Clé France

Question: Hi Alex, please could you tell if British people are still allowed to emigrate to France and acquire property. I ask you this because i would like to sell my properties in Britain and move to France.

Thanks, Philip.

Answer: Hi Philip, British people do not need to “emigrate” to France, it is not as complicated as that because within the EU countries there is free movement of people. The “Leave’ vote on the 23rd June has not changed anything at all, for the moment, until the PM or his successor invokes ‘Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty’.

At the moment of course there is an air of uncertainty but you will always be able to move to and to live in France, it just maybe that in the future there may have to be more paperwork involved and we do that with you anyway. At the moment it is looking more and more likely that the free movement of people within the EU will not change greatly if at all.

Also it is worth pointing out that everyday we sell French property to Americans, Australians, Russians, South Africans and many other people from various nations and NONE of these are even in Europe let alone the EU so, as I can see it, there is nothing to stop you following your plans and you will find, like many do and I did that living in France is a wonderful thing to do.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

As you can imagine, we have had a very busy start of the week here at CLE FRANCE! 

We have sold many properties in France over the years, and are often in touch with our previous customers as well as current ones. It is no surprise therefore that we have had a large number of enquiries from people who are already living there, or own holiday homes, and indeed from those clients who are thinking of purchasing, or are part way through the buying process. 

There has of course been much comment on the possible impact of the ‘Leave’ result across the media, and various individuals, companies and organisations have contributed to the debate. So I thought it helpful to those clients who have phoned or e-mailed in to put out a short blog to address some of the points you have raised.

Living and Working in France

One of the principal concerns has been from British people living in France, who are concerned that they may no longer have the right to live and work in France, and that perhaps their access to healthcare might be compromised. The consensus of opinion is that for now not much will change. The process of withdrawing from the EU will not be a speedy one, and the residency of those ex-pats living in France and elsewhere in the EU will no doubt form a part of that negotiation process. And of course we have a large number of French nationals who live and work in London (it is France’s 6th biggest city in terms of the French population).  

So there are people living on both sides of the channel whose lives will need to be accommodated. When I moved to France a residency permit known as the ‘Carte De Sejour’ was required; it was a relatively straightforward application process (or at least as straightforward as a French bureaucratic process can be!) Perhaps this could be re-introduced for British residents in the future. 

Holiday Home Ownership

In terms of holiday home ownership we sell houses to Americans and Australians etc every week, there's never an issue with that, and I envisage that although it is still early days, British buyers will continue to buy and enjoy their holiday homes, as they always have done. In fact I have been surprised at the number of clients who have contacted us to say that they are proceeding with their plans as before: it seems our love affair with France remains strong. 

Mortgages

In terms of financing a purchase abroad there might be more stringent conditions on non EU passport holders getting French mortgages but again non EU applicants do get loans from French banks, so there's no reason to imagine that the British would be treated any differently from those applicants.  

Inheritance and Taxation

Another area of concern for clients is that of inheritance rules and taxation, as currently the legislation treats EU and non EU citizens differently. These are areas that will from part of the withdrawal process, and again I don’t anticipate that we will get quick answers to these questions. It may well be that British home owners in France would be treated as Non EU home owners currently are. 

Business as Usual

Clearly there are remain many questions to be answered, and fine details to be ironed out. But what is becoming apparent is that this will be a long process, possibly years in the making, and we will of course bring further news as and when it becomes available during the coming months. But in the meantime life continues much as it always has done: the British have always lived, worked and retired to sunnier climes, and that will doubtless continue, even if some administrative aspects of live abroad may change. 

So enjoy your summer whether you are in the UK or France! 

Do You have a Question?

No doubt following the UK decision to leave the EU you may have a lot of questions surrounding this subject and indeed anything connected with searching for, viewing, making an offer, the buying process, owning a French property and moving to France etc.

If you have a question? just "Ask Alex" and she will do her best to answer you as she has so many times before for many Cle France clients, take a look at the recent and historic 'Frequently Asked Questions".

Blog submitted by: Sharon at The French Property Network - Cle France.

Question: I am a British Ex-Pat already living in France, with a "Brexit" what happens next for me?

