What you should do if you need to give up French residency
If you're leaving France for good, or for a long period, then you need to make sure that all your paperwork is up to date before you leave and that might mean officially giving up French residency. Here's how to do it.
People move to France for numerous personal and professional reasons - and there are as many valid grounds as to why many decide to leave the country.
Anyone who does leave France permanently will have a number of administrative jobs to do. Most of them are similar to moving house within the country - dealing with final utility bills, for example, and informing the necessary authorities that you’re changing address.
Others are more final, but doing them will ensure, for example, that you are no longer taxed in France.
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 a recently created Interior Ministry 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.
Be aware, this is far from the only thing you need to do.
Tax office
To ensure you are no longer subject to taxes in France, you must inform your tax office that you are moving and give them your new address.
Remember, income taxes in France are paid the following year, so don’t be surprised to receive tax forms to complete at your new, post-French address - they will need to be returned and any outstanding taxes will have to be paid.
This is especially important to contact them if you continue to earn some form of French income, such as a salary or pension, which may still be taxable in France.
If you don’t do this, and you leave without arranging to pay all owed taxes, you could find that you run into problems if you try to re-enter the country.
All the information you need is here, on the impots.gouv.fr website.
Social Security
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)
If you get child or housing benefit in France, you have to contact CAF and tell them when you are leaving the country.
Driving licence
Holders of French driving licences should be aware that they may have to exchange their licence for one issued in their new country of residence after a certain period. You’ll have to start this process after you move.
Don’t forget…
You will also need to inform energy and water suppliers, and your bank, in France, otherwise you may continue to rack up charges after you leave the country - which, again, could lead to problems if you try to return to the country later.
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People move to France for numerous personal and professional reasons - and there are as many valid grounds as to why many decide to leave the country.
Anyone who does leave France permanently will have a number of administrative jobs to do. Most of them are similar to moving house within the country - dealing with final utility bills, for example, and informing the necessary authorities that you’re changing address.
Others are more final, but doing them will ensure, for example, that you are no longer taxed in France.
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 a recently created Interior Ministry 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.
Be aware, this is far from the only thing you need to do.
Tax office
To ensure you are no longer subject to taxes in France, you must inform your tax office that you are moving and give them your new address.
Remember, income taxes in France are paid the following year, so don’t be surprised to receive tax forms to complete at your new, post-French address - they will need to be returned and any outstanding taxes will have to be paid.
This is especially important to contact them if you continue to earn some form of French income, such as a salary or pension, which may still be taxable in France.
If you don’t do this, and you leave without arranging to pay all owed taxes, you could find that you run into problems if you try to re-enter the country.
All the information you need is here, on the impots.gouv.fr website.
Social Security
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)
If you get child or housing benefit in France, you have to contact CAF and tell them when you are leaving the country.
Driving licence
Holders of French driving licences should be aware that they may have to exchange their licence for one issued in their new country of residence after a certain period. You’ll have to start this process after you move.
Don’t forget…
You will also need to inform energy and water suppliers, and your bank, in France, otherwise you may continue to rack up charges after you leave the country - which, again, could lead to problems if you try to return to the country later.
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