Moving to France from the U.S.
How Americans can live in France: the visitor route and its 2026 income figure, the talent cards and the EU Blue Card, the new French-language and civic exams, citizenship after five years, and what tax, health coverage, rent and paperwork involve, with every figure taken from, or calculated from, an official source and dated.
France in 2026 Is Not the France of the Old Blog Posts
France has changed its residence rules, fees, investment-income charges and housing rules since 2024, with more due before the end of 2026. Newest first.
- November 24, 2026 (unless Parliament acts): the legal basis for rent control in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Montpellier and other areas ends. A bill to extend it passed the National Assembly on December 11, 2025 and is still before the Senate101112.
- Fourth quarter of 2026 (planned): a national online registration for vacation rentals, compulsory in every town, which was first due by May 20, 20261314.
- October 1, 2026: the yearly caps on medical deductibles and on the €2 flat fees rise from €50 to €70 each, €140 combined15.
- August 1, 2026: students must show €877.50 a month instead of €6151617.
- June 1, 2026: the minimum wage rose to €12.31 an hour gross, from €12.02188; the visitor income test, which is tied to it, is now €1,477.93 net a month7.
- May 12, 2026: exchanging a U.S. driver’s license now costs a €40 tax stamp; it used to be free19.
- May 1, 2026: a first residence card now costs €350 (a €300 tax plus a €50 stamp duty) and a renewal €250207.
- 2026 Finance Act: the 20% minimum tax on high incomes (CDHR) was renewed for 202621. The naturalization fee is now €255; we could not confirm from an official page when it changed9.
- April 2026: new EU pet rules from April 2222; the Entry/Exit System replaced passport stamps on April 1023.
- January 1, 2026: a first multi-year card that follows a temporary card, such as the employee or entrepreneur card, needs A2 French and a pass in a civic exam, and a first 10-year card needs B1 and the civic exam; people over 65 are exempt24125. Talent cards, including the EU Blue Card, are outside the civic exam2426. Naturalization requires B2 and its own civic exam27328. Social charges on most investment income received in 2026 rise to 18.6%29.
- 2025: homes rated G for energy may no longer be rented out on new or renewed leases, with F-rated homes to follow in 202830; and départements may charge up to 5% transfer duty on property purchases31.
Who France Suits, and Who It Frustrates
France suits Americans who can live on a pension or savings without working, employees with a French job offer at a published salary, and people ready to learn French to the level the cards now require. It frustrates remote workers looking for a clear permit.
In its favor
- A visitor route with a published income figure: €1,477.93 net a month for one person in 2026732.
- Under the tax treaty as amended in 2004, U.S. Social Security, and U.S. pension distributions paid for past employment, such as 401(k) payouts, are taxable only in the United States when paid to a resident of France33.
- Residents who do not work can join the public health system after three months of stable residence with a residence permit34.
- Published salary floors: €59,373 a year for the EU Blue Card and €39,582 for a qualified employee35.
- Citizenship after five years of residence as the standard rule927, and years on a visitor card count toward the 10-year EU long-term resident card36.
- Tenant protections: a deposit of at most one month’s rent on an unfurnished lease, and a landlord can end a lease only at its end and on limited grounds37.
Against it
- The visitor card lasts one year, must be renewed every year, and cannot become a multi-year card on the same ground71.
- The visitor card allows no professional activity, and no official page we found says whether remote work for a U.S. employer counts; France has no digital-nomad visa in its official list of long-stay visas326.
- Since 2026, a first non-talent multi-year card needs A2 French and a civic exam, a 10-year card B1, and citizenship B2123.
- Social charges of 18.6% on most 2026 investment income apply even when it is exempt from income tax, and the reduced rate is written for people covered by EEA or Swiss social security29.
- A new health charge on some inactive residents covered by an international agreement has been enacted; its amount awaits a decree34.
- Only 18 U.S. states have a license-exchange agreement with France; holders from California, New York and the other states must pass the French test38.
Which Card Fits You, and What It Takes in 2026
To stay in France for more than three months, you need a long-stay (type D) visa, issued by the French consulate for the place where you live6. You apply online through the France-Visas portal and then file the application at a visa center; in the United States that is TLS (TLScontact)3940. Some long-stay visas, such as the student visa, are a VLS-TS, a visa that also serves as your residence permit for 4 to 12 months617; you must validate it online within three months of arriving and pay a tax on top of the visa fee6.
