SETTLING IN - CultureShock! A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette - page 105

law. Acting on behalf of both parties (although sometimes
each party is represented by a separate notaire ), the notaire
researches, prepares and signs all documents. The notaire
can be crucial to the successful completion of a business
transaction. The number of notaires in each district is
limited and their fees are fixed by law. No matter how well
you speak French, choose a bilingual notary. Ask friends
who have bought property, at the bank where you are
considering taking out a mortgage, or contact the Chambre
des Notaires de Paris at 12 avenue Victoria, Paris 75001;
tel: [phone]; website: http://www.paris.notaires.fr.
Check Notaires in the Yellow Pages .
Borrowing Money
Many French banks have mortgage plans for foreign buyers,
some lending money in whatever currency is required.
Mortgages can be at fixed or variable rates and usually
run from 15 to 20 years. The amount of down payment
varies considerably.
UCB, a division of BNP Paribas specialises in mortgages,
with an English-language service (tel: [phone];
website: http://www.ucb-french-mortgage.com/index.asp).
The British Bank Barclays also offers home loans and other
personal loans in France (http://www.barclays.fr).
MOVING YOUR BELONGINGS
Anyone with a legal right to live in France and who has
lived outside France during the previous year may transfer
personal belongings—including personal vehicles—without
customs charges. EU citizens do not need to go through
customs formalities but must have an inventory of the goods.
The rest of this section concerns non-EU nationals.
Non-EU nationals should inquire well in advance of
shipping about all requirements and then adhere to them
exactly. Non-EU citizens may import household goods duty
free within 12 months of taking up residence in France.
There must be a complete inventory in French of the
goods, including the value of each object; this, along with
the certificate mentioned below, must be stamped at the