The four most common mistakes made by expats leading to failure

Did you know that 40% of expatriation end before it is supposed to due to these four mistakes too many expats make when they relocate to France?

Getting this information will already narrow a bit the possibilities of failure (only if you implement it, of course), so watch until the end as I will also give you a solution that could be just what you need to take action the right way on your dream to move to France.

The first mistake most expat make is to not make the French language learning a priority.

If you don’t already speak French when you decide to move to France, you will quickly realise that speaking English isn’t sufficient to get by in France, even in Paris. I might be OK as a tourist, but as a resident, you will quickly be limited in everything you do and will lose a lot of autonomy.

I know learning a foreign language as an adult is a challenge! And even more, if this is the first foreign language you learn.

There are many people that start learning it and give up very quickly because it is difficult. Of course, learning a new language is difficult!

It requires work and it doesn’t come naturally. It may come more easily to some people but no one becomes fluent or reach an intermediate level without studying.

You don’t necessarily need to be fluent to live in France but working towards an intermediate level in French will make your life easier.

And it will also open you doors that wouldn’t exist otherwise (such as negotiating a better price, managing your French red tape, making French friends, or getting a promotion at work…).

The second mistake most expat make, even unconsciously, is to assume it will be the same abroad.

This is one that everyone does, even if only a few express it out loud. I mean, I’ve done it too… You may be looking for some radical change in your life, well, you will see that, even in that case, you will assume some things should be the same.

And this can happen in every area of life.

There is a big chance that what you consider “normal” might not be in France.

Like having everything open 7 days a week, or how long it will take to get specific paperwork done, or the social norms, the possibility to eat out at any time of the day or even night…

And telling a French person that it should be another way because in your country it works like this and it is much better, will only get you the opposite that you want.

Letting go of your expectations and what is “normal” will avoid a strong culture shock and a lot of frustrations.

Some people do not imagine that the little (or big) differences of everyday life could have such an impact. You don’t want to end up accumulating a lot of frustrations and disappointment that will lead to early repatriation! Especially if you have invested so much to start a business in France.

The third mistake is to request the wrong visa.

Did you know there were 27 different visas to come to France? A 5 of them allow you to run a company in France. The 4 entrepreneurial visas plus the French spouse visa and also later on the 10-year residence card.

And requesting the wrong visa can have heavy consequences.

Planning to come with an “easy visa” like a short-stay tourist visa or a long-stay tourist visa to switch to the real motive of your move to France is the worst strategy to have if you want to stay more than a year in France.

This change of status is very difficult, if not impossible (unless you marry a French citizen, and you will still get scrutiny as the administration will need to be sure that the relationship is legit).

So it is worth working towards finding solutions to meet the requirement of your real motive to come to France rather than jeopardizing your chance to settle in France.

As I said, there are 4 entrepreneur visas to move to France either to create a business in France or run your current non-French business from France or even freelance from France.

Each visa has different criteria and gives you different obligations and benefits. I will go into the detail of each one of these 4 visas in the France Formula training course for entrepreneurs.

The fourth mistake most expats make is to not anticipate the move and the bureaucracy the right way.

French bureaucracy has a bad reputation… and I have to say that it is well deserved! Even if there have been some improvements.

The only way to win your battle with the French administration is to come prepared:

Anticipation and organisation is the only way to overcome this challenge.

Finding out at the last minute that the process is longer than expected or different than what you know is something you want to avoid. And it can hardly be a good argument to get special treatment from the French administration for a fast track process.

I have seen people having to travel back to their country, or having trouble going through administrative processes because they forgot an essential document and couldn’t get anyone to get it for them.

Always assume it is different from what you know, it is the key to find the solution and get it right!

There are other mistakes, of course, but these ones are the most common ones.

But sometimes even when you do you best to avoid these mistake, it is still very hard to find reliable information in English about what is required for every main administrative process.

For this reason, I have created the France Formula training course for entrepreneurs.

It is a real method for you to organise your entire move to France and your arrival with all the necessary French red tape explained step-by-step. But stay until the end of the video as I will tell you the very special offer you could get as an early bird. Also, the France Formula will be available only for a few days as I want to keep a good quality of service.

The France Formula has a total of 7 modules that follow the 7 main steps of your expatriation journey.

The course has been designed in chronological order to help you in your organisation.

With every module, you will get the announced blueprints and tools, with extra surprises along the way as I improve the course.

And you will also get all the reliable sources used and the French laws I’m referring to as a reference. The courses will be shared gradually, with one module every two weeks, so that you can follow the Formula without feeling overwhelmed.

Now let’s do a quick course overview

Module 1, 2 & 3 are for your preparation before leaving for France

Module 1 is about setting yourself for success.

First by adopting the expatriate mindset and then by anticipating the red tape and planning your departure.

The mindset and the mental tools are essential to adjust to a foreign country with a different culture and to navigate the ups and downs of life abroad.

Then the departure preparation is about starting to get organized.

Expatriating is a very exciting life project and experience! And as per my personal experience and also my 12 years of relocation experience, organizing it with anticipation gives you the best chances of success.

In this part of the course, you will start preparing your savings budget and understand better the French cost of living. You will also prepare your customized relocation blueprint and have a clear overall plan including everything that you will need to do to have the best move.

Module 2 is about preparing your visa request.

I will present each of the 4 entrepreneurial visas :

By the end of this module, you will know which visa is the one for you and you will know how to prepare the best visa application possible. I will also give a business plan framework template that you can use as a base to make your own.

I will also prepare you for the visa application interview.

In module 3, I get into the details of your relocation logistics.

Step-by-step will take every main essential step you need to prepare before leaving. It is about getting your paperwork in order and bringing the ones you will need to France.

I will also give you the French bureaucracy processes blueprint with all the essential processes you need to go through and when.

Module 4 is a specific module for families.

So if you have kids, you’ll be interested in this module where I go through the essential steps in terms of relocation for your children. This includes:

Module 5 is all about your arrival in France.

We will go deep into the 4 areas that you will need to work on as soon as you arrive:

I will, in addition, give you tips to set up your French business and give you reliable resources.

Module 6 is about your social integration into your new French life.

Once you are in Module 6, you’d have gone through the main part of your relocation processes. You’d be settled in France but may not feel like France is your home yet.

This module is about giving you tools and tips to make France your new home and helping you integrate your own way in France.

And finally, Module 7 is about staying longer in France.

We will first go through the visa or permit renewal process. I will also share with you the main mistakes done by expats that prevent them from renewing their initial visas. And then give the timeline and tips if you want to stay in France for the long run and set you up for success to get the 10-year residency card or even the French passport.

Get the clarity, the confidence and the tools to make your move to France happen the right way.

In short, with the France Formula training course, you will get the preparation you need to successfully prepare for your move to France. And I will also share with you French insiders tips and insight to get all the unspoken rules and secrets on how to deal with the French administration and French people.

If this resonates with you and if you really want to make your move to France a reality, be sure to check out your emails as you will receive a very special offer on September 26 at 1 pm Paris time. The first 10 France Formula Insiders will get a one-hour consultation with me for FREE (instead of the value of 127 euros!).