Long & short of it - i’m looking at our situation - UK property (summer let), France property, been doing 50/50 UK/France.
As CdSejour can take 12+ months would applying for micro-bic be quicker into the system without having to go down the expensive private medical insurance route.
There’s another situation that has prevented us registering in france - our UK property is let in summer and taxed accordingly, I didn’t want any confusion in France on this.
Basically, lived in France 2004-2009 and floated about since but as 31/12 is approaching i’m looking for a quick way in and avoiding potentially 4k+ health costs.
Rather than someone registering a business after being resident another way (CdS) has anyone registered as micro-bic or any other and got in within weeks?
Why should renting out a UK property cause any confusion? It’s a common thing.
Anyway, you need to decide where you want to be resident as generally you can only be resident in one country and affiliated to one social security system.
If you choose France then you have to show you are resident by 31st December this year. Whether or not you have a carte de séjour is not the material issue - and not sure why you say it takes 12 months anyway, it is hugely variable.
You have to be legally resident in a stable fashion. Which means either having health insurance or affiliating to health system, and short term health insurance whilst you affiliate needn’t be that expensive. This firm suggest a cost from 38€/month
You also have to be set up re paying taxes here properly (ie your house becoming a principal residence not secondary). You will need to fulfil the conditions to get a carte de séjour, so your income level will become critical. The previous way of getting set up and getting health cover by opening a micro-bic that earns sod-all is much more scrutinised now. It would have to be a proper business that has a realistic chance of earning an income that meets the threshold.
When we arrived it, and once we had been here 3 months so could claim stable residence, it took about 6 weeks to get the admin sorted. CdS was not needed at that time, and it still isn’t until after 31/12/20. And I think you then have another 6 months or so to apply.
Evening Lee, actually if you start the process right now and go down the micro entreprise road you would probably be covered under CPAM (French social security) before the dreadful date 
In theory you have to be a permanent resident to start the process but in regard to your situation I have no doubt you’ll be able to produce all the documentation they want and “pretend” you’ve been around since (pick up a date at least 3 months ago ) as all they need is basically proof of residency (which you already have because you’ve been the owner of that home).
And just in case, the private medical cover is not mandatory for British expats until January the 1st so you’re not really in a dire situation yet 
Thanks a lot for the reply, much appreciated.
I have it on good authority as long as you have an EHIC that will cover your health cover until the end of December 2020. That is sufficient while you apply for your residency . Contact a company in the south of France called Renesting and they will give factual and up to date advice
Well that’s actually totally against the official advice from the NHS. This makes clear that as the NHS is a residence based system (with a couple of exceptions) then the EHIC is only valid for UK residents for a maximum holiday period of 3 months. As soon as you leave the UK to become resident in another country you are no longer entitled to use your EHIC, and it would actually be fraud to do so (not that anyone would actually prosecute).
Whether or not some préfectures accept an EHIC as proof of health cover for your residency application is another matter and entirely up to them. Quite the contrary, in some places Ameli/CPAM in fact demand that you have a résiliation letter from the NHS stating that you are no longer entitled to NHS cover before they will accept you into the French health service.
So if this firm (which is actually called renestance) is suggesting this is correct then I would have very little confidence in the professionalism of their service.
I’m glad you edited your original post.
I am merely clarifying the official position about the status of an EHIC. I did point out that some préfectures don’t care. But some do so you take your chance.
I had neither EHIC not health insurance when we came here and took the chance that no-one would ask. And no-one did, and I was accepted into the health system within a couple of weeks. And, once I applied, given my CdS also within a couple of weeks with no problem. However that was at the time when things were done on a regional level. Apparently applications to CPAM are now all sent off to a central office, so there may be less variation in the application of the rules. I have heard of people who have been required to jump through every hoop, and have been asked for proof of private insurance.
Do you mind me asking whose authority? A link might be useful? Thanks!
Sometimes it aint worth the trouble asking!
Email nicole@renestance.com. This is the advice she is giving to people planning a move to France and she has several years of experience in this business. Good luck
didn’t Renestance close in 2017… or was that just one of the two Immobilières going under that name…
Aha. I meant a link to official government information. Apologies for not being clearer.
People may well ‘get away’ with using the EHIC but it is (as far as I understand) , illegal to do so once you are no longer a UK resident so I am slightly surprised that any advice type service would be suggesting people break the law.
There will be a period of transition of residency like in other areas - car insurance for one
It may well be that in the specific geographical area she has experience of EHICs have been accepted, so she is acting in good faith from her experience. But buyer beware, in some places they aren’t. And arguing with an official is not a recommended way to speed your application smoothly through the system.
Hmmm looking to discredit the posters reply by looking up those mentioned.
Pffft
I wonder why theres so few active members
A bit clique for me
Maybe time to bail…again
Err, no. Residency is not like car insurance. Unless you are a dual resident - which is possible - in general you can only be resident in one country. In the same way you can only be attached to the social security system in one country.
I was/am trying to find the link which @Cat has asked for since I would never dream of contacting an unknown email…or expect anyone else to.
EDIT: Cat has subsequently clarified that she is actually seeking the officialgovt information…
However, anyone/everyone can see that my reply was posted quite a while before Cat’s clarification.
If folk want to make something out of nothing… so be it… 
Well given that you only seem interested in information that agrees with what you think that doesn’t surprise me. What a shame you didn’t take the right steps to become resident when you were living here in 2004-9, or sorted yourself out over last 4 years since referendum. It’s not that difficult to do as long as you accept and meet the requirements.
This is all you need to provide if you want a carte de séjour based on setting up a business:
Vous souhaitez exercer une activité non salariée
Liste des pièces à fournir
- Titre d’identité ou passeport en cours de validité.
- Indication relative au domicile : apportée par tout moyen.
- 3 photographies d’identité récentes (format 35 mm x 45 mm - norme ISO/IEC 19794 – 5 : 2005) (pas de copie).
Documents spécifiques au motif du séjour :
- Justificatif d’activité : tout document relatif à l’exercice régulier, effectif et durable de l’activité, selon la nature de celle-ci : immatriculation aux registres légaux (registre du commerce et des sociétés ou répertoire des métiers), affiliation à des organismes professionnels et à des organismes de sécurité sociale, souscription d’assurances, procès-verbal de nomination, bail professionnel, factures d’achat de matériels, contrats de ventes, contrats de prestations, formulaire de déclaration de chiffre d’affaires, livre des recettes et des achats, etc…
@Zombie - I don’t think anyone is trying to ‘discredit’ @Siobhan - I know I certainly wasn’t. I took her response in the spirit in which it was intended - a helpful reply from her own experience.
I just think that those of us who have been here for a while and know what is and isn’t (legally) allowed, wanted to make that clear for any subsequent readers browsing the site.
I hope that clears things up for you.