Retire to Languedoc - health, tax, money and pensions issues

Many Brits who move to the south of France are in the 50+ age bracket and looking to spend their golden years in the sun. So here are some pointers for a stress-free move to Languedoc in the later stages of life.

Rules and regulations

Good news! A residence permit is not a statutory requirement for EU nationals staying longer than three months in France. You can still apply for a carte de séjour if you really want to (it can be useful as a form of personal ID, as it is still recognised in some parts of France), but a UK passport would probably do the job just as well.

Healthcare and medical cover

If you are on a “recce” trip to France that lasts for less than three months, take an EHIC (European Health Insurance Card – it replaced the E111 form) with you. It entitles you to 90 per cent of the costs of emergency medical treatment. Get the application form (T6) from UK post offices or download the form from www.dh.gov.uk. After three months, the EHIC runs out and you will need to be in the French healthcare system.

Tax-related matters

A good source of information for tax-related matters is the Inland Revenue Centre for Non-Residents, tel. 0845 915 4811 (from the UK) www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/cnr.

The Inland Revenue publishes a useful leaflet entitled “Living or Retiring Abroad”.

Pensions and benefits

Useful information for those planning retirement to France (and other overseas destinations) can be obtained from the International Pension Centre, tel. +44 (0)191 218 7777 www.thepensionservice.gov.uk

If you are already getting a UK pension, it is possible to arrange for it to be paid direct into a French bank account (the UK state pension is payable in full anywhere in the European Economic Area).

UK pensions paid in France (except for British Armed Forces and Government-derived pensions) are taxed in France (not the UK).

For those retiring to France before the official retirement age, it is possible to get a UK state pension forecast by filling in form BR19 (download it from www.thepensionservice.gov.uk site).

Retiring to Languedoc and entitled to UK state benefits such as pension, invalidity or bereavement? Get form E121 from the UK Department for Work and Pensions so you can register with French social security (and thus get the same benefits as the French in France).

UK-derived social security benefits cannot be paid to you if you reside permanently outside the UK – but you can claim local benefits on the same terms as the French, from their social services.

Social security leaflets available from your local UK benefits agency include GL29 “Going Abroad and Social Security Benefits” and SA29 “Your social security insurance, benefits and health care rights in the European Community, and in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.”