Relocation expert Clinton Perrot-Schwartz knows all about the myriad challenges facing foreigners moving to France, but he says often the biggest shift is a cultural one – learning not to fight the French administration but go with the flow and accept its demands.
France had long been a popular destination for Americans, but recent data from the Interior Ministry showed a sharp rise in the number of new arrivals from the US, and that’s something that has also been noted by people working in related sectors.
Clinton Perrot-Schwarz, owner of the Clinton & Reed relocation agency, has noticed the “huge influx” of American new arrivals.
He told The Local: “I’ve been working in this sector for just over four years and I have noticed it, and people who have been working in this area for 30 years say they have never seen anything like this.
“I don’t think it’s just about politics though, what we tend to see is people who have been thinking about a move to France for some time and then the political and economic instability in the US at the moment provides the final push for them to make the move.
“France is not the easiest country to move to – at least not for work, it’s somewhat easier if you are retired – so we don’t get people who move here purely because they don’t like what is going on in politics, they usually have an interest in France itself.
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“People really appreciate the work-life balance of France, and they find that their salary goes a lot further here, even in Paris, which is an expensive city by French standards.”
Clinton & Reed offers a relocation service – managing the whole package for people moving, including finding a property to buy or rent, sorting out paperwork like visas, arranging utilities and bank accounts and helping with the move itself such as shipping furniture.
They also offer a concierge service for people once they have arrived, offering property management and ongoing help with any paperwork or admin issues, whether the client is a resident in France or a second-home owner.
Norwegian-American Clinton – who has recently become a French citizen – manages a bilingual team that provides help with all aspects of the move and draws on his own experience of moving to France to help others through the same process. They deal with people from all over the world, although the majority of their clients are American.
He said: “Aside from the admin, the biggest concern for many of our clients is around the language and the social life – will they be able to get by without French while they learn? Will they be able to learn French? Will it be easy to make friends and to integrate into French life?
“There are a lot of American networks in France for meeting people and making friends and I always tell people ‘don’t make it hard for yourself’ – start off by making friends with other Americans, you will meet people who have been here for a long time who can offer help and guidance and then gradually you will start to widen your circle and make French friends, often through the Americans that you first meet.”
And as someone who has been through the process himself, what’s his top tip for new arrivals?
“Don’t fight the system,” he told us.
“French admin is how it is, it won’t change, and you need to learn to go with the flow. I think that can be a challenge, especially for Americans who assume that things will move at the speed that they are used to and the French fonctionnaires will appreciate your critique on their customer service.
“French admin can be difficult, even with our help, so the first part of what we do is managing expectations and then, of course, we also help people through every step of the process.
“But you really do need to accept that the French admin is king and you are just a supplicant.”
He added: “One other thing I also tell people is to stick it out – I often find that the period two to three years after moving is when people become exhausted and a little disillusioned. I think you’re so tired after getting everything set up that you can hit the wall at that point, but it’s worth sticking it out because after three years you will have likely found your friendship group, if you’ve been studying French, that’s the point when it starts to get a little easier.
“Obviously some people can’t make it work, but I think it’s worth trying to push through that three-year point.”
Clinton & Reed is a Paris-based concierge agency for the English-speaking community settling in France. From moving and administrative paperwork, like visas and French bank accounts, to property assistance and everyday support, the company helps clients not just arrive but truly settle in.