Two official pages that disagree: how early to apply. The Embassy of France in the United States says you can submit your visa application up to six months before departure39. Service-Public.fr, the government’s information site, says no more than three months before6. We could not reach France-Visas, the portal that decides. Check the France-Visas wizard and the TLScontact appointment calendar before you plan around either figure.
We could not confirm the visa fee or an official processing time, because France-Visas was unreachable; the Embassy says waiting times vary39. Two months of consular silence counts as a refusal6.
| Route | Made for | Money or salary test | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (“visiteur”) | Retirees and people living on their own resources who will not work | At least the annual net minimum wage: €17,735.19 a year, €1,477.93 a month, for one person7 | A 1-year card, renewable; no professional activity732 |
| EU Blue Card (talent) | Graduates with a French job offer of at least 6 months | €59,373 gross a year35 | A card for the contract length, up to 4 years35 |
| Talent – qualified employee | Holders of a French master’s-level degree, and employees of innovative companies | €39,582 gross a year35 | A multi-year card of up to 4 years35 |
| Talent – business creation | Founders with a master’s-level degree or 5 years’ experience | At least €30,000 invested in the project and resources of at least €22,404.20 a year35 | A multi-year card of up to 4 years35 |
| Talent – economic investment | Investors in French business assets | At least €300,000 in tangible or intangible business assets, creating or safeguarding jobs35 | A multi-year card of up to 4 years35 |
| Entrepreneur / liberal profession | The self-employed | Income from the activity of at least €1,867.02 a month41 | Up to 1 year at first, then a 4-year multi-year card is possible41 |
| Family reunification | Spouses and children of non-talent residents | The sponsor’s resources must average €1,867.02 a month for a family of 2 or 3, after 18 months in France42 | A card for the family members42 |
| Student | Admitted students | €877.50 a month since August 1, 20261716 | A student VLS-TS of 4 months to 1 year, then a 1-year or multi-year card17 |
Dollar figures: €17,735.19 is about $20,160, €59,373 about $67,489 and €39,582 about $44,993, at the ECB rate of September 24, 20264. Our arithmetic, rounded to the dollar.
The visitor route, in depth
The law grants a one-year “visiteur” card to a foreign national who can live on their own resources, at least the annual net minimum wage, holds health insurance for the whole stay, and undertakes not to work in France32. For 2026 the minimum for one person is €1,477.93 net a month over a year, or €17,735.19 a year, about $1,680 a month or $20,160 a year74.
- What counts. Your own resources, such as pensions and annuities or rental income, or those of a family member; bank statements and guarantees are accepted as evidence. Family allowances do not count, and your housing conditions are also taken into account7.
- Couples and families. The official page gives no figure for a couple or dependents7. The consulate may look at your whole household; ask what it will expect for yours.
- Health insurance covering the whole stay is a condition of the card732. The official page sets no minimum level of cover7.
- Cost. Since May 1, 2026, the first card costs €350 (€300 tax plus €50 stamp duty) and each renewal €250, paid in tax stamps720. The tax to validate a VLS-TS equals the tax on the card it replaces20; the visitor page does not print that amount, so check it when you validate.
- Renewal. The card is valid for one year and renewable7, but cannot become a multi-year card on the same visitor ground1, so visitors renew yearly until they qualify for a 10-year card. File online on ANEF four to two months before expiry; filing late costs €180, and four months of prefecture silence counts as a refusal7.
- The “retraité” card is not for newcomers: it is for former French resident-card holders who receive a French pension43.
Remote work on a visitor card is an open question. The law says the visitor card does not allow any professional activity32. We found no official page that says whether working remotely for a U.S. employer or U.S. clients counts. Do not assume it is allowed: confirm with the consulate or a French immigration lawyer before you apply. France’s official list of long-stay visa types has no digital-nomad category6.
Does Your Income Reach the 2026 Visitor Figure?
Enter your regular net income and choose the currency and period. We compare it, to the cent, with the official figure for one person: €1,477.93 a month or €17,735.19 a year7. Dollar amounts are converted at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
A check against one official figure, for one person; there is no published figure for a couple, and the consulate may look at your whole household and your evidence. Meeting the figure does not by itself mean a visa will be granted. The official page gives both figures; twelve times €1,477.93 is €17,735.16, 3 cents under the yearly figure, by our arithmetic.
