Hi
Was hoping to work remotely from France for my UK based employer. Looks like due to a restructure there I will have to work a compressed week in London spending Fri-Sat-Sun in France.
I get the income tax side of it (paying UK tax paying french tax and getting a credit against french tax liability for UK tax paid)
Not sure about getting access to french health care. My wife will be resident in France full time I will be tax resident but only here for weekends.
How do we join the French health care system with this set of circumstances ?
Any help appreciated muchly.
Not quite sure I understand the balanceā¦you say āworking remotely from Franceā which could mean you are working from home in France, in which case you would be french resident etc etc. But then say āworking a compressed week in Londonā which is very different as you would most likely be classed as UK resident as that would add up to over 183 days a year.
Access to healthcare is individual now, with PUMA. So your wife can get signed on after three months residence as long as she can show adequate resources, and she will have to pay the required cotisations. If you remain a U.K. resident then you canāt get access, and just have to rely on using your EHIC (long may it last).
But it would be worth getting professional advice on your residence and tax status as it can be complex and hinge on odd things. There is an online tool on HMRC website to have a simple check, but you might find it doesnāt come out with a clear answer.
We did similar for a year or so as I stayed in UK to work and look after my mother, and OH became resident here. The french tax authorities struggled with us as we didnāt fit their boxes. And I wasnāt eligible to join french health system.
I think you may find yourself in a seriously complex situation. Under the 183 day rule itās likely you will be resident in the UK for tax purposes as @JaneJones has already said. However, the French residence rules are a bit different and the French authorities may also have an argument that you are resident for tax purposes in France.
You also need to think about social charges. I imagine your UK employer will be deducting National Insurance from your salary but you may also find yourself subject to social charges in France which are significantly more than in the UK but will get you access to French healthcare.
You should probably get some urgent professional advice before taking this job so that you can structure your working time in the UK in the most efficient manner both from tax/social charges perspective and from a healthcare perspective.
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This sounds as though you need to do all your work in the U.K. and apply for a āworkerāsā S1 to cover your familyās healthcare in France. Take care, any work you do while you are physically in France will be taxable in France and your company will be liable to contribute as well. That will work out expensive for them. Mandyās advice to get professional advice is good advice.
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I can understand the workerās S1 for people who are posted to France by employer. But canāt quite grasp how it works if you essentially remain resident in U.K. as you are just coming to France for weekends - donāt you have to be resident in France to be entitled to workerās S 1?
But as weāve all said thatās a key reason to take professional advice as residency can be murkyā¦
No. You can be resident in the UK and be issued with a workers S1 on which your French resident dependants are the named beneficiries. Just contact the DWP overseas healthcare team.
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Many thanks for the replies.
I have an appointment next friday with a specialist which will set me off in the right direction.
Thanks again
Thatās useful to knowā¦but would the S1 holder themself also have access to french healthcare?
Totally irrelevant to me, but I like to understand how things work. Thoā still donāt get the motivation of the DWP in doing this. Same as for retired people and their S1ās, Iām delighted that the UK has given me S1 cover based on my husbandās eligibility but I really donāt see why they should have done so!
Retired folk, who have āpaid their Stampā throughout their working livesā¦ are entitled to their State Health Cover continuing into their Retirementā¦when they will receive their State Pension.
Seems fair enough to me.
Sureā¦totally fair. But just because my OH is eligible, why should the UK pay for me when I am 5 years off my pension?
If you are married, there is always a link between the partiesā¦ If you do not wish to accept the link, you do not have toā¦
Your husband (presumably) completed the form requesting the S1, with you listed in the detailsā¦
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Maybe Iām not explaining myself clearly. I just donāt understand the legislative basis for them doing this as in many other circumstances UK authorities donāt extend their responsibility to family members.
And the UK have now ditched the pre-retirement S1ās based on peopleās own N1 contributions, so even more baffling that they would offer one based on someone elseās.
(And no, no application was made as it is automatic at state retirement age)
Sorry, I thought folk had to ask for an S1 if they wanted oneā¦ I know 95 year old neighbour had to request hers 3 years ago 
ā¦
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No. They would not fulfill the residency criteria which, presumably the dependants do.
Because you are classed as his ādependantā - same system operates throughout Europe.