Retiring to France is often the choice of foreigners who want to enjoy great standards of living and the excellent quality of life provided by this country.
The conditions are not complex, however, citizens from abroad should pay attention to the general rules for this process, a matter where guidance and legal advice can be obtained from our immigration lawyers in France.
A French retirement visa is not in place in this exact form, meaning that one cannot apply for a retirement visa specifically. There is, however, the option to apply for a long-term visa.
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The retirement process in France is simple and straightforward, involving basic formalities that can be entirely handled by one of our French immigration lawyers.
EU/EEA or Swiss citizens who wish to relocate to France after they retire to not need to apply for a special permit to enter the country. They are allowed to remain in the European French territory for more than 90 days without a visa. However, they will apply for a residence permit if they wish to benefit from state services and aid.
Non-EU/EEA retirees will need to apply for a residence permit, which can be seen as an equivalent of a French retirement visa, although this type of visa does not exist for this specific purpose.
If you want to retire to France, here are a few important conditions to pay attention to:
Some foreign nationals may decide to remain in the country indefinitely and in this case, applying for French citizenship may be an option. For those who are not married to a French national, or those who do not have French relatives, the option to acquire French nationality is possible through naturalization. This is based on a minimum length of stay (at least five uninterrupted years) and it is also subject to other conditions concerning regular income and French language knowledge level.
These are a few of the important conditions referring to documents and other formalities that must be considered by a foreigner interested in retirement in France. The process is simple, but legal advice is recommended, in order to properly prepare all the documents, a case where our immigration lawyers in France can provide legal assistance and support.
The Carte de Sejour is the residence permit in France, a necessary document for foreigners who started the retirement process.
While it is not a retirement visa in France in an exact form, the long-stay visa is the one that it is applied for by those who wish to retire to the country.
This is an important document that needs to be obtained prior to the arrival in France. Just like in the case of a French visa, several documents are solicited by the authorities, among which, proof of the accommodation and funds, medical insurance, and passport-size photos, to name a few.
The application for the equivalent of the retirement visa in France can be made at the nearest French Consulate or Embassy in the home country, with the mention that the entire application can be handled by our team of immigration lawyers in France.
Many foreign nationals, especially those who retire to France early, will wish to apply for citizenship through naturalization after the minimum period of 5 years during which they have been lawful residents in the country.
We invite you to watch a short video about how to retire to France:
Foreigners entering France generally apply for the long-stay visa (type D) which is suitable for those who intend to apply for a residence permit, based on their desire to remain in the country for long-term purposes.
A type D visa for France is in place for those who wish to remain in the country based on their financial resources from abroad. This means that they will accept the terms of the temporary residence card for visitors (“visiteur”) and they will not be able to engage in remunerated work.
The decision to relocate to France based on the French type D visa for visitors can be a first step for those who wish to retire to the country. This can be suitable because it allows the holder to remain in France for more than 3 months and, as a retiree, the holder will not be interested in taking up work.
Our immigration lawyers in France highlight the main features of the “visitor” temporary residence permit:
If you wish to obtain residency in France based on this particular type of visa, our team lists the required documents below:
Please note that the authorities may request additional documents from those who apply for a type D visa for France and wish to remain in the country as retirees.
When you apply for this type of visa that is suitable if you wish to retire to France, you will need to pay a tax amounting to EUR 225. This consists of the EUR 200 tax, to which a stamp duty of EUR 25 is added). The proof of stamp duty payment is needed upon the receipt of the card.
Depending on the region in which you submit your application, the residence card will be issued by the prefecture or sub-prefecture. While the type D visa is valid for only 1 year, it can be renewed no later than 2 months before the end of the validity period. When the renewal is performed after the expiration date, a visa regularization fee of EUR 180 is due.
The visa fee for the renewal is payable by tax stamps. These can be purchased online or in certain shops. It is common to pay for this online, however, PayPal payments are not accepted and American Express cards cannot be used for this purpose. When purchased online, the tax stamp will be delivered in an electronic format (either a PDF document or a text message with a 16-digit identified).
If using the visa type D is suitable for your plan to retire to France, provided that you meet the minimum yearly income requirement for this purpose, our specialists in immigration in France can give you more details about the application and the renewal of the visa and the residence card.
There are many interesting advantages linked to retirement in France, and foreigners have lots of reasons to do so. We present you a few of the reasons why you should retire to France:
If you want to retire to France, please feel free to get in touch with our French immigration lawyers and find out more about the implications and conditions involved. Residing in France after retirement can be a dream scenario for many foreign nationals. If you are nearing your retirement age, you can start planning your relocation by discussing the main requirements for residency in France with our team. We will give you all the needed details about receiving your pension income in France, tax matters, as well as other important issues.
