Sprogster

If not an EU citizen, then work permits would be required. However, if you are a highly paid, qualified and therefore probably wealthy investment banker, then work permits are not a problem! Especially, if it helps European financial centres compete with London, New York and Singapore. Most countries, including France, Spain, Italy and the UK are very keen to attract wealthy individuals, who will make a valuable financial contribution to their treasuries, to the extent they will offer tax incentives.

The Schengen rules for visiting UK citizens will be less flexible than for EU citizens visiting the UK. A citizen from the EU will be able to visit the UK for up to six months a year, all in one block if they wish. A UK citizen visiting the EU will be restricted to 90 days out of 180. So if you have a second home in the EU, if you stay there ninety days, you cannot return to anywhere in the Schengen area for 90 days. So if you visit any EU country except Ireland, you are going to have to be careful you do not exceed 90 out of 180 days on a rolling basis.

Sorry to hear about Sunday Driver. I sold my house in France three years ago, so have not posted for quite a while, as my French experiences are probably out of date and now being in the USA, am too far away. This is the first year in decades I have not been in France, so occasionally I have a peak at the Forum, to reminisce, as it is still bookmarked on my computer. Take care and keep safe everyone!

Hi everyone, been a while since I last posted. Thought I would highlight an issue that will potentially impact Brits who intend to travel to France and or the Schengen area as a visitor/tourist for extended stays post Brexit, such as retirees with a maison secondaire. The good news as most of us probably know is that Brits visiting France as a visitor/tourist post Brexit will not require a tourist visa, but as for Americans/Canadians/Australians and other tourist visa waiver third country non EU nationals, will be allowed to visit France and or the Schengen area for up to 90 days a at a time, subject to a maximum of 180 days in a year. What is probably overlooked though is that there is an additional limit of 90 days in any 180, so if you go to France to stay in your maison secondaire for 90 days, you will not be able to return to France or the Schengen area for 90 days. This clearly is going to impact for example retirees who say for argument want to stay in France or Spain for extended visits. By comparison the UK is more generous allowing visitors to the UK from third non EU countries to stay in the UK for six months a year in one go if they wish. Likewise, even other countries such as the USA don't have a mandatory requirement that tourists visiting the USA under their visa waiver programme for 90 days as allowed, cannot return for 90 days. In summary, it looks like those Brits who want the flexibility to spend more than 90 days in 180, whilst visiting France and or the wider Schengen area will eventually require some form of long term visitor visa.

Forums like this pre-date smart phones/tablets, social media like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and are therefore struggling. Home PC's are in terminal decline replaced by smart phones, for which Forums were not designed, as the younger generation increasingly use apps to interface with the Web. I am not sure the number of members this Forum have is reflective of active members, with the vast majority historic. All very sad and because we are getting older!

To me the biggest annoyance would be that as an expat in France post Brexit one would be landlocked and unable to enjoy freedom of movement to other EU countries like Spain and Italy, if you wanted to relocate. Presumably, only answer would be to obtain French or another EU citizenship.

Not returning to the UK, as from the Channel Islands, so only 12 miles from France, which on most days I can see clearly and easy to pop across anytime I need a French fix! Children/grandchildren are across the pond.

I have been a member of this Forum for over 13 years, having been a French home owner for a couple years longer and all that came to an end this week when the proceeds of my French house sale finally made its way to my bank account 12 days late. But that is another story! I will still be a lurker and occasionally contribute whilst my French home owning experience is relevant. Main reason for selling is that with children/grandchildren now on a different Continent that is where I am spending more time. Main lesson learned and advice I would give to anyone considering purchasing a home in France is rent before you buy. Not only because homes in France can be a difficult to sell in what is a challenging property market, but also because buying and selling costs are so high that if you decide you made a mistake and want to try a different area, you are likely to be left substantively out of pocket when you come to sell, if indeed you can. Main difficulty is the language, which I found gets worse as you get older! Biggest unrealistic expectation was the Winter weather, which I found even on the Med much wetter and colder than expected. So if avoiding Winter heating bills is an objective, France is not the place! Last but not least France has got expensive, especially in the south, something that struck me when I went to Spain recently for a short visit and was surprised how much cheaper things were like a glass of wine! I will miss my little piece of heaven in France, but life is short and new adventures beckon. Bon chance and have a great festive season.

Those fed up with Brit tourists might not be fed up much longer if the £ continues it's decline to below Euro parity as many currency analysts predict by early next year! I am sure many of those Brits who voted for Brexit did not anticipate that their French/Spanish holidays might become unaffordable as a result.

Rosie, If you are going to be reliant on UK source income, financial considerations should be near the top of your list of concerns, with the £ in rapid decline and approaching parity with the Euro. Many currency analysts are forecasting the £ to go below parity early next year. Hopefully, in a couple of years once the financial markets have a better idea how Brexit will pan out the £ will recover, but meanwhile I fear we are in for a rocky ride. Also if you do move to France, I would strongly recommend you rent before you buy, not just because of the poor exchange rate, but that buying and selling costs for property in France are a lot higher than the UK and it can be difficult to recoup your investment if you decide you want to move or return.

It is a sobering thought, but when selling a house in France you need to obtain a price of at least 20% higher than you paid, just to break even, as French buying and selling costs are much higher than the UK. Add to the equation that most expert forecasts anticipate French property prices continuing to fall for the foreseeable future, especially in rural areas, then there is a strong argument for renting over buying until you are certain your French location is the right choice, which means being there all year round to experience a French Winter!

From my experience a lot of Brits have totally unrealistic expectations about the winter weather in France and are shocked to find it as cold and wet as they left behind in the UK! I am on the Med coast not far from Sainte Maxime and in recent years the weather from the end of October to April has been unusually wet, cold and unsettled. Inland can get very cold!

My wild guess is that the producer involved will be reluctant to press charges, as from what I have read he is keen to put this matter behind him, come out of hiding and get back to work, which would be difficult to do if criminal charges against Clarkson keeps this in the headlines for months, fuelling further undeserved hatred of the producer by the lunatic fringe of Top Gear supporters. Also the producer would risk creating the perception he was twisting the knife as Clarkson has suffered enough and is not a well man.

Interesting questions raised by the BBC presenter of Newsnight this evening, in that the BBC might have some culpability, by putting undue pressure on Clarkson to increase the current series by four episodes, when they knew he was under considerable stress from the death of his mother, his marriage breakdown and recent illness and was as a result clearly losing it. There is no excuse for what Clarkson did, but when an employee is clearly stressed out, a responsible employer does not increase the workload to the point they crack under the pressure.

If there is a reasonable possibility, as you mention, of returning to Oz eventually I would hesitate buying a property in France in the current poor market as French house prices are forecast to continue to gradually fall for a good few more years and rural French property can be difficult and expensive to sell in the best of times. So would suggest you rent for a least a year, as you might find that after your first French winter, the novelty wears thin very quickly!