I think that the Mairie will pribably refer you to your local tax office!
Here's the link for EU driving licenses:
http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/driving/faq/index_en.htm
I thought my NY driver's license was fine too as whenever I was stopped by the gendarmes they didn't object to my license. But if you live in France, you are supposed to have a French driving license even if you are member of the EU. Your insurance can refuse to cover you if you have a serious accident. But if you change your license within a year, you don't have to got through the schlepp of exams and driving school if your previous place of residence has a reciprocal agreement with France. Fifteen US states have done this, but New York wasn't one of them. Sorry to be the conveyor of bad news.
Ouch. I'd better start slowing down a bit.
It is not necesasry to change your UK licence to a French one as the UK one is perfectly legal to use in the EU. We chose to change ours last year as the photo part of our UK licences were coming up for renewal (photo only lasts 10 years). It seems that you cannot register a French address on the UK licence...The only other reason would be if you had a driving offence here in France and the Gendarme inisted on you changing your licence so they could deduct points etc!
Happy anniversary! And absolutely keep in touch. When I find the pitfalls (as I always seem to fall into them) I'll warn you. Likewise if I find any bonus goodies you may not have come across (you never know, but we live in hope).
Thanks Colin - very clear and concise.
So the answer is I now need to register with the RSI to pay the cotisations as they won't be taken through AE.fr. I don't earn anywhere near 25k but I want to make sure all my obligatory payments are taken care of - I put a little aside to cover those. I don't receive a penny from the UK so that simplifies matters as well.
I think I'm getting there then -
register as an AE - done
+ register with the RSI - to be done
= payment of all mandatory taxes/cotisations due workwise
Top-ups etc for health cannot be done - insurance for house/car/school already exceeded the budget. Will be asking Mairie about taxe habitation as I've not received notice of what's owing, it probbaly went to the previous owner (we only arrived end February).
Yep I'm a Brit. I've been hanging around in Malta for the last 8 years trying not to learn their appalling driving habits and now racing round in my little Fiesta using my old UK licence. My 7 year old is in disbelief - he still points out every time a car uses its indicators or actually stops at a red light or a junction 'They didn't do that in Malta, mum, did they'. Love him.
Is that link correct, Ron? Produces an error for me.
Hi, that's not true if you're an EU national (I am)...
(Sorry, I'm not sure where you're from Valerie)
You can pay by internet too, if you so desire (I do). And it's free (well, the price of an internet connection, I guess).
Of course it helps if you (physically) have the notice/bill first as there are details on it you must have to key into the impots.gouv.fr site...
You need to get a French driving license too, and this has to be done within a year of your moving here or you have to take the test AND go to driving school- a real waste of time and money. I have a New York driving license and have just found out that I was supposed to get a French one after I got my Carte de Sejour in 1994, even though I only spent four or five months a year in France until recently. I am in the process of studying for the Code de la Route exam, which is surprisingly tricky.
hi colin....
(i'm a newbie in confused-land still - but getting there)
the May tax declaration - which we certainly didn't do last year - we arrived beginning of April last - to whom and how do we make that declaration??!!
thanks, teresa
i'm feeling your pain Valerie... we moved to france exactly a year ago today (!) off for a celebration lunch so best i write this morning... we are both ae registered and paying our 1/4 ly cotisations, insurance done, cars imported, renting a house and happy as lambs.
husband got his catre vitale last week... god only knows why / how! he's mightily chuffed...
i'm swimming in a sea of fueille de soins still, and a TON of other paperwork that i make stabs at tackling then give up!
i'm an organised, smart, busy bee - but it's the one thing i've really struggled with.
just saw the post about declaring tax in May - GRIEF. we have little UK savings getting a few pence in interest - but i can see this must be declared to someone!
let's keep in touch shall we - and find out with whom to register, when and how!
x teresa
Don't want to direct you away from the site, but this I found, and find, invaluable!
http://www.french-property.com/guides/france/
Dave
I have to agree with you Colin.
The taxman in Macon was reasonable and helpful, so different from the other departments we have had to deal with.
Do take out a Muteulle to top up your Health insurance, my husband and I are both AEs, he had an accident de travaille last year, badly breaking his ankle he had many hospital visits, hospital stays, operations, the nurse every day, regular blood tests, amounting to a very large sum of money, we thought it would be covered 100% as it was an accident de travaille, but no, the RSI does not recognise accidents de travaille and if we hadn't had our top up we would be up shit creek!!!!!!!!
a lot of this is covered on finn skovgaard's streetwise-france.com as well or ask finn...
a tresorerie is obliged to take whichever means of payment is offered, otherwise it is they refusing to accept payment. however they do spin some yarns at times. my remedy is to always put a cheque in an envelope and put it in their letterbox. if they return it then there might just be the envelope with no reason or a piece of paper with some silly reason - take either to the mairie and go ape about payments being refused (throw in wrong address as per ron if that has happened) and present a written down sum total of their 'fines' with a reason beside each for the maire to deal with. service will become very good thereafter. we followed the advice of some friends (french folk) who had everything possible happen and it works.
I hear you!! I am a non-EU national with a residency card from another EU member state. According to the Euro Commission, I have full rights to work and live in France by rights granted by the other country; however, when I went to the national police to obtain my long duration CE card, they were baffled and told me to apply for a regular visa. So I can understand your angst --- and you are even an EU national, image what it is like for us who are not!
However, if you do have questions or a problem, you can contact the EU Commission help service and they will give you the final answer or direct you to how to solve your problem. www.ec.europe.eu The replies normally take about 2 days. One bureaucracy that actually is efficient and friendly!