Answer: The short answer is... Nothing yet.

Following the vote to leave the EU and the inevitable shock waves in the UK, Europe and around the globe there has been surprisingly little done or agreed about the way forward.

David Cameron announced that he will stand down as Prime Minister, but not until October, so for now he will remain where he is to 'Steady the Ship' over the coming months. He said in his speech directed to Ex-Pats in the EU:

"I would also reassure Brits living in European countries, and European citizens living here, that there will be no immediate changes in your circumstances. There will be no initial change in the way our people can travel, in the way our goods can move or the way our services can be sold."

"We must now prepare for a negotiation with the European Union. This will need to involve the full engagement of the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments to ensure that the interests of all parts of our United Kingdom are protected and advanced."

Leaving the EU has to be negotiated, it is not an overnight thing, it may take many years and certainly at least two years. Even if the UK government invokes 'Article 50' of the 2009 Lisbon Treaty, it will take at least two years before the exit is agreed by the other Member States of the EU.

Mark D’Arcy the BBC’s parliamentary correspondent. said...

"Parliament would have to amend or repeal a series of other Acts, as well as 44 years’ worth of EU-derived secondary legislation, especially statutory instruments passed under Section 2(2) of the 1972 Act, which would have no legal effect after it had been repealed".

So, there are many steps to take but for now, and in the near future... nothing has changed.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

"Brexit" process and timeline likely to dominate financial markets for months to come...

Monday 24th June at 12:30 - £1.00 GBP = 1.20 EUR

Regardless of which side of the debate you have been on, it's undeniable the words 'Brexit' and referendum have got on people's nerves due to their over-use these last few months. Unfortunately, they are set to remain in everyday use when it comes to financial, currency and stocks & Shares markets.

Last week's vote by the British public to leave the European Union has ensured our newspapers and TV news shows will be dominated by issues surrounding this subject.

The next and most imminent process on the agenda is for a new prime minister to be defined following which a discussion can be had on how and in which fashion to invoke "Article 50" - the right of any EU member to leave the union. EU spokesmen and key figures have all called for the UK to do this as quick as possible, however, while we still need to identify the prime minister to do this they may be waiting a while. 

Sterling is, as expected, likely to stay under pressure for the foreseeable future. The UK now heads into a period of considerable uncertainty, this leaves the pound susceptible to further weakness.

GBP/USD Pairing 

Friday's GBP/USD European/New York trading rate was $1.32 - $1.39, this week's trading range will by no means be restricted to that. Should markets encounter further anxiety, sterling could bear the brunt.

GBP/EUR Pairing

GBP/EUR also saw significant weakness, however, with the current situation extremely negative for the EU and eurozone, damage encountered against the shared currency should be limited to an extent.

Extended trading hours between 20–27 June 2016

Trading hours

Monday 27th June – 6:00am – 10:00pm

Do you want more information ?

So if you need to buy or sell sterling and would like to be kept up to date with all the latest data releases and exchange rate movements then feel free to contact myself Ben Amrany. If you are buying or selling a house in France we will make sure your monies are in the right place at the right time, we work hand in hand with you and Cle France.

For more information on the currency service I can provide please feel free to contact myself...

Ben Amrany from FC Exchange follow this link or phone and ask for myself and quote "Cle France" on 020 7989 0000.

You may contact me directly using this form (click here) with your requirement and I will explain the options that are available to you in getting the best exchange rate.

Blog submitted by: Ben Amrany for The French Property Network - Cle France.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

Hello Sharon,

On meeting the owners [during the viewing] they were very obliging in anything we asked or wanted, after we had our first viewing and dealing with the superb Cle France agent I’m glad to say all is good and we are looking forward to upgrading the house.

So thank you for your help and I hope you have a busy year.

Please inform your agent that we thought he was brilliant and very good at his job.

Peter King.

Peter "moved in" to his new property [actually a very old character property!] in mid June and seems very happy with everything, even the internal renovations are enjoyable when you have an Equestrian Manor House on 13 Hectares to work with.

Contact us if you want to make the move to France and as several of our clients say "Follow your heart and make the move"