# House Swap - 3 months plus



## Madailin

Good afternoon, 

I have been learning French on and off for several years now. To improve my spoken French, I really need to spend time in a French speaking place. I work 'remotely' so can work easily from France for example. I would love to find somebody to do a 'house swap' with, perhaps somebody coming to work in the Leicester area for say 3 months to 1 year and who has a home (they own) that we could do a swap on?

I have looked at some of the house swap websites but they are mainly for short-term vacation swaps.

Would anybody have any leads - I am trying local universities and would like to look into other possibilities too. I am based in Leicestershire, England.

Many thanks,

Madailin


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## Bevdeforges

Be careful here - any stay over 90 days requires a long-stay visa and getting a work visa (i.e. one that allows you to work) is difficult unless you're being hired by a French employer. 

Generally speaking, if you are working from France (i.e. physically present in France while doing whatever it is you are paid for) you are considered working in France - and must be properly registered for tax and social insurance purposes. It does not matter where your employer is, nor how or where you are being paid.

On a Schengen visa (90 day stamp in the passport visa) you are not allowed to work at all, though the odd "check into the office" via phone or Internet usually won't cause any problem.


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## Crabtree

It is non starter really Anything more than 90 in 180 and you need a visa and to work you need a work visa .
You do not say what your level of French is but if you could get on a French University course and get a student visa that does allow some working


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## SPGW

Basically it is fine for 3 months (forget the 'plus'). You remain tax-resident at your UK address and work from wherever you like if the job permits it (which apprently it does in the OPs case). Regarding the 90 days, in practice it seems from family experience that you are not necesssarily questioned at passport control if you overstay the 90 days.


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## EuroTrash

It's way too hot to get deep into hacking through the old chestnut of how legit it is to work when technically you have been allowed to enter France as a visitor without the right to work. But I think the OP should nonetheless be aware that there is a chestnut. There must be tons of threads on it.


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## Bevdeforges

SPGW said:


> Regarding the 90 days, in practice it seems from family experience that you are not necesssarily questioned at passport control if you overstay the 90 days.


The way France does these things, there may very well not be much of a control when leaving France (or Schengen) after an overstay. But where it will catch up with someone is when they need to prove residence for some administrative function and can't produce a titre de séjour. 

Still, there is no telling when and if they can and will start tracking entries and exits from Schengen in some sort of computerized system. That's when things could start to get sticky.


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## SPGW

Right, but here we’re talking house-swap, not taking up or changing residence, which would remain unchanged.


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## EuroTrash

SPGW said:


> Right, but here we’re talking house-swap, not taking up or changing residence, which would remain unchanged.


Thinking of all the academics who travel around the world swapping houses as visiting professors or on sabbatical, I would be surprised if being on a house swap changes anything administratively. I know there are often special rules for travelling academics but I can't think there would be different sets of rules depending on whether you'd managed to arrange a house swap or if you'd had to rent a place.

It's not an issue of changing residence though, it's an issue of not having the automatic right to work.
This is an old document but I am not aware that the basic Schengen rules have changed


https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/visa_waiver_faqs_en.pdf


"*14. If I stay beyond 90 days (without a residence permit or a long term visa) or work in the Schengen area (without a working permit), what can happen? *
A non-EU national who stays in the Schengen area beyond 90 days (without a residence permit or long-stay visa) is illegally present, which can result in a re-entry ban to the Schengen area. Working in the Schengen area without a work permit is also illegal (even if less than 90 days) and can likewise result in a re-entry ban to the Schengen area. Depending on the Member State administrative penalties may also apply "

Usual caveat applies, it is very unlikely that working from home would be noticed. I just think people should know the rules before they go bending or breaking them, nul n'est censé etc.


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## Bevdeforges

I don't think the immigration officials really care whether you're swapping houses or buying a place to have available all the time. Establishing residence is a function of having the appropriate visa and going through the registration process(es). It's true that here in France, the "penalties" for overstaying the 90 day Schengen "visa" are minimal to non-existent - but like with so many French rules and regulations, when it catches up with you at a later date, you may wish you'd stuck to the rules.


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## Poloss

Madailin said:


> I have looked at some of the house swap websites but they are mainly for short-term vacation swaps.


Exactly what swappers are into - short term.
I've been trying to imagine swapping my house for 3 to 12 months but it's too long a timespan to envisualise.
Perhaps if I had a second house somewhere ...
Then again, I have no conceivable project to swap to Leicestershire.

If you're looking for immersion in the French language perhaps first consider the level and style of social involvement you're aiming for.
The interesting side of house swapping is that you can experience living elsewhere without forking out rent or paying utility bills.
House sharing is a compromise "colocation" - you will learn French pretty fast
unless of course everyone wants to practice their English with you!


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