No, as France is generally affordable. And things that are exoensive, like lenses, you can buy elsewhere.
The issue is finding a dentist who will take you on their books. But I can’t imagine ever wanting to travel to another country for medical treatment anyway. With travel and insurance costs, plus repeat visits, and potentially after are issues it seems hardly worth it,
The Prudential International Bond is a popular choice fir assuran e vie
This forum is on a roll - I guess I’m going to ask 2 or 3 more questions if that’s OK?
– Has anybody on the forum installed solar panels/heat pump?
We want to be as sustainable as possible and we’ve just had a TV program on these 2 techs, just yesterday on TV and they do seem like a no-brainer in France at least given a healthy governmental subsidy,
The current price war between China (Byd) and France (Dacia, Citroen) on reducing the cost of e-cars is something else!
Affordable at last.
https://www.channel5.com/show/heat-pumps-are-they-really-worth-it
PS I’m guessing you guys can all watch UK TV using a VPN (cheapest one I’ve found is surfshark incidentally)
You’re absolutely right - I hope we get a Martin Lewis / MoneySavingsExpert in France to help out the little guy.
I understand - I’ve paid full price for many dental procedures (all fillings), out-patient (X-rays to take home) and in-patient treatment France over the last 40 years - and it is reasonably priced.
Yes, but the grant system is constantly in flux so what is available now may well not be in a bit. And many require you to have a revenue fiscal de référence to be eligible which you only get after you have submitted first tax return
There still seem to be lots of monthly soft lenses available, but I’ve no idea how prices compare between UK and France.
I’ve been wearing hard, GP lenses for over fifty years; have my eyes checked regularly, but only get the prescription from the opticians, then order online. With Trump’s trade war starting, I thought it was worth getting a spare set in addition to a replacement one. particularly as the postage cost was the same for three as for one.
My wife and I have accounts with the Halifax, Lloyds and NatWest - all are aware that we are French residents.
Definitely a cyclist, I’m out every day, On gardening, I was promoted to chief composting officer by my wife, but have no other gardening responsibilities!
The ‘CEHR’ is applied to income above 500k€ for a married couple. I assume you’d sell your house before coming to France (ideally) to avoid having to determine whether you also have a gain in € as a French resident/whether main residence relief would apply etc. If so, would your remaining income in. France as a resident really exceed 500k, even with a lump sum? If so, and I’m no CEHR specialist, it would seem you might well be caught. If though your income is less than 500k €, then no. Pots of savings eg placed in investments are not in themselves income .There is relief under the CEHR for exceptional income but that presupposes you’ve already had a couple of years worth of ordinary levels of income in France.
Yes, in fact you can have a number of AV (we have 4) and as couples can’t share, you have individual AV accounts. Jane has already responded on the choice of pre-made AV. Nalo and others do all the investment choices for you - it’s a fully managed service. They obviously need to know your timeframe(s) for any of your financial projects, risk appetite etc - they will do the rest… that’s why I have always used both in the UK or France, managed investment services as I don’t have the knowledge or time to research what to invest in, and when to reallocate etc etc.
Best of luck
[quote=“SBcamsci, post:75, topic:51281”]
Spain for dental treatment [/quote]
I had a bad toothache last July. Infection/abcess. My M.T. gave me antibiotics. I went to a dental clinic here in Vire.
"I’m in a lot of pain. "
“Abcess?”
“Yes”
“Can’t take you. Call us in October”
Fortunately another dose of turbo-power antibios has knocked it out - for now.
Spain for me and dentistry. It is, switching body parts, a no-brainer because I used to live in Valencia.
I could walk across the city centre from my flat to the dentist in 15 mins. Now it takes either a drive to Nantes and Ryanair or train to Paris > Orly > VLC [return] plus B & B
The caption is “May the Smile be with you”
The dental clinic is superb - premier div. Dr Cots and his colleagues speak good English. They have the very latest in hardware. I lost part of a crown - not enough for a complete replacement. A 3D scan and 15 mins later the part was printed on a desktop 3D printer!
I’ve had 2 implants - 1/2 UK prices - and root canal 
They have 'many clients from France’ and other expensive contries.
The trick, unless you’re happy to dodge back and forth on an almost day-trip basis, is to book far enough ahead so that they can fit in two RdV in a week, if necc. They don’t do Wednesdays, which complicates matters: maybe that’s a training day.