Talent cards and the EU Blue Card
“Talent” cards are multi-year cards valid for up to four years; for a stay under a year, a talent VLS-TS is enough. For salaried talent cards, the employer needs no work authorization, and your spouse and minor children can get a “talent – famille” card without going through family reunification. A talent card costs €35035.
- EU Blue Card: gross pay of at least €59,373 a year, 1.5 times the reference salary; a contract of at least six months; and a degree from at least three years of higher education or five years of comparable experience. The card lasts as long as the contract, up to four years; for a contract under two years, the contract plus three months35.
- Qualified employee (with a French master’s-level degree), employee of an innovative company and employee on assignment within a group: gross pay of at least €39,58235, the reference average salary set by order of August 21, 202544.
- Company officer of a group entity: at least three times the minimum wage, €67,212.60. If the prefecture does not answer, the application counts as refused after 90 days for a Blue Card (30 days if you already hold one from another EU country) and after four months for the qualified-employee, company-officer, business and investor cards35.
Does a French Job Offer Meet the Talent Salary Floor?
Choose the card and enter the gross annual salary in the offer, in euros. We compare it with the published figure to the cent35, and convert at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
A salary check only. The Blue Card also needs a qualifying degree or experience and a contract of at least six months; the qualified-employee card needs a French master’s-level degree, which is not required for employees of innovative companies or on intra-group assignment (the latter need three months in the group). Meeting a floor does not by itself mean a card will be granted.
Founders, investors, families and students
The business creation card also needs a real and serious project, on which the Ministry of the Economy gives its opinion first, and the €30,000 investment is about $34,101354. The investor card’s €300,000 (about $341,010) can be invested personally or through a company you run or hold at least 30% of35. We found no route in the official pages that grants residence for buying a home. The entrepreneur card for the self-employed costs €35041.
For family reunification, the resource test rises to €2,053.72 a month for a family of four or five and €2,240.42 for six or more, and the home must meet minimum sizes, for example 22 m² for a couple in the tightest housing zones42. A spouse of a French citizen gets a VLS-TS without further conditions, except in cases of fraud or a threat to public order, and can get a 10-year card after three years of marriage62. The student figure is now 47% of the gross monthly minimum wage and is indexed16; the student VLS-TS validation tax is €10017, and Americans apply through the Études en France procedure6.
The language and civic exams, since January 1, 2026
Since January 1, 2026, a first multi-year card issued after a temporary card or VLS-TS, for example as an employee or entrepreneur, needs French at level A2 and a pass in the civic exam124. Not every multi-year card is concerned: cards outside the republican integration contract (CIR), which include talent cards and talent-family cards, and so the EU Blue Card, need no civic exam2426, and the talent card page lists no French-language condition35. A first 10-year resident card or EU long-term resident card needs level B1 and the civic exam236. People over 65 are exempt from these card tests, and renewals are not affected122425.
After the first card
- EU long-term resident card: after five years of legal, uninterrupted residence, and years on a visitor card count; absences of up to six months in a row, and ten in total, are allowed. You need resources of at least the minimum wage (€1,867.02 gross a month), health cover, B1 French and the civic exam. It is valid for 10 years, costs €350 (€250 if you hold a valid permit), and lapses after more than three years in a row outside the EU or six years in a row outside France; Blue Card holders qualify after five years in the EU, the last two in France36. A permanent resident card can follow when a 10-year card is renewed45.
- Citizenship: the standard rule is five years of habitual residence, with no special rule for Americans; it falls to two years after two years of higher education in France, among other cases279. You need B2 French, shown by a French diploma or a TCF or TEF certificate less than two years old3; a pass in the naturalization civic exam (40 multiple-choice questions, 32 correct to pass, at most 45 minutes)28; and stable, sufficient income, among other conditions. The fee is €255, and the administration has up to 18 months to decide9.
The official pages we read do not say whether France requires you to give up U.S. citizenship; confirm this with a lawyer before you apply.
General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Consulates and prefectures apply these rules case by case; check the official source for your route and, if your case is not simple, speak to a French immigration lawyer.
