Residency status

Not being able to start the process for residency in France, the house will stay as a holiday bolt hole when travel restrictions lift.
I know time is running out for those wishing to take advantage of the easier transitional agreement but has anyone a clue how much harder it may be in a couple of years time when we may want to move to France?
Should we start the easy process before the date is up even though we dont have all the paperwork?

It doesn’t look harder at the moment as far as the government website is concerned, apart from getting the requisite visa first, but the higher income requirements would put it out of the question for a number of people who are already here and for their equivalents who would like to come here.

I think there are several people on this site who have arrived after 31/12/2020 and they will have started the process so I’m sure they will update you on their experience so far!

Retirement with sufficient income should be nearly as easy, I would think. Whatever sh*t state the UK is in I doubt that we’ll get into a situation where France would make it harder than for citizens of any other 3rd nation.

Obviously moving before retirement to work in France will be a whole different kettle of fish.

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People moved to France before the EU, and will do so again. If you have adequate funds (which is not that high a threshold) there hshould be no problem.

People with little money, jobseekers, and people who just want to try their hand at setting up a business will have more hoops to jump through.

What has totally gone is the opportunity for young people to mooch round europe for a year finding a place, job, lifestyle that suits them and then settling down.

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What was so great about the previous arrangement was that people with quite low incomes could retire here and also, as you say, younger people looking to start a new life from scratch, perhaps, or just to explore and work out what’s what.The well-to-do will always be able to travel where they want…

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Thanks everyone, great to read, what sort of income levels now and after the easy route closes are we talking about. Obviously this is an issue as Covid removed all income for now and savings are reducing. I shall hopefully be working again by Autumn.

Are you planning on arriving as a retired person, John? There used to be guidance on the French government website as to what is required for residency, including income levels for retirees but I can’t find it at the moment. Will post when I do!

I’m confused - I thought John did live in France

Under 65: 559.74€ per month for a single person or 839.62€ for a couple

Retired: 868€ per month for a single person and 1347€ for a couple.

Unless Angela beats me to it I’ll try to check those are the most up to date figures & provide a link.

I thought those figures were for pre-30/12/2021 arrivals but of course I could be wrong! I looked at the prefecture website for my departement and they have removed the guideline figures, saying that it’s all decided on a case-by-case basis. Annoying! If you find anything else @anon88169868 I would like to know so I can bookmark it for later enquiries. I think the figures are usually based on the SMIC ones but that could be for EU nationalities. My goodness this is all confusing…

Yes, I think the levels might be different for EU and 3rd nation citizens.

They reduced the levels for a couple to €564.78 before the brexit date, not sure about after levels though.

" So how much do I need?

The Withdrawal Agreement states that each application must be considered on a case-by-case basis, so there are no set-in-stone limits.

The French take the level for RSA as a guide figure. Revenue de Solidarité Active (RSA) is the French in-work benefit. Anyone earning below a certain amount is entitled to top-up benefits and this is the figure that is being used to calculate what is a reasonable income level.

As with all benefit levels, it changes over time, but currently the level is €564.78 per month.

There’s good news for British people – the French government has said that unlike for other types of application, British people can declare this as an income for their household – so if you are a couple you only need €564.78 between you, not €564.78 each – and there is no higher rate for over 65s.

In more good news, RSA is the guideline figure that will be applied for all types of application. The French benefit level for pensions – ASPA – is higher and there fears that some people would not meet this threshold, but the Arrêté says that RSA is the guideline figure.

The document states: “The adequacy of resources is assessed in the light of the personal situation of the person concerned.

“Regardless of the number of people in the household, the amount required may not exceed the minimum amount of the RSA for a single person without children.”

The case-by-case decision process also means that if, for example, you fall slightly below the threshold but own your own home outright, the préfecture will have to take that into account when deciding your case."

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000042576710

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Not yet Paul, pre Brexit I did spend long periods in France but back in the UK now and trying to look at the next stage of location/life/retirement, I think we are the same age.

Great information everyone, giving cause to look closely at whether to jump now or wait.

John specifically asked about a non-WA, post Brexit, move to France - hence the higher minimum incomes that I quoted.

I can’t see that the conditions from the French side are likely to change significantly in the near future.Now that UK citizens are Third Country Nationals any new arrivals will be treated the same as arrivals from anywhere else. I know there is a rather widespread belief in sections of the UK that the EU has got it in for Brits and therefore will make things particularly difficult, but as well as being untrue it would also mean now that EU countries would have to create new harsher rules for Brits rather than treating them like everyone else.

Having said all that, I can see that language requirements might tighten generally depending on the flavour of future French governments :thinking:

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I think the process for non europeans is to get a visa type D in your country of residence, and swap it for a carte de séjour once you are here if you want to stay for more than a year.

For this I think you need gross income equivalent to SMIC which is just on 19,000€ before tax, not sure if they ask for more than that to prove you will not be a burden on the French state. And I think to speak French to A1 level (which is quite a low level). And proper health insurance.

Yes.

In terms of resources, this page gives the amounts for an EU citizen (open the “Droits au sejour en tante que retraité(e) ou inactif(ve)” tab)

This page covers non-EU citizens. It’s not as helpful to be honest - I can’t see that it covers retirement, for instance.

The section labelled “Documents exigés pour un long sejour” takes you to this page which, if you fill in your details will give you information about what you need but none of the scenarios are retirement or just living in france without working.

If you do want to work (and set up a business) you need:

So, if I’m reading that correctly 615€ a month which seems tiny.

John I would strongly suggest now. After 30 June we are 3rd country nationals ie same hard conditions as rest of the world not EU.

Normal income reqt is already almost double for TCN’s what is being asked in WA process. It is uprated yearly. I am pretty sure a couple can’t share the same figure as 1 single either as in the WA. Lastly I think someone here said renewal after whatever initial period you get won’t have harsher conditions. Unlike TCN conditions which can harden at any time.

If you have docs to fulfil the 1-document per question area of the WA process that can indicate residence even for parts of 2020 I would go for it.

Residence obvs means you’d have to sort out tax as from which date you entered france last year intending to become resident. And also start your S1106 health application you can put “en cours” comment for that on WA appn.

I would not let the opportunity go by if your intentions were clear as of your last entry date in 2020. Some people only came with that intention on 30th or 31st December!..and are doing their WA appn

PS @Corona if you own your own house this is one of the things that may give a bit of leeway on the income requirement

@Corona

Not necessarily.

I know people who applied for the Withdrawal Agreement Residency Permit who had proof of property ownership from at least 5 years ago (insurance, attestation of ownership etc), a recent bill (to show current ownership), but had never made a tax return in France. Their applications went through with no hitches at all.

There is nothing to be lost by starting a WARP application now, but a lot to lose.