Announcing new services in the Languedoc...

A slight aside from our usual expat observations now... to announce our new sister enterprise offering business support services in the Languedoc region of the South of France.

D'OC Management specifically aims to help English speaking expats with a business in the region with a range of services including... web design, marketing and advertising services, copywriting, etc... interior design for home or business... admin. and bookkeeping / secretariat services... and relocation support for those making the move to the region...

D'OC Management

If you are an existing or new expat in the Languedoc these services may help with various aspects of your new life, particularly if you have a business - but we hope you will also continue to visit 245 and Counting from time-to-time...

Expat? Well, almost...

An aspect we have not touched on much, but which is perhaps a significant phenomenon, is the "part-time" expat!

Is such a thing really possible? Well, there are those who want to enjoy the pleasures of one or more other countries without making the full commitment and that is quite possible simply by way of regular extended holidays, especially if you have the free time, such as in retirement. Here we certainly see many Brits in this situation who want to maintain the security of a base in the UK but enjoy as much time as they can in France, for the pleasures of the culture, climate, cuisine, etc. - just the same as any expats really.

However, a recent conversation brought home how careful one needs to be as a part-timer in this context. In any foreign country one should be sure of one's rights of part-time residency and what the implications may be in breaking the rules, even inadvertently. In this particular case, this part-time expat said that she loved life in France and that, although she is maintaining tax residency in the UK for access to the health service there, she is now spending "most of her time" in France.

On hearing that if one spends 183 days per annum in France then one automatically becomes tax resident here, this friend said that she is never here for that long at a stretch and regularly returns to the UK for a few days. This emphasises the need to know exactly how you stand in any country because in the case of France it is purely a matter of how many days you spend here in a year, rather than the length of any visit, and that friend should probably be declaring herself tax resident in France - and making contributions to the French health system!

So, if you are enjoying the part-time expat life, get proper advice - or hope you don't break a leg enjoying your alternative lifestyle...

No rest...

Continuing the theme of public holidays, since the May Day celebrations and demonstrations (on the first of the month), we have had VE Day last Thursday (Victory in Europe 1945) and the coming Monday is another holiday, being Pentecost. Now none of these are UK holidays but during this month the Brits enjoy their Early May holiday (5th) and Spring bank holiday (26th).

What is the point of listing all these holidays? Well, as usual, it is a matter of the expat's perspective and what is the most appropriate course given a choice about holidays. For example, in the day job we have British clients and some expect us to be working on French holidays, as we specialise in services for English speakers. So, should we observe the British holidays instead? Well, our French associates certainly expect us to be working when they are, so that does not work either.

Of course, many expats who are employed in their host countries have no say in the matter and have to observe the local practices. Personally I am not too worried about these holidays but there is a danger in our situation that we end up taking no days at all! Having tried to compromise between the two we have found that is no solution, so perhaps the best approach as an expat should be to observe the traditions and holidays of our hosts, in the interests of goodwill and integration - and ask our British clients to understand that.

OK, that seems like a good decision... apart from Boxing Day, of course - now, even if our French friends and colleagues are back to work that day, the Christmas period would not be the same if we did not enjoy that extra holiday, of uniquely British origin! Well, I wonder if we can do it this year...

Expat resources...

Following the last post about expats needing to get it right when they move to their host country, one can of course find a lot of information sources on the web for expats, particularly for specific countries. However, a great point of reference must be the expat section of the web site of The Telegraph newspaper - as well as providing a wealth of resources for specific information, the extensive pages here give a broader view of living and working abroad including feature articles and a "Useful Links and Contacts" section - all presented in an easy-to-use magazine format...

Expat - Telegraph

May protest too much...

May is a popular month in France with a few public holidays to enjoy. However, most holidays have a meaning and this week we had May Day, on the first day of the month, with a double significance - as mentioned before, it was both Labour Day and Ascension Day.

There are many holidays with religious origins but here we saw some May Day demonstrations linked to the work and employment theme - how unusual for France! One side of the protests involved an on-going battle between the government and unions on pension rights; another might have appeared a little ironic, but we saw illegal workers protesting for the first time about how they are exploited - apparently a major problem throughout Europe, where in fact the growing illegal work forces actually make a significant contribution to the economies.

Of course, one can see that one being hotly debated but it brought to mind the personal experience of registering fully in France to work legally, register to pay contributions, and have the associated rights in terms of healthcare, etc. However, as an expat it is very easy to make incorrect assumptions about how things might work in your host country, especially when only moving within European countries, and to get things drastically wrong.

So, it is important that all expats should take advice from official sources, or professional advisers, to ensure that they do not accidentally end up working illegally - otherwise, when the authorities point the finger, you may not find a handy May Day protest to join...

Europe bound...

We are delighted to announce our new sister blog which gives very practical pointers for those considering property in Europe - primarily a directory of estate agents, property portals and related services, it will also provide sources of information on living and working in Europe...

Europe Property Directory

...hopefully a useful resource for potential expats considering Europe!

Bubbling over...

After an unexpected absence, many apologies to regular readers. However, a blogging break perhaps gives the opportunity to reflect and take a fresh look - and hopefully the lack of recent quantity may be compensated for by future quality!

In fact, it is thinking of quality that has been at the forefront just recently, particularly following the last post and reflecting on France being rated again as number one country in terms of quality of life. In thinking about expat life much of our thoughts are about the practical challenges presented in terms of a foreign culture, language, administration, etc., but perhaps we should be thinking more about the positives that contribute to the enjoyment of being somewhere else - so, for another mini-theme in coming posts, we should take some time to discuss the pure pleasures of being an expat.

On that note, what better starting point than a recent announcement in France - seemingly untouched by worldwide economic events, it has been announced that the official Champagne area is to be expanded, taking in another 40 villages (and the related vine growing capacity) to cope with international demand for the finest fizz! Now that is taking the pleasures of life seriously...

Photo: Chance Agrella