The Order of Operations, Step by Step
The sequence for an American on the visitor route. The work routes follow the same order, with the job offer first.
- Choose the route by what you will live on: savings or a pension, a French job offer, or your own business73541.
- Check your income against €1,477.93 net a month for one person, and buy health insurance for the whole stay7.
- Apply online on France-Visas, then file at TLScontact, within the window the wizard gives you396.
- Arrive and validate your VLS-TS online within three months, paying the validation tax6.
- Rent an apartment and ask for its energy rating30.
- Open a bank account; the Banque de France can name a bank if you are refused46.
- Apply for public health coverage once you have lived in France for three months, with your residence permit34.
- Exchange your U.S. driver’s license within a year, if your state is on the list4738.
- Renew on time. File the renewal on ANEF four to two months before your card expires7.
- Settle your tax position with a cross-border adviser, in both countries484950.
What Things Cost, From Official Figures
Two official rent measures answer different questions, so we keep them apart. The Housing Ministry’s rent map (Carte des loyers) models the asking rent, charges included, for empty homes put on the market in the third quarter of 2025; it is built from listings, and the ministry calls the figures experimental51. The approved local rent observatories (OLL) publish rents actually paid, excluding charges, for unfurnished homes, including those of tenants who moved in less than a year earlier5253.
| City | Asking rent, charges included (rent map, Q3 2025) | Actual rent, excl. charges: median, all tenants (OLL) | Actual rent, excl. charges: median, tenants under a year (OLL) | Observatory area and year | Rent control |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | €27.70 (19th) to €37.89 (6th); 15th: €31.72 | €26.6 | €27.5 | Paris intra-muros, 2024 | Yes |
| Lyon | €15.78 (5th) to €17.66 (6th) | €13.6 | €14.5 | Central city, 2024 | Yes |
| Annecy | €20.45 | €14.5 | €15.6 | Grand Annecy, 2025 | No |
| Nice | €20.43 | €15.9 | €17.2 | Nice-Menton area, central city, 2024 | No |
| Aix-en-Provence | €19.14 | €13.0 | €14.2 | Aix-Marseille area, 2024 | No |
| Bordeaux | €15.99 | €12.6 | €13.4 | Bordeaux area, 2024 | Yes |
| Strasbourg | €15.57 | €11.1 | €12.4 | Eurométropole, 2024 | No |
| Montpellier | €15.49 | €13.7 | €14.3 | Montpellier area, 2025 | Yes |
| Nantes | €14.50 | €12.8 | €13.5 | Central city, 2025 | No |
| Toulouse | €13.98 | €12.6 | €13.3 | Central city, 2025 | No |
| Perpignan | €12.18 | — | — | Not in the national file | No |
| Pau | €12.05 | — | — | Not in the national file | No |
Sources: rent map 202551; local rent observatories, 2025 file where the area is in it, otherwise 202452; rent control as listed by Service-Public.fr54. The rent map gives Paris and Lyon by arrondissement only, with a 95% range for each figure, for example €15.44 to €27.04 in Nice51. The 2025 observatory file does not yet cover Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, Aix-Marseille or Strasbourg, and there is no observatory figure for Pau or Perpignan52. Rent control may lapse on November 24, 2026: see renting.
Estimate a Monthly Rent, Measure by Measure
Choose a city and the floor area. The estimator multiplies each official rent per m² by the area and shows the two measures side by side: the rent map’s asking rent with charges51, and the observatory median paid, without charges, by tenants in their first year52. Dollars at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026 (€1 = $1.1367)4.
Our arithmetic, rounded to the euro. The rent map models a reference apartment of 52 m², so treat results for very different sizes as a rough guide. Neither figure is an offer: use current listings to budget, and add charges to the observatory figure.
How rents and prices are moving
During a lease, a yearly rent review is capped by INSEE’s rent reference index (IRL), which stood at 148.37 in the second quarter of 2026, up 1.15% in a year5554. Across mainland France, rents on empty main homes were 1.7% higher in January 2026 than a year earlier56. Consumer prices were 2.4% higher in August 2026 than a year before, after 2.1% in July; INSEE explains the rise mainly by energy prices, up 16.7%. Food rose 1.1%, and core inflation was 1.1%57.
