# Moving to france to live as retirees



## Turpin

We are a couple wishing to retire to the dordogne area in the next few months can someone say how easy it was buying,getting visas estate agents and how much would you need for the initial move,leaving out the price of the property. Do all villages have english speaking doctors until we learn pigeon english


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## EuroTrash

Turpin said:


> Do all villages have english speaking doctors until we learn pigeon english


,
Do all villages have doctors at all? might be a better question! There is a desperate shortage of GPs in rural France.
Sorry, I can't help with the rest of your questions but that was my knee jerk reaction stemming from having been unable to register with a doctor myself. You get a bit fed up after you've phoned every GP on the list and been told in every case, with varying degrees of politeness and sympathy, that the doctor is not currently taking on new patients - is dreadfully overworked - will we register you as a patient, you must be joking!


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## Bevdeforges

Turpin said:


> We are a couple wishing to retire to the dordogne area in the next few months can someone say how easy it was buying,getting visas estate agents and how much would you need for the initial move,leaving out the price of the property. Do all villages have english speaking doctors until we learn pigeon english


OK - getting the necessary visas is pretty much a question of do you satisfy all the requirements for getting a visa. I believe the UK is using a visa processing agency rather than having you apply directly through the embassy/consulate - but here is the place to start: France-visas.gouv.fr | The official website for visa application to France

For a standard "visitor" visa for one year, you generally need the "usual" i.d. documents plus evidence that you have 1) adequate income to support yourselves; 2) some form of medical insurance - either private or if you are entitled to an S1 to show that the UK will pick up your Sécu costs; and 3) proof of accommodation for at least the first couple of months with a "plan" for finding permanent digs once you get here. (The OFII needs to be able to contact you by postal mail after your arrival to complete the paperwork formalities.) There may be other odds and ends, depending on your precise circumstances, but those are the key requirements.

The cost of the initial move sort of depends on how you plan to do it. Property transfers take several months (after the initial offer is accepted) so we usually recommend to folks to rent somewhere at first while they learn the property market in France (which works differently than in the UK) and learn the area for themselves.

And as someone has already said, there is no guarantee of doctors readily available in all areas - much less those that speak English. And it can be tricky to find a doctor who is taking on new patients in some areas. They're working on the problem, but the numerus clausus was only fairly recently rescinded, opening up more (but perhaps not enough) places in med schools in France. Given that it takes 10 to 12 years to train a doctor, it's going to be a few years yet before the new doctors hit the practices - and even then, it can be hard to persuade young doctors to set up out in the boonies. (Yet another reason to rent for a year or so, while you find out what medical and other facilities are available in and around that picturesque little town out in the boonies somewhere.)

OTOH, the online medical booking services (Doctolib, Maiia, and a few others) do list doctors' languages and whether or not they are accepting new patients. So the information is available.


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## Turpin

Bevdeforges said:


> OK - getting the necessary visas is pretty much a question of do you satisfy all the requirements for getting a visa. I believe the UK is using a visa processing agency rather than having you apply directly through the embassy/consulate - but here is the place to start: France-visas.gouv.fr | The official website for visa application to France
> 
> For a standard "visitor" visa for one year, you generally need the "usual" i.d. documents plus evidence that you have 1) adequate income to support yourselves; 2) some form of medical insurance - either private or if you are entitled to an S1 to show that the UK will pick up your Sécu costs; and 3) proof of accommodation for at least the first couple of months with a "plan" for finding permanent digs once you get here. (The OFII needs to be able to contact you by postal mail after your arrival to complete the paperwork formalities.) There may be other odds and ends, depending on your precise circumstances, but those are the key requirements.
> 
> The cost of the initial move sort of depends on how you plan to do it. Property transfers take several months (after the initial offer is accepted) so we usually recommend to folks to rent somewhere at first while they learn the property market in France (which works differently than in the UK) and learn the area for themselves.
> 
> And as someone has already said, there is no guarantee of doctors readily available in all areas - much less those that speak English. And it can be tricky to find a doctor who is taking on new patients in some areas. They're working on the problem, but the numerus clausus was only fairly recently rescinded, opening up more (but perhaps not enough) places in med schools in France. Given that it takes 10 to 12 years to train a doctor, it's going to be a few years yet before the new doctors hit the practices - and even then, it can be hard to persuade young doctors to set up out in the boonies. (Yet another reason to rent for a year or so, while you find out what medical and other facilities are available in and around that picturesque little town out in the boonies somewhere.)
> 
> OTOH, the online medical booking services (Doctolib, Maiia, and a few others) do list doctors' languages and whether or not they are accepting new patients. So the information is available.


Thank you


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## Befuddled

We were very lucky when we arrived in 2001. A friend already living here introduced us to one of the three doctors locally. He speaks English and even has a sense of humour. Rare in any "professional" this side of the Channel. When I moved out of the area I understood how difficult it would be to find another so I stayed registered with him. It's a 40km drive but well worth it, and an appointment can be had within 3 or 4 days normally, and before I plucked up courage to phone for one I could often get straight in after a ten minute wait in the morning. 
The advice to rent first is some of the best advice I have heard. I wasn't able to do this myself due to a very tight budget but it can be useful in avoiding expensive mistakes. 
One more snippet. When setting up a French bank account don't be pressured into getting the all Bells and Whistles account that will cost you the most, for extra features you'll never use. And whatever you do don't take on their insurances. Go the an insurance broker or two and shop around. Big savings to be made.


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## Turpin

Befuddled said:


> We were very lucky when we arrived in 2001. A friend already living here introduced us to one of the three doctors locally. He speaks English and even has a sense of humour. Rare in any "professional" this side of the Channel. When I moved out of the area I understood how difficult it would be to find another so I stayed registered with him. It's a 40km drive but well worth it, and an appointment can be had within 3 or 4 days normally, and before I plucked up courage to phone for one I could often get straight in after a ten minute wait in the morning.
> The advice to rent first is some of the best advice I have heard. I wasn't able to do this myself due to a very tight budget but it can be useful in avoiding expensive mistakes.
> One more snippet. When setting up a French bank account don't be pressured into getting the all Bells and Whistles account that will cost you the most, for extra features you'll never use. And whatever you do don't take on their insurances. Go the an insurance broker or two and shop around. Big savings to be made.


Thank you


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## EuroTrash

Befuddled said:


> And whatever you do don't take on their insurances. Go the an insurance broker or two and shop around. Big savings to be made.


OTOH, having looked around and used a local insurance broker for several years, I ended up moving several insurances including house insurance to my bank because they offered better deals! And promptly got flooded within months of making the switch, made the first claim I'd ever had to make in France, and was overall well pleased with how it was dealt with. I was paid out quicker than people I knew who were insured through the broker that I had just moved away from.
Horses for courses I guess.


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