Retiring to France

@jscon

Hello and welcome to Expat.com!

The requirements for retiring to France depend on several factors, particularly your nationality and personal circumstances.

Could you please tell us a little more about yourself? Are you a British citizen, and are you planning to settle permanently in France?

In the meantime, you may wish to consult the official France-Visas website for information on visa requirements and procedures:

https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/

This will help you get started, and your answers will allow members to provide more relevant advice.

All the best with your plans!

Bhavna

Retiring to France from the UK remains completely possible post-Brexit, but British citizens are now treated as third-country nationals. To legally move, you must secure a Long-Stay Visitor Visa (VLS-TS Visiteur), prove you meet specific financial thresholds, and arrange French healthcare coverage.

We did exactly what SimCityAT suggested a couple of years ago. It is a bit of a hassle but in the end quite straitforward. There are various agencies in France that will 'walk' you through the VLS-TS visa application process at a cost (we used one and it cost us 1000 Euros each) but you could probably do it yourself if you enlist the help of the free 'French Service' offices which are in most large towns and cities in France. We are both retirees on pensions and the authorities accepted proof of income from our bank statements. The healthcare issue can be resolved by getting the S1 forms from the UK government ( we did but I've forgotten how -but you could check on line) and then after you give those to your local Assurance Maladie (Ameli.fr) office, you wait a while then they send you your Cartes Vitales which cover most of your medical expenses. After that you can fill in what the Assurance Maladie doesn't cover by taking out additional medical insurance ( referred to here as a 'Mutuelle') but recommend you shop around and the costs and coverage vary a lot depending on the company and your age(s). When you are ready to move to France (depending on your age and state of health) it is quite important to find a place to live where there is or are GP medical doctors as there are what are called 'Medical Deserts' in some places in France. Specialised care is usually available in the nearest large town or city. I'm sure you will love living here. Good luck!

@Bhavna

Hi Bhavna,

Unfortunately since Brexit, visiting France is unnecessarily restrictive.

I have a British passport, and a retirement house in Aude for many years, the time has finally come to move permanently to France to enjoy the house etc.

So I need to establish/understand the steps for a smooth entry, any suggestions in this regard would be GREATLY appreciated,

Best regards,

Jscon

@Bhavna
Hi Bhavna,
Unfortunately since Brexit, visiting France is unnecessarily restrictive.
I have a British passport, and a retirement house in Aude for many years, the time has finally come to move permanently to France to enjoy the house etc.
So I need to establish/understand the steps for a smooth entry, any suggestions in this regard would be GREATLY appreciated,
Best regards,
Jscon - @jscon

You can visit France upto 90 days every 180 days.

The 180-day period looks backward from each day you are present, meaning every day you spend in the Schengen area within the past 180 days counts toward your 90-day limit.

@jscon

owning the house doesn't give you any right to live here sadly, since brexit you need the long stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur) applied for from the uk

basically: resources at least the net annual SMIC (pensions/savings count), health insurance, and you sign that you won't work in france at all, not even remote

once you're here you validate the visa online, then sort healthcare w/ the S1 if you get a uk state pension, then renew every year

don't try coming on the 90 days and switching on site, doesn't work. and look at tax residence before you move tbh