that, so they know that you'll be getting the "gross" not the net. If you're buying a home or already own a home, they may want other info. We're renting, so we will bring info on our rental agreement if we have one by that time. Otherwise we have the certification statement from someone who will be hosting us in France that they had certified at the town hall, for us, initially. My suggestion is wait till you make application on line in the summer, then take the list they provide to you with the confirmation of the application and gather all the documentation you have or can think of that will prove you have enough money/income, to live and support yourself in France and "prove" that you satisfy every other requirement on the list.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thanks for the response. I’ve done all of that too and am also on a number of expat FB groups, so I feel like I’m in good shape. I thought in the video you mentioned finding a list, not creating one. I must not have heard correctly. Thanks again and best of luck.
@@juliehermosillo1701 Maybe I should have phrased it better. I found more details online based on lists others on forums had posted, of what they brought to satisfy the different requirements. Not just 1 list. Again, I'd wait till you make your application and see what the list they send you tells you they want you to document. Good luck to you as well! 😄
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears 💖
Hi, I reached out to the Leeds group but never heard back from them. Do I have to be wealthy for them to want to work with me?
No, I would reach out again for sure. We're definitely not wealthy and they were very happy to work with us. Patti, who generally is the one responding, is usually pretty fast. Perhaps it slipped through the cracks. Definitely go back to their website and use the link on their website. Good luck.
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears Thank you!
@@desertdweller8520 My pleasure!
One video indicated that your English documents needed to be translated to French and that the translater need to have certain qualifications. Is that correct and were you and your husband required to present translations of any documents?
I believe that video was in regard to swapping out our Florida driver's licenses for France driver's licences. For the long stay Visas, we didn't need to have anything translated into French. Incidentally, I tried to respond to your very first message about the political situation and your message "disappeared!" Just wanted to say, YES, we ARE in total agreement. ☺
@@postcardsfromourgoldenyears That's reassuring since I have no desire to obtain a French drivers license. However, could I use my TX DL (moving from CA to TX in 4/25 for tax purposes) would I be able to rent a vehicle? That would only happen if my son was visiting since I get lost in a phone booth. Thx!
@Chicagogirl2023-kr7zt I assume if you have a valid US license you should have no problem. We have only rented cars as tourists in France, using our US driver's license with no problem.