The rest of the monthly budget
- Electricity. The regulated tariff rose by an average of 2.5% including tax on August 1, 2026: for average use of 4.5 MWh a year, the bill goes from €1,046 to €1,072 a year including tax, about $1,2195859. At March 31, 2026, 19.37 million households were on the regulated tariff58.
- Public transit. Residents of the Montpellier Métropole ride the TaM network free with a free pass60. A monthly pass costs €56 in Strasbourg for ages 26 to 64 (€28 for ages 4 to 25 and 65 and over)61, €55.00 in Bordeaux for ages 28 to 5962 and €35 in Pau for ages 26 to 6463. We could not confirm current fares for Paris, Lyon, Toulouse and the other cities from the operators’ own pages.
- Wages, for context. The minimum wage is €12.31 an hour gross since June 1, 2026, or €1,867.02 a month gross and €1,477.93 net for full-time work18. In 2024, private-sector employees earned a mean of €2,733 net a month in full-time equivalent, and half earned less than €2,19064.
- Buying, for context. Prices of existing homes fell 1.0% in the second quarter of 2026 and 0.8% over the year, with apartments down 0.1% and houses down 1.3%; Paris apartments rose 0.6%. There were 958,000 sales over 12 months65.
Build your own full budget, line by line and in both currencies, in the Relocation Planner workbook.
Private Coverage First, Then the Public System
What the visa needs
The visitor card requires health insurance that covers the whole of your stay, and the official page sets no minimum level of cover7; ask the consulate what it accepts before you buy a policy.
Joining the public system (PUMa)
- If you work in France, your health costs are covered from the first hour of work34.
- If you do not work, you need a residence permit and three months of stable residence before your rights open, and they stay open if you live in France for at least six months of the year34.
- Your number. If you were born abroad, the health fund first issues a temporary number, and the final one is allocated once the national pension fund has checked your civil-status documents66.
- The carte Vitale, the health insurance card, is free. It takes two weeks if you request it through your ameli online account and about three weeks by mail, and it has also been available as a phone app nationwide since November 202567.
A new charge that could reach American retirees. The 2026 social security financing law creates a financial contribution for public-health members who live in France stably and lawfully, have no professional activity, and do not pay French CSG, CRDS or health contributions because of an international agreement. The law has been enacted, and its amount still awaits a decree34. Retirees whose U.S. pensions the treaty leaves to the United States may be affected33; ask your adviser, and budget for it.
A separate health contribution (CSM) charges 6.5% on capital income above half the annual social security ceiling when work income is below 20% of the ceiling; people who received a retirement pension in the year are exempt68. At the 2026 ceiling of €4,005 a month69, those points are €24,030 and €9,612 a year, by our arithmetic. Urssaf does not say whether a U.S. pension counts for the exemption, so ask.
What care costs
| Item | The rule |
|---|---|
| Family doctor visit | Regulated fee €30. With a declared family doctor (médecin traitant), 70% is refunded (€21) and your share is €9; outside that pathway 30% is refunded and your share is €2170 |
| Flat fee | €2 per visit, lab test or X-ray, deducted from the refund; at most €8 a day per professional70 |
| Deductibles (franchises) | €1 per box of medicine; €1 per paramedical act (at most €4 a day); €4 per medical transport (at most €8 a day)70 |
| Yearly caps | €50 each for deductibles and flat fees until September 30, 2026; €70 each from October 1, 2026, €140 combined. Under-18s and some others are exempt1570 |
| Emergency room visit without admission | Flat €23 (€9.96 for some patients)70 |
| Costly procedures (€120 or more) | Flat €32 instead of the patient share70 |
The yearly caps will be indexed to inflation from 202815.
Finding a family doctor
In 2024, 6 million people in France had no registered family doctor, according to the government’s 2025 pact against medical deserts71. We found no official waiting-time figures. For emergencies call 15 (medical, SAMU), 17 (police), 18 (fire department) or 112 (anywhere in the EU); 114 serves deaf and hard-of-hearing callers, and 116 117 is the national number for out-of-hours doctors72.
Medicare does not follow you
Medicare generally does not pay for care outside the United States, and Medicare drug plans do not cover prescriptions bought abroad73. Most Medigap plans include foreign travel emergency coverage, but it pays 80% after a $250 deductible, up to $50,000 in a lifetime, and only