Retire in France on a long-stay visa
France has no retirement visa, so this is the one Americans actually use.
Who it's for
Your money comes from home
The VLS-TS visa is for people who can support themselves without a French paycheck. If your income shows up whether or not you work - a pension, Social Security, IRA withdrawals, dividends, disability income or rent - you're the target applicant, so long as you don't take a job in France.
The money and the timeline
~EUR 1,800/mo
Income to show, per person
about one French minimum wage
12 months
Length of the first visa
renewed every year
15 days
Typical consulate processing
after your appointment
5 years
Then apply for permanent residence
a 10-year resident card
Here's the catch
What to know before you fall in love
"No work in France" means no French employer and no French clients. You'll carry private health insurance for the first year. Paris is pricey, and you'll want to know some French for the visa paperwork. The good news: the income bar is low, with no minimum-stay rule.
Long-stay (National) Visa
Required for U.S. citizens planning to stay in France for more than 90 days, or for purposes such as work, study, or family reunification. Application is submitted online via EasyStart, followed by an in-person appointment at a French consulate.
- Government cost
- $99
- Processing time
- ~15 days
- Timeline
- More than 90 days
- Difficulty
- Moderate
Key requirements
- Valid U.S. passport
- Completed visa application form
- Proof of purpose of stay (e.g., work contract, enrollment letter)
- Proof of accommodation in France
- Proof of financial means
- Travel insurance
- Additional documents, depending on visa type
The upside
Then the healthcare kicks in
After about three months, you can join France's public health system, ranked among the world's best. Add a low-cost mutuelle for private service and English-speaking doctors. Your visa also opens the whole Schengen Area, so weekends in Italy or Spain are just a train ride away.
Vetted help on the ground
EasyStart
France Relocation Specialist
Relocation specialists who handle the visa file and the move.
Kiki Littlestar
Southern France Local Guide
A local guide for the sunny south.
Amber Haggerty
France Local Guide
Boots-on-the-ground help in Paris.
Where to land
Where retirees actually go
Nice
Sun and the sea
Nice, Toulon, and the Côte d'Azur trade grey northern winters for Mediterranean light and mild years. A longtime favorite with retirees, though prices climb the closer you get to the water.
Provence
Markets, lavender, mistral
Inland Provence, anchored on Aix, with plane-shaded market squares, Cezanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire on the skyline, and lavender across the Valensole plateau from late June. The Luberon villages hold a long-settled foreign crowd. The mistral blows for days at a time and summers run dry and hot.
Toulouse
Pink brick and Airbus
France's aerospace capital, where Airbus employs a small city's worth of people and one of the country's largest student populations fills the pink brick streets at night. The Pyrenees are about ninety minutes south and the Canal du Midi starts in town. Summers run hot, and rugby is close to a religion.
Annecy
Alpine lake town
A canal-laced old town on a famously clean alpine lake, with swimming off the beaches in summer, ski lifts within an hour, and Geneva and its airport about 40 minutes north. It is one of the most expensive places to live in France outside Paris and the Riviera, and summer weekends are packed.
Questions retirees ask
How do I actually apply?
Apply online at France-Visas, then book an in-person appointment at the consulate that covers your state. After you arrive in France, validate the visa online within three months or you fall out of status.
Can I work or freelance while I'm there?
You cannot accept paid work in France, and you'll sign a statement saying so. Remote work for a U.S. employer sits in a grey area that many consulates tolerate but don't formally approve, so ask yours before you count on it.
Can this lead to permanent residence?
Yes. After five continuous years, you can apply for a ten-year resident card, and citizenship later, both with a French-language requirement.
Do I need private health insurance?
Yes, You must hold private insurance covering your full first year across France and the Schengen Area. After about three months of residence, you can apply to join the public system (PUMa) and add a mutuelle top-up.
Does France have a retirement visa?
Not by that name. Retirees use the long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS visiteur), a one-year, renewable permit for people who can support themselves without working in France.
How much income do I need to show?
Plan on roughly one French minimum wage per person, which is about 1,800 euros a month in 2026. Couples should show more. The exact number is set by your consulate, so treat this number as a floor, not a ceiling. Be sure to document a steady monthly income, rather than a one-time balance, so the consulate can see consistent cashflow..
Will I owe taxes in both countries?
You always file with the IRS. The U.S.-France tax treaty and Foreign Tax Credit keep most people from paying twice, and U.S. Social Security is generally taxed only in the States. Get advice from our expat tax advisors for your own mix of income.
Other ways into France
Build Your Own Business in France
The entrepreneur/profession liberale visa lets you live in France and run your own business, no French boss required.
The French student visa, and what a degree costs now
A public master's runs about $4,563 a year for Americans in 2026, you have to show $1,014 a month in the bank, and the permit lets you work 964 hours a year.
Land a French job, land the visa
The work visa is built around one thing, a signed contract with a French employer. Here's how skilled Americans get one.
You can move abroad.
Thousands of Americans have already done it.
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