‘Bajo’ means ground floor.
As for medical treatment, once you are in the hands of the actual medical people the service/treatment here in FR is, in my experience, superb. It’s getting seen which is the nightmare.
For the first time since I had a meniscus [knee part] removed in 1966 [UK] I had need of full-on medical treatment to remove a skin cancer carcinoma. Trying to get a timely RdV with a dermatologue in July/Aug ['23] was impossible. I was offered RdVs many months ahead. One in Dec
I arrived at a clinic after looking on Doctolib. Recepetion looked at me oddly. “The Dr is on holiday and the RdV is today - NEXT YEAR!”
I went to reception at the hospital at St Lo and showed some unpleasant looking photos. I was sent straight to dermatology and all went chop-chop thereafter. The surgeon even apologised for a two week delay because of a scheduling muddle. Everyone was so kind.
It and all my treatments/medications cost me nothing because I qualify for ’ Complémentaire santé solidaire’ This puts me on the same basis as a patient in UK or ES - free at the point of treatment. It is, of course, for those on ‘low incomes’. I am very grateful for the French including immigrants on this scheme although I understand that charges paid by the FR health service are refunded by HMG if one is an S1 person.
My eyes are so different that my lenses are free, when I can be bothered with them. If I’m playing tennis etc I just bung a daily throwaway in my shortsighted eye.
Can I just reiterate something I mentioned earlier? If you are going to take the pension lump sum whilst French resident, watch out for the potentially yawning man-trap of French inheritance tax (droits de succession).
IF you transfer any of that to your wife, over and above a threshold of approx 81k€, you would unfortunately join the club of 20% taxpayers for lifetime gifts to a spouse. This could arise if you transfer part of it to an account in your wife’s name eg with Nalo etc. Do ensure that any sums co-invested come from joint assets eg your UK house proceeds if it’s held in joint names.
Counsel of perfection, but ideally take the pension lump sum in a complete calendar year of French residence as opposed to a ‘split’ calendar year of part UK, part French residence. I would argue it helps strengthens your claim under the UK/France tax treaty that only France can tax the lump sum.
Isn’t it better still to take it while still UK resident so it’s tax free? Or am I missing something?
That is the best way.
I would if that option were open to me. Even if I’d end up with more money by cashing in the pension while resident in France and having an S1 or full private health insurance, I personally find the prospect of the paperwork very off-putting.
George was able to get his local French tax office to sign and stamp the double taxation form promptly, which he then sent off to HMRC so they could pay back the emergency tax levied on his personal pension withdrawal.
But not all French tax offices are so obliging, plus HMRC can drag their heels. So the whole business can be a right hassle which frankly I can do without.
Indeed - I was thinking (selfishly!) of my situation where I am still in the UK for now.
Not selfish at all. Sure it’s relevant for anyone like yourself still in the UK but thinking of making the move.
Another consideration for us - although it certainly won’t apply to everyone - is that since my husband is going to be joining the Sécu through PUMA in 2026, any “passive” income he earns in 2025 over and above roughly €23 000 will be liable to the 6% CSM charge. He’s already at the limit with his UK rental income so any big payout from a UK personal pension would attract the full weight of the CSM.
What’s tax free for a UK resident is only 25% of the pension fund, and the amount is capped. Take a 100% lump sum in France, when resident there, and potentially only pay 6.75% tax…(social charges may also apply, depending on whether or not you are privately insured for medical, have an S1 etc).
I also loathe paperwork, and want to do anything to minimise the hassle. However if you take any private UK pension when French resident, you are effectively forced to do the FFI process, given that France will tax you on all the pension, regardless of whether the UK has withheld from it or not. You definitely want that UK withheld tax back.
You’re absolutely right that it takes time and paperwork but that’s because the UK will not allow people to self assess (ie award themselves) their own NT (no tax) PAYE code, which would entirely solve the tax cash flow problem. Some other countries allow you to self assess your own NT code equivalent but HMRC simply doesn’t trust taxpayers enough to behave responsibly (probably correctly!).
Ah OK understood - I will probably only take 25% or less as a lump sum (may not take out any of it) so doing it while I am still in the UK will work best for me…
Thanks George. I think we’re going to postpone cashing in the UK personal pensions until we’re UK resident again. Probably in our 70s.
I understand these days you can leave the money invested with no obligation to buy an annuity before a certain age.
