Moving to France from the UK: Webinar 17 October 1800 BST

Property & Home
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I have an email from @fabien inviting me to a webinar on this subject. It features Fab, Eric Donjon and our own @cat .

This one seems to be rather more focussed than some I’ve seen and it may be of use to others.

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Thanks for posting that here and I hope @cat will feel at home during this episode :wink: Not to mention that we’re lucky enough to have a proper French consul during that session too so it’s going to be epic I’m certain :ok_hand: Thanks again for the support :pray:

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Will try and tune in to this even though my move is not imminent - the last webinar I watched was very good!

And having had the pleasure of meeting @fabien and @cat at the SF GTG in Bordeaux in June it will be like catching up with friends!

@fabien will the webinar end up on YouTube somewhere for later reference?

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Thanks so much for your kind words! It’s great to hear you enjoyed the last webinar, and it was a pleasure meeting you at the ‘diner party’ in Bordeaux – definitely feels like catching up with friends! :blush:

As for this webinar, yes, it will be available on YouTube afterward for later reference. So, even if you can’t make it live, you’ll be able to catch up at your convenience. Looking forward to seeing you again, whether live or online! Link to our channel => https://www.youtube.com/@fabexpats

Attending live comes with two main perks:

  1. Your questions can be answered live
  2. Registrants will be offered a free one on one consultation with an immigration GP (me :joy:)
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Thank you - I have subscribed!

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I just hope that I have something salient to say :joy:

But as it’s being held on my birthday I feel that I have a get out of jail free card anyway!

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Sorry to be picky but I understood Eric Donjon to be one of many honorary consuls in the UK, based in Newcastle, and there to assist French nationals in a voluntary capacity. As the French Diplomatic Service says “Les Consuls honoraires n’ont pas de compétences en matière de visas. Les informations sur les visas sont accessibles sur le site internet du consulat.”

They do useful things for French people, like issue proof of life certificates, and collect voting papers, but have no role in deciding on and issuing visas. But not for other nationals.

However he does run his own handholding service for UK nationals wishing to move to France, and other admin processes. Such as making a nationality application for which his website indicates he charges £1300, not including translations!:joy:

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Hi @JaneJones ,

You’re absolutely right that Eric Donjon is a French Honorary Consul, and as such, his official role primarily serves French nationals. However, his extensive experience and close relationships with the French Consul General and the French Ambassador mean he has a deep understanding of French administration, including visas and residency matters, even though these aren’t part of his formal consular duties (well technically visas are but consuls don’t deal with those indeed).

While it’s true that the consulate doesn’t endorse or provide private services, there’s a good reason for that—honorary consuls aren’t salaried, and many use their expertise in private practice to offer valuable assistance to those navigating complex French processes, like moving to France or applying for nationality.

So, when it comes to understanding French visas and admin, I can’t think of anyone more knowledgeable or relevant to speak on the topic! :wink:

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That is quite understandable, but personally I prefer total transparency. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a person with a specific skill set seeking clients through these sorts of seminars - it’s a fair exchange. And in doing that it is quite acceptable to say as a secondary issue that one also has a voluntary role that is highly relevant.

However I would have been heavily criticised if I had ever used my government role for the benefit of my private consultancy, and essentially traded on it. So it is presented the wrong way round to me.

First and foremost Mr Donjon is the CEO of European Concierge, which is presumably a private company operating for profit. Totally normal. That is who people will be hiring, not an honorary consul.

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Thank you for your feedback; I fully understand your perspective and have noted your suggestions for improvement.

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Well, I missed it - had to go out - so I hope it’ll be on YT.

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Surely, it hasn’t happened yet… today is the 11th ??? the Webinar is next week ???

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:astonished: :upside_down_face: :joy: :joy:

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Next Thursday, Your Cereality. :smiley:

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I had thought I was the only one who was seriously deranged/confused…
it’s rather comforting to know I’m not alone… :rofl: :wink:

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Far from it. I was all set for my video call with the MT yesterday, wondering why Doctolib hadn’t reminded me. Turns out it’s next week, when I’m supposed to be driving to Bourges. :crazy_face:

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Hi Fabien. I also have an EU passport and have already bought a house. I do plan to become officially resident early 2025. Is this webinar valid for me AND where is the link to join? Thank you.

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Well, obviously it was a deliberate mistake to keep the thread high up and the event in everyone’s minds.

Obviously.

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Absolutely !

And here’s a link Upcoming Webinars - Fab French Insurance

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Sure, we will mention that, you can register using this link directly if you want => Webinar Registration - Zoom

Also, registering to webinars comes with an interesting perk as you’ll be offered a one on one consultation for free post webinar so if we didn’t answer your questions during the event you’ll be able to book a free consultation :wink:

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