Retire in France on the Long Stay Visitor Visa: What the Rules Really Ask

You are on this page because France feels close to a real plan, not a holiday idea. It is written for non-EU retirees, mainly from the US and UK, who want the visitor visa rules in plain words before they talk to a consulate.

How much money is enough? What happens after the first year? When can you stop renewing every twelve months? This guide answers all three from French government pages.

The short answer: As of November 2026, a non-EU retiree usually moves to France on the long-stay visa "visiteur", which works as a residence permit for its first year (VLS-TS). You must show at least €1,477.93 net a month (€17,735.19 a year) for a single person, health insurance for the whole stay, a place to live and a signed promise not to work (Service Public, visitor card, June 2026). That amount is the net monthly minimum wage (SMIC). After the first year you renew a one-year visitor card, and after five years you can ask for a 10-year card if you pass French at B1 level and a civic exam, unless you are over 65.

The France visitor visa at a glance

The money test, in plain numbers

France-Visas does not print a euro figure. It asks you to prove your situation (for example, retired), your resources, your accommodation and your medical cover (France-Visas, November 2026). The number comes from Service Public, the official government guide: the minimum resources for a single person are €1,477.93 net a month, over one year (Service Public, June 2026).

That is the net SMIC, which rose by 2.41% on 1 June 2026, from €1,443.11 (Service Public news, May 2026). So the bar can move mid-year. Check it again just before you apply.

€1,477.93 a month is about US$1,633 or about £1,235. A year of €17,735.19 is about US$19,600 or about £14,820. We used the ECB euro reference rates of 13 November 2026: 1 euro = 1.1052 US dollars and 0.83559 pounds (European Central Bank). Leave a margin for exchange rate moves.

What counts, and what about a couple?

Pensions, annuities, rental income, bank statements and guarantees from solvent family members can count. Family allowances do not. Your housing is also considered (Service Public, June 2026).

Service Public gives a figure for a single person only, with no fixed amount for a spouse. Many couples plan for each partner to meet the bar, but that is a safe habit, not an official rule. Ask your consulate how it assesses a joint household.

What else the consulate wants

Beyond money, France-Visas asks for four things (France-Visas, November 2026):

1. Proof of your situation, for example a pension award letter.
2. Proof of accommodation in France, such as a lease or a property deed.
3. Health insurance that covers you in France for the whole stay.
4. A formal written promise not to work in France.

The no-work rule is wide. Service Public says you must not work as an employee, a trader, a self-employed person, a craftsperson or a liberal profession (Service Public, June 2026). If you plan to keep consulting for clients, ask the consulate first. Do not guess.

You apply in the country where you live, no more than 3 months before you leave. Your passport must be under 10 years old, valid at least 3 months after the visa ends, with 2 blank pages (Service Public, long-stay visa, October 2026). In the UK, TLScontact centres take the files and charge €40 to €55 on top of the visa fee (France-Visas, United Kingdom, November 2026).

What it costs to get through the first two years

Several fees rose on 1 May 2026. Here is the path for one person:

So one person pays about €749 in state fees to reach the second year, before visa centre fees, translations and insurance. A couple pays this twice.

Your first year: validate the visa within 3 months

The VLS-TS replaces a residence card for its first year. But it only works if you validate it online within 3 months of arrival, on the ANEF website of the Interior Ministry. You enter your visa details, your date of entry and your French address, then pay the tax by card. If you miss this step, you are no longer legally resident and cannot re-enter the Schengen area on that visa (France-Visas, arrival in France, November 2026). OFII, the French immigration office, may also call you for a medical visit.

Year two and after: one card at a time

Before the VLS-TS ends, you ask for a "visitor" card on ANEF, 4 to 2 months before expiry. It lasts 1 year and is renewable, and each year you prove the same resources, insurance and no work (Service Public, June 2026).

Here is the part many guides miss. Most migrants can move to a multi-year card after year one. Visitors cannot: Service Public lists the visitor card among those that do not lead to a multi-year card for the same reason of stay (Service Public, multi-year card, May 2026). So you renew every year until you qualify for a 10-year card.

The 2026 language and civic rules

The immigration law of 26 January 2024 added integration conditions. Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year card needs French at A2 level, and a first resident card needs B1. Both also need a pass in a new civic exam (Service Public, French language, February 2026; Interior Ministry, civic exam, 2026). For a retiree on the visitor route, the A2 rule matters little, because visitors do not get the multi-year card anyway. The B1 rule matters a lot.

