France Relocation Checklist — Europe Unlocked

Phase 1 · 12–18 months out

Decide with real numbers

Take a scouting trip — you get 90 days visa-free per rolling 180 (the EES biometric system has been counting your days since October 2025; ETIAS, ~€20, expected late 2026) Confirm your route: for retirees and the financially independent it's the long-stay visitor visa — benchmark ≈€1,478/month per person, and no work in France If you plan to work: stop — there is no digital-nomad visa. Pick a work route (salarié, entrepreneur, talent passport) before applying Shortlist regions with the Where to Live guide — Paris runs €9,580/m² against a €3,405 national average Build a monthly budget from the Cost of Living data — plan on ~€2,500–3,500/month for a couple outside Paris, not the visa minimum Book a cross-border tax consultation — the US treaty is unusually favourable but Roth IRAs are unsettled; Canadians must plan departure tax before leaving Start French lessons now — the law requires A2 for a multi-year card, B1 for the 10-year card, B2 for citizenship (all since January 2026)

Phase 2 · 6–12 months out

Build the paper foundation

Assemble income evidence: pension/Social Security award letters, investment and bank statements — showing 1.5–2× the ≈€1,478/month benchmark per person reduces refusal risk Secure accommodation evidence for the application — a lease, a deed, or a host attestation covering your arrival Buy private health insurance covering the full stay (medical + repatriation) — required with the visitor visa application; you can't join the state system until 3 months after arrival Ask your bank about US-person policies and line up a French account plan — some French banks refuse American clients over FATCA; keep your US/Canadian accounts open Check your driving licence: 18 US states and most Canadian provinces exchange without a test — confirm yours on the official ANTS/consulate list (Living guide) Pets: ISO microchip first, then rabies shot at least 21 days before travel — the order matters (Living guide)

Phase 3 · 3–6 months out

Apply — from home, not from France

Complete the online application on France-Visas (france-visas.gouv.fr) and book your appointment at the VFS Global/TLScontact centre covering your state or province Attend the appointment with the full file and sign the commitment not to work in France — visa fee €99, plus a ~€30–60 service-centre fee While you wait (typically 2–4 weeks once the file is complete): plan the physical move, flights, and shipping Pets, final step: EU animal health certificate endorsed by USDA-APHIS (US) or CFIA (Canada) within 10 days of arrival — book the vet and endorsement together Receive your VLS-TS visa and book travel — and budget the €300 validation tax you'll pay after arrival

Phase 4 · Arrival & first 90 days

Become a resident, properly

Validate your VLS-TS online on the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival — €300 tax (since May 2026). Until it's validated, your visa isn't a residence permit Open the French bank account and set up utilities — internet ~€30/month, couple's utilities ~€150–250/month (indicative) At the 3-month mark: apply to your CPAM for state health coverage (PUMa) — the carte Vitale follows; shop for a mutuelle (~€80–160/month per person in your 60s, market estimate) Start your driving-licence exchange via ANTS — the deadline is 1 year from residence, and if your state doesn't have reciprocity you'll need the French tests (Living guide) Diarise your renewal: apply at the préfecture (via ANEF) 2 to 4 months before your visa year ends — the online window opens 4 months out — same income bar, still no work Mark year 5 in the calendar: the 10-year carte de résident (B1 French + civic exam, €350 fee) and citizenship eligibility (B2 French + civic exam, 40 questions, 80% to pass)

The rules moved on three fronts this year alone — the language ladder and civic exam (January 2026), the validation tax rise to €300 (May 2026), and the mid-year SMIC rise that shifts the income benchmark (June 2026). The newsletter below is how we tell you when this page changes.

Sources

Visa application, fees (€99 + service fee) and no-work commitment: france-visas.gouv.fr
VLS-TS validation within 3 months and €300 tax (since May 2026): service-public.gouv.fr; ofii.fr; ANEF portal (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr)
PUMa 3-month rule and carte Vitale: service-public.gouv.fr (F34308); ameli.fr
Renewal, 10-year card and citizenship rules (incl. language ladder and civic exam since 1 Jan 2026): service-public.gouv.fr (F16162, F2208, F11926)
Licence exchange within 1 year: ANTS (ants.gouv.fr) and Interior Ministry/consulate reciprocity lists
Pets: EU Regulation 576/2013; USDA APHIS; CFIA
Income benchmark and SMIC: info.gouv.fr; URSSAF — consular benchmark is practice, not law

The whole move,in order.

Decide with real numbers

Build the paper foundation

Apply — from home, not from France

Become a resident, properly

Sources

This checklist updates. So should you.

The whole move,
in order.