Hi Jacquie
This week I’ve been trying to phone Carsat Normandie and is closed every time. I have tried every day apart from Wednesday. Do you know the opening times?
They provide an answer phone message in really fast French that I cant understand, giving the opening times I think. As this is the international office, it would be great if they could speak slowly and clearly!
Thanks
I just tried again and amazingly got through.
I spoke to a lady who speaks French really fast (maybe she made the answer message). I couldn’t really understand what she said, but I got that they are inquiring into my career, and things are in progress.
Next time I think I need a French person to call for me, I didnt get much from that call, apart from a general sense that things are progressing and there aren’t any problems. Which is maybe enough to know?
I cant believe this! Out of the blue I got an email from l’assurance retreat, saying they were paying my pension! They back paid the last 3 months, since my retirement date. It’s a lot less than I thought, but it’s amazing! I want to thank everyone here for their help, I couldn’t have done it otherwise!
I do have to do this activity though, once a year, to prove I’m still alive. Does anyone know how to do this, from the UK?
“Indicate your preferred method of contact to receive your proof of life certificate.”
“You live abroad and receive a French pension. Each year, you must have your proof of life certificate completed by the local authority in your country of residence and return it within two months of the issue date. If your proof of life certificate is not sent on time, your pension payments will be suspended.”
The first time I went through the “Certificate of Life” process, I had to go to make an appointment at the main Registrar’s Office at my local County Council. I took my passport, a utility bill and the form provided by the French pensions authority. The Registrar signed and stamped the form.
Last year the Assurance Retraite sent me a link to upload a video. First I had to show my passport, then follow instructions for a face-on then left and right profiles.
It’s a simple process.
I’ve just had to do this Zero.
When they first, finally paid my pension, I was required to fill in a paper PoL, verified by a solicitor or official with a stamp , and post it to them, they will email to acknowledge receipt.
I got my annual request just recently, this can be done on line through their app. You take a photo of your passport and one of your face, job done.
BUT, if you’re a married woman the app doesn’t work, it’s because the name on your UK passport doesn’t contain your maiden name and it’s the only official ID they’ll accept.
You’ll have to download and print out the declaration and get it verified, usually by a solicitor or local councilor, whoever it is they must have an official stamp.
You can then scan the form and send electronically to them, they will acknowledge receipt.
Jacquie, I’ve just seen your reply and I’m confused!
The app wouldn’t accept my passport at all, no matter what we did. How did you manage it please?.
I realise now that they are now paying me the basic pension only.
I had also paid into the AGIRC ARRCO pension and I assumed Carsat Normandie would pay that at the same time as the basic pension. But maybe they are very separate things and they dont talk to AGIRC ARRCO ?
I have both of those pension providers here and AGIRC ARCCO are totally independent to the Carsat.
Hi Debby, I have received my French pension for a few years now. Getting it in the first place was hard work but one first paid all has gone well.
Curently paid in euros as have been French resident, until now.
Currently I have not advised them of leaving France and my french bank account will stay open for a year or so until I am sure all ins and outs are sorted.
I doubt they will pay in sterling but that’s not a problem as I can use Wise to convert as and when.
So, how to I stand tax wise and do I keep my franch bank account open indefinitely in order to receive my pension.
Any practical experiences most welcome.
Hi Shiba, this is good to know. How did you tell AGIRC ARRCO you want to receive the pension? I’m looking at the assurance retreat website, in the https://espace-personnel.agirc-arrco.fr/ section, and cant figure out how to apply online. Do I need to send them a message?
Over a year after receiving my French pension, I have received information from AGIRC ARCCO asking me to justify “relevé de carrière”. Heaven knows why the two systems cannot communicate! I can only conclude that the retirement date for AGIRC ARCCO is different from the date used by CARSAT.
Hang in there!
We have kept our French bank account open as it’s handy to send money to the kids and having a French bank card makes things easy to get money out and to pay for stuff when we visit.
Hi Tim, yes certainly an option we have considered and may be the best method going forward.
Of course that doesn’t answer the question of how to handle ongoing French pension payments i.e. will I have to continue submitting french tax declaration every year as now, other than my french pension, all income originates from UK.
That’s frustrating, but also very useful to know. I’ve now written to them via the “messages” section in the https://espace-personnel.agirc-arrco.fr/ website, asking how do I apply for the pension. It may work… hopefully
Hi John, we kept our French bank until I got my first monthly French pension and then requested them to pay direct to Wise, just had to supply details which we printed out from the Wise website. It goes in every month, no problem. Then we closed the French bank account.
For the tax side, I’d speak to HMRC, we only pay tax on all our pensions here in the Uk, we don’t have to fill in French tax forms but we did inform them when we moved back. If I’m making sense?
I thought you have to tax in France for French income?
Once you are non French resident, and assuming this pension is for past service to a French private sector company, the pension can’t be taxed in France under Article 18 of the tax treaty. It’s exactly the mirror image of how a UK non government pension is taxed for French residents. I can’t see why you’d need to file a French return, going forward as a non resident - unless you have any ongoing French taxable income or gains.
You should only be paying and declaring the pension to the UK once you become UK resident.
See extract below from the Impôts site….
We had our own business and my pension comes from MSA, I informed the Impots of our new address in the UK when we left France in 2023 but last year we still had to complete a return for 2024, was this incorrect?
They contacted me to inform me of when and what I would be paid. I only had to reply via email with those details. They had all details of work history already which my employer back then would have forwarded.
I recommend that you download and keep a copy of your work history (relevé de carrière). Because there are so many different organisations that deal with pensions in France, you may find yourself having to provide that work history to another pension authority.