There is one important exception. Applicants over 65 are exempt from the language level and the civic exam (Service Public, February 2026). Only TCF and TEF tests, or certain French diplomas, are accepted as proof.

The 10-year card after five years

After at least 5 years of legal, unbroken residence, you can ask for the "EU long-term resident" card. Years on the VLS-TS and the visitor card count. Absences of up to 6 months in a row, and 10 months in total, are allowed (Service Public, June 2026).

The conditions are:

• Stable, regular resources of at least the SMIC, written as €1,867.02 gross a month. Note that this test uses the gross figure, not the net one used for the visitor card.
• Health insurance.
• Integration: respect for the principles of the Republic, French at B1, and the civic exam "resident card" level. If you are over 65, only the first two parts apply.

The card is valid for 10 years and renewable. The first one costs €350, or €250 if you already hold a valid residence permit (Service Public, June 2026). It also lets you work.

Health care: private first, then PUMa

For the visa, you need private health insurance for the whole stay. Later, you can join French public health insurance, called PUMa (universal health protection). If you do not work, you must live in France for 3 months before your rights open, and you need a valid residence permit. Your rights stay open if you live in France at least 6 months a year (Service Public, PUMa, May 2026).

One change is coming. The 2026 social security budget law creates a new payment for people with PUMa who live in France, do not work and do not pay French social charges because of an international agreement. A decree will set the amount, and it was not published when we checked (Service Public, May 2026). Ask your local CPAM what you will owe.

PUMa covers part of your costs, not all of them. Many retirees add a top-up policy. If you are older, read our guide to health insurance for retirees over 75 abroad before you choose.

Tax: France will see you as a resident

You are tax resident in France if your home (foyer) or main place of stay is in France, if your main work is in France, or if the centre of your economic interests is in France. A French tax resident is taxed on French and foreign income, subject to international tax treaties (impots.gouv.fr, French resident, January 2026). That includes foreign pensions in most cases. The France-US and France-UK treaties each have their own pension articles, so read yours on the impots.gouv.fr treaty list and speak to a regulated tax adviser who knows both countries. If low tax is your main goal, compare countries that do not tax foreign pensions.

Step by step, from home to France

1. Check your income against the bar, using real rent and insurance quotes.
2. Find a home and buy health insurance for the whole stay.
3. Apply on France-Visas and pay €99 at the visa centre.
4. Validate your VLS-TS online within 3 months of arrival and pay €300.
5. Renew yearly on ANEF, and join PUMa after 3 months.
6. Prepare for year five: B1 French and the civic exam if you are under 65.

Not sure France is the best match for your income? Our retirement visa finder compares routes side by side.

Who this visa is not for

The visitor route is probably not right if:

• You want to earn money in France, even part time.
• You are under 65 and will not learn French. The 10-year card needs B1.
• You plan to live in France less than 6 months a year. Your PUMa rights can suffer.
• Your income sits just at the bar. It may pass the visa test and still be tight.

Compare Spain's non-lucrative visa, Italy's elective residence visa, Portugal's D7 visa, Greece's FIP visa and Ireland's Stamp 0, or start from our guide to the best countries to retire abroad. The France migration guide covers life beyond retirement.

Frequently asked questions

How much income do I need to retire in France?

Service Public sets the minimum for a single person at €1,477.93 net a month, or €17,735.19 a year. That is the net SMIC since 1 June 2026. Pensions, rental income and savings shown on bank statements can count.

Is there a higher income rule for a married couple?

Service Public does not publish a separate figure for a spouse. Your consulate and later the prefecture judge the household case by case. Many couples plan for each partner to meet the single-person bar, but ask your consulate how it assesses joint income.

Can I work remotely on a French visitor visa?

The visitor route requires a written promise not to work in France. Service Public lists employees, traders, self-employed people and liberal professions as excluded. If you have any ongoing income from work, ask the consulate before you apply.

Do I need to speak French to retire in France?

Not for the visa or the yearly visitor card. Since 1 January 2026, the 10-year resident card needs French at B1 level and a civic exam. People over 65 are exempt from both.

When can I use French public health care?

If you do not work, you can join PUMa after 3 months of stable, legal residence in France. You need your residence permit and must live in France at least 6 months a year. Until then, keep private insurance.

Check your fit before you commit

France asks for less income than many people expect, but more paperwork and patience. Every year you renew, and after five years you need French unless you are over 65. Is that a rhythm you can live with?

If you want a second view on your income, health and plans, take our free migration assessment. It takes about 2 minutes.

This article is general information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules and figures change. Always confirm with the official source, the French consulate, your prefecture and a regulated adviser before you act.