Coz and Igor

Thanks to all of you who have replied to our questions.  After very careful thought we have decided that moving to france is not an option, Due to igor's health and need for medication, together with the changes to the french system.  We are devastated as we have loved France forever and have been working hard to ensure we could move there.  Anway C'est la vie!   Good luck to everyone who has already put in place their move.  We are moving to Scotland instead!  They have a good healthcare system and reasonably cheap land and lots of hills and twisties.

Thanks Cooperlola we wouldnt be looking for an E121.  Rather an E106 which as I understand it would give us up to two years cover albeit with us paying for top up insurance.  As both of us and fit and only 50 we would be retiring early and not as oap's or unfit for work.  We will be fully self-supporting (not via a b and b income) that would be a little added extra. 

Cheers - I am aware of the new rulings but wasnt sure if you had a life threatening dependancy whether that changed anything.

Hi - we are looking to move to the Normandy region a.s.a.p. ie as soon as we have sold our house which  is curently on the market.  We are bikers and hope to be able to offer B & B specifically for this strange breed once we find the right place.  We are hoping to visit Normandy in the next month  to have a  good look around but wondered if anybody can shed light on a few points we are not too sure about in the meantime With regard to cars and bikes is there any restriction on how many you can bring into the country when you move.  We currently have two cars plus a renovation project together with two motorbikes.  Can we just bring them in (on a trailer - the resto  project one I mean) and drive in the others .  Also do we have to have any documentation for them other than Car Tax, Insurance and reg. docs. Also  - can we bring in plants  such as houseplants and garden plants or not? I know we sound thick - but have scoured all sorts of publications and can't get the info in plain English On one other point - re: the health system I know some illnesses and conditions qualify for 100% re-imbursement but does anyone know where we could get a complete list.  Igor is steroid dependant due to having Colitis for many years and it would be helpful to know if his medication would be subsidised.  Not wishing to scrounge off the state but at least we would know how much we needed to budget for healthcare costs. Finally - if any of you reading this are bikers maybe we could meet up when we come to Normandy in the next few weeks to swap ideas and info

Thanks to Sunday Driver and everyone else who has responded so quickly.  No - we aren't Cossacks - Igor was born in Chiswick and is half Scots half Ukrainian.  I am 100% Yorkshire.  We will be receiving a pension together with other income when we come to live in France - so that side of things is ok.  I may have worded my message incorrectly.  I didnt mean it was a casual idea and not worth the hassle.  I just meant that the more articles we read about what paperwork is required for everything, the more stressed we get.  I can speak some French and understand and read it ok.  I intend to work at it in the coming months to improve.  Thanks once again - no doubt we will have more questions!!![:D]

Hi this is our first time on the site so please bear with us.  We have been looking into the possibility of moving to the Limousin for some time and have put our house on the market.  We are both 50 years old (young in thought and appearance) and Igor can take retirement from his job as soon as the house is sold.  The problem we have is that all the books and articles we have read regarding  what  we need to do i.e Carte de Sejour , registering the car etc has got us wondering if all the hassle is worth it.  We have friends living in the Herault who have been there for twenty years and dont recall all these forms and paperwork.  Can anybody out there simplify what is necessary and legally required and what is just theory.  We will both be classed as retired but obviously not of state pension age.  The other problem is re: healthcare.  My husband has Colitis and is steroid dependant.  Would we have to pay for all his medicines or would these be available through the French system free of charge?