Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
challenges, as you settle into French life. Fortunately, you will
not have to go far to i nd free wii access. As we are putting
this edition to bed, Paris is being wired. Most libraries already
offer it. And most of the major parks had free wii access by
the end of 2007.
Paying Taxes—Guilty Until Proven Innocent
As in many democracies, the tax authorities can deem you guilty
until proven innocent when it comes to paying taxes. In my own
case, I was sent a written notice while abroad in Hong Kong that my
small
chambre de bonne
(maid's room) in Paris would be emptied of
its furniture in order to pay back taxes I owed in a small village in
France which I had never even visited.
Friends in France rallied for me and called the ofi ce involved,
i nally discovering that another woman with two of my names
was the offending party. I had to write a letter and send a copy of
my passport to prove I was not the same 'Sally Taylor' they were
looking for!
In another case, an American friend in Paris accepted the mail of
a colleague who had recently left the country.
Lettres Recommandées
began arriving for the friend from the tax ofi ce in the town where
he had lived. The friend said to ignore them. Then one day my friend
returned to his l at to i nd a notice on the door that HIS furniture would
be removed to cover back taxes if they weren't paid up in 48 hours.
He called the tax ofi ce involved and tried to explain that the man
they wanted had left the country. No luck. Again, he had to prove he
was not the man they wanted!
VISAS AND WORK PERMITS
If you plan to stay in France for any period over three
months, either as a student or as a worker, and your
home country is not a member of the European Union,
you must organise your visa in advance with the French
Embassy or Consulate nearest to you. Your i rst visit is to
pick up the forms, the list of documents to be i led and
the list of medical doctors accredited by the French
Consulate. Then, when all your documents are i lled in
and the medical examination complete, you must go back
to the Consulate to i le the formal request, with all your
justii cations in hand. It can take up to three months to
get your visa.
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