Hi folks,

I've been lurking here and searched for a similar question being asked but found nothing. Hope this is ok.

I met a lady a while ago and all seems to be ok for us. I'm a UK national, she's Filipino. However, I am setting myself up in consultancy soon which can be done over the net so I can work from home.

I want to live in France as I have family there, property is much cheaper, and I prefer the lifestyle/quality of life out there. I speak enough French to get by and can learn more easily, especially if I'm living out there. As an EU national, there is no real hinderance to me living there.

But is this the same for my wife? I don't think she would need to work (that's her choice, but jobs are hard to come by over there) so residence is enough, but how would I go about sorting this out? As I understand, the Schengen visa is only valid for a short while and is only intended for tourism rather than living permanently. Would I need to get a visa from the French authorities, or is an EEA family permit going to do the job?

If an EEA permit is enough, might it be easier just to move myself to France and have my mahal meet me there and not bother with the UK visa process?

Thanks for any replies in advance.