For any number of reasons, people who have moved to France later decide to leave - job contracts or placements end; family members fall ill; people move on, move out, move back.
Whatever the reason, thousands of people pack up their lives in France just every year. And yes, this is France, so there are certain bureaucratic steps to take.
The tax office
The taxman needs to know you’re leaving the country. You can inform them of the fact and date of your departure online, by logging into your Personal area on the impots.gouv.fr website. Remember, income taxes in France are paid the following year, so don’t be surprised to receive tax forms at your new, non-French address.
It is especially important to contact them if you continue to earn some form of French income, such as a salary or pension, which may - under international conventions - still be taxable in France.
Meanwhile, if you have a French pension, you should contact your pension provider. You should also contact the international pension centre in the country you’re moving to. You can find the UK international pension centre here.
In fact, it’s probably a good idea to talk to a financial adviser who understands the tax system in France AND in the country you’re moving to before you move. Organising your finances at both ends is recommended.
Healthcare
If you are registered with the French healthcare system and have a carte vitale, you need to tell Assurance Maladie that you are leaving France. What you need to know is here, and the declaration you to complete is here (pdf)
Broadly, if you are moving to another EU country, or one in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, you can ask for a form that allows you to carry over your health benefits from France to your new home.
France also has bilateral health agreements with a number of non-EU countries. A list of those countries, and further information on what to do, for health purposes, if you’re moving to a country with or without a healthcare agreement with France is available here
It’s probably a good idea to tell your GP (médecin traitant), too.
Social security
The same applies if you receive unemployment benefit - you need to tell your Pôle emploi office that you’re leaving France. Give them a leaving date, so they can work out when to stop payments to you.
If you’re heading to another EU country, the equivalent of Pôle emploi in that country can take into account periods of work in France. You can also keep your benefits for a certain period.
You can find further information on your benefit rights - including the forms you need to complete - here
And, if you get child or housing benefit in France, you have to talk to CAF and tell them when you are leaving the country.
Education
If you have children who attend school in France, you need to inform the headteacher of the school. They will supply all the documents you require for moving schools. Of course, you’ll need to register any children into the education system in your new country.
La Poste
La Poste will forward any letters to your new address for up to 12 months. Click here for more information.
Carte de séjour
If you are a citizen of a non-EU country, you will also have a carte de séjour residency permit.
If you have a ‘permanent’ residency permit to stay in France, you can leave France and live elsewhere for up to two years without losing your residency rights. Although for Britons covered by the Brexit withdrawal agreement they are allowed to leave France for up to five years without running the risk of losing their residency permit.
If you return to France after that period then you run the risk of losing your residency permit and will be forced to go through the appropriate process again.
But, if you do not plan to return within that period, you need to notify the authorities, as you would if you move house within France. Click here for information about process (in French).
Handily, you complete the process online. Once you are ready to start the process, you need to log on to the ANEF website dedicated to foreign nationals living in France. Once you have created an account - by inputting the 'Personal Number' on your carte, as well as its issue and expiry dates (the issue date is on the back, expiry date on the front), and logging into the site - you can declare your change of address.
Do this after you have moved, as you will need proof of address, in the form of a utility bill or similar. Acceptable forms of proof are detailed on the site as you go through the process.
Anyone moving within France should demand a new titre de séjour by clicking Oui to the Mise à jour de mon titre de séjour prompt. But those moving outside France should tick 'no' at this point.
Remember that if you come back to France as a visitor, you will be bound by the 90-day rule.
Emma Pearson
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