My name is Valérie Roger and I am a French lady based in the Mayenne department. The aim of my business is to help the English-speaking community with their French experience. This may be anything from a simple translation to very specialized secretarial, relocation and administrative work. We also provide a personalized property search service.

My business was born from the love of helping people and a passion for the English language. The business was established in 2006, and since then has flourished, as you can see from my client testimonials.

What Locations Do I Cover?

I work in the areas of 53, 61, 35, 50, 72, 85, and 14 but I can travel anywhere in France. My assistance is professional, friendly and I am proud to say that my discretion and reliability are second to none.

Day after day, I try to solve problems, arrange situations and make life easier for the expats or those who own second homes. I am reliable and efficient and  have helped a great many people by solving all sorts of issues that they found too complicated to solve on their own.

For me, no job is too small or too big. I enjoy the challenge of cutting through the red tape and finding the most satisfactory outcome for each of my clients.

Due to new changes to the tax system, if you own property in France you will now need to complete an additional tax declaration, even if you live in another country.

The 'Déclaration d’occupation' is simply paperwork to state if the property is your main residence or a second home for tax purposes. This is a one-off declaration unless your circumstances change, such as selling a property or a change of use.

The deadline is 30th June and you should receive a notification from the tax office  regarding this requirement and if you need help with this please get in touch.

When travelling, always show your residence document (or email confirmation of your WARP application) when you present your passport at border controls, especially in the Shengen area. Passports should not be stamped for residents.

The British Embassy posted this information regarding the stamping of passports:

“Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit but this will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is incorrectly stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.”

They also stated that If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement you do not need any extra months on your passport to enter or exit EU countries.

If your UK driving licence was issued before 1 January 2021 your UK licence is recognised in France for as long as it is valid. You can only exchange your licence if it is due to expire within 6 months. If you do not have a valid reason to request an exchange, your application will be rejected.

If your UK licence has expired, or has less than 6 months’ validity remaining, you must exchange it for a French licence from 28th June 2021. You do NOT need to take a driving test.

We can help you with driving licence exchanges and you can find details here, along with full details of the information issued by the British government.

During lockdown many people felt isolated and afraid - but for people living far from home and family it can be much worse. But for anyone struggling there is an English-language helpline specifically aimed at foreigners living in France. The SOS Helpline is a long-established charity, but could be particularly useful for people struggling with the current situation - or any aspect of life in France.

You can find out more information on The Local FR website here.

If you need help and support, SOS Help can be reached on 01 46 21 46 46