Moving to France: Digital nomads, inheritance tax and air conditioning

Here at The Local we’re an Anglo-American team living in France – which means all of us have been through the simultaneously exciting and terrifying process of moving countries.

This newsletter is aimed at people who are in the process of moving, have recently moved and are still grappling with the paperwork or perhaps are just thinking about it – and we share a regular selection of practical tips. Our team is also available to answer questions from subscribers to The Local.

If you want to move to France but are worried or stressed about certain aspects then you are certainly not alone - we asked readers of The Local who are planning a move for their biggest concerns, questions and stumbling blocks. Here's what they said.

READ ALSO: Taxes, language and crime - Your questions answered on moving to France

It was interesting to note that the same topics came up again and again, from practical matters like tax and visas to more cultural concerns about learning the language and integrating.

One thing that a lot of people worried about was tax - specifically whether they would have to pay more tax in France and whether they would be able to afford it.

Although France does have a reputation as a high-tax country, it's not necessarily the case that people moving here will end up paying more tax, especially in the case of retirees. 

READ ALSO: Explained: Will you pay more tax if you move to France?

We also received an update from the French government this week about visas for digital nomads.

This has been a long-running saga (in fact, we've been banging on about it for so long that The Local was even mentioned in the parliamentary question) but it basically boils down to the type of visa needed for people who want to work remotely for a company outside France.

For a long time now, this has been a grey area, with different lawyers concluding different things from the existing legal framework. However, the government has now given some clarity on the issue, although questions remain, especially on the tax situation.

READ ALSO: Digital nomads: French government clarifies rules on remote working

Another legal update came from the European Commission on 'Brussels IV' - the EU legal framework that allows foreigners to opt for their wills to be dealt with under the law of their home countries and therefore avoid France's restrictive principles of forced heirship.

I was surprised to note how often this came up on our survey of people planning a move to France, but clearly estate planning is something that many people take into account.

The clarification gives more certainty to some, although the confusing wording also raises more questions. As ever, there are also tax implications.

READ ALSO: What France's 'clarification' of inheritance law means for foreign residents

I also chatted this month to a Paris-based relocation agent who gave some great advice - don't try to fight the French system.

One thing that you certainly can't fight is the heatwave, and France has once again been seeing record-breaking temperatures this week.

You might think that 40C (104F) doesn't sound all that hot, but it's worth remembering that this is humid heat, not dry heat, and that air conditioning is the exception rather than the rule in French homes. 

Although the dial is shifting on this issue, there remains some cultural resistance to AC in France, which it is worth trying to understand before launching into a debate on this issue with French friends or neighbours.