We can also assist you if you are already retired and living in the country and wish to know more about how to obtain French citizenship.
Once retired to France, foreigners will be levied on the pension they earn, no matter if such income is registered in the home country or in France. According to the tax law in France, one should note that:
The different tax brackets that apply in France for the year 2021 are the following:
The manner in which pensions are taxed can be influenced by an existing double tax treaty between your country of origin and France.
In general, pension income is taxed in France, and also included in this category are early retirement pensions. If you also derive income from another source, such as income from renting property or if you have a small business in France, you will need to declare all of your income for the purpose of personal income tax.
In France, the tax year is the same as the calendar year for individual taxation purposes. Married individuals file a joint tax return.
For individuals who are self-employed, their income is due on a monthly basis or on a quarterly basis in some cases. In this situation, the tax is debited by the authorities directly from the taxpayer’s bank account.
You will want to understand the manner in which tax returns are filed and the tax is paid before you need to meet these requirements (i.e., preferably before you relocate and start to receive income in France) in order to avoid the penalties that can apply for late tax filing or for failure to meet the tax requirements for individuals.
Moving to a new country has unique challenges at any age, and how one plans and prepares for the move can be even more important at an older age, even if young children are not involved anymore.
Issues like buying or renting property, taking up health insurance, and/or making sure that you will find an experienced physician if you have particular medical needs or chronic illnesses are all important.
Likewise, it is also essential to take into account how the move will impact your social life, your family ties, and the relationship with your significant other (if applicable), once you make the move permanent.
Many couples fall in love with France after their first visit and make a promise to return permanently once their retire.
While this dream can be years in the making, some of the most important steps, such as submitting the needed visa and residence permit applications, will only happen once you decide to relocate entirely.
Once you get to this stage, working with an experienced team of immigration lawyers in France, such as our team, can be very helpful to help relieve part of the issues that need to be handled for the move.
As stated above, one of the most important issues you will need to consider is your financial situation once you move to a France city.
Will you be relying on the pension from your home country? Do you plan to make an investment or start a small business?
Taxation can be different depending on your source(s) of income and it is important to understand the tax laws (and the ones for accounting and reporting if you have a business) in order to comply with the local rules and be able to remain in the country. We can also advise on France residency by investment.
Buying or renting property is another important issue to think about when you retire to France.
Depending on your budget, you may wish to purchase a property in France. If so, you may need specialized legal aid in order to negotiate with the seller, particularly if language is a barrier.
Working with an estate agent you can trust and one that has experience with working with international clients may be preferable. Also, the French real estate agent or agency you choose to work with should be an accredited one. Our team of lawyers can also provide you with complete assistance during these essential steps.
Gaining permanent residence in France is often the goal of many foreign nationals who relocate to the country.
For persons over 60 years of age, applying for the permanent resident card is possible within 2 months before the first, initial resident card expires.
The same applies to those who have held 2 consecutive resident cards, however, Algerian citizens are not subject to the permanent card, but the residence certificate.
The permanent residence card is a natural extension for those who have applied initially for the equivalent of the French retirement visa.
The application is submitted to the prefecture or sub-prefecture in the area where the accommodation is located and each of these public authorities may have different requirements for making an appointment or other submission requirements for the card.
In some cases, advance online appointments are made several months in advance. Given the fact that the card should be applied for within 2 months before the current one expires, we strongly encourage foreign nationals who live as retirees in France to start this process well in advance.
Those who do not submit their application in due time will need to pay a penalty fee of €180, in addition to the cost of the card.
The following documents are required for the application for a permanent residence card:
The submission of an application for permanent residence following the choice to retire to France can be denied when the prefect sends a notification in this sense or when there is no reply from the prefect regarding the request.
In some cases, when the time required for an answer expires and the prefecture has issued no answer, the processing time can be extended. It is still possible to obtain the residence card at the foreign office in the prefecture where the applicant resides.
Our French immigration team can provide you with more details about these special situations.
We can also assist you if the prefect has refused the application for the permanent residence card used for retirement purposes by individuals aged 60 years and over.
Retiring to a new country offers unique possibilities and the promise of a different, perhaps better retirement age.
As you enter into this new chapter, you may find that certain questions remain present, whether you are in your home country or in a different one.
Some of these may relate to quality medical care, thus, moving to a country that allows for reliable services can be an important criterion. Luckily, France offers much more than cultural delights and beautiful scenery.
Foreigners wanting to retire to France can contact our team of French immigration attorneys for legal advice, assistance, and guidance. We can handle the entire process and deal with the bureaucracies involved.