As a French who migrated off, going to the UK was so easy.
I can't begin to imagine the burden a non speaking French person would have to go through to migrate to France.
I can't begin to imagine the burden a non speaking French person would have to go through to migrate to France.
My daughter is fluent in French and she went with me to the prefecture once. She told me that the woman behind the glass was super rude, even though she put on a smile and pretended to be helpful. In fact, the next time I made it through the line there and explained what documents I had and why, the guy went to that woman's counter and chewed her out for being malicious (she had written a partial list of required docs instead of handing me the official complete-ish pre-printed list), and apologized to me for her behavior. Then he rejected my paperwork for a reason that was not documented anywhere.
Catch-22s are everywhere; you can't open a bank account without proof of address, but you can't rent a place without a local bank account. It's the same for just about everything important. We had some French friends who cosigned for our apartment so we could get past that, and we were VERY fortunate to have friends who were willing to do that for us. A few people told me that everyone knows someone who can make fake paperwork; you just can't follow all the rules. C'est impossible!
However, I would say that living in France was a fantastic experience, and I wish I had done it 10 years earlier.
for longer than 30 days there are hundreds of real state places that find much better place for half the airbnb price. absolutely everyone will speak fluent English (differently from airbnb).
only downside is a deposit like any other rent
they only require one or two month deposit, and any document from your previous/home country.
You don't need a visa, working permit, special bank account (for US citizens, since the bank must report income, etc, to the US gov), your driving license is valid, etc.
You change languages, currency, you need new bank accounts, new health insurance, completely different educational system. All administrations are different. The culture is also a shock. You will never find any of the grocery or shop you used to buy.
A French going to the UK is not much different than a Mexican going to the USA.
The only advantage is that you don't risk being deported by the police if they don't like you papers. You are effectively allowed to be there by the virtue of being European.
Opening a French bank account isn't complicated either if it is with a multinational bank, I have never been inside a French branch of mine.
You cannot use a bank accounts well across EU country. Banks are a very localized service, they provide specific account number formats and payment methods by country. It will be a huge hassle day to day when you want a SEPA transfer and the guy expects a RIB or a sort code.
It's worse with UK and Switzerland because they have a different currency. You really need a local bank account or you get bankrupted by the fees and the exchange rate. Incidentally they are the only places where there are the big tech and finance companies to work for.
Most banks are national. There are very few banks that have an international presence, with decent service at the offices.
The last time I went to a French bank in a different region than where I opened the account, they told me they can't do anything and I have to go to my "home" agency.
And all bank transfers within the EU (not sure if the U.K. is a special case) are free of charge, and IBAN/BIC used everywhere. I routinely transfer money between my Austrian and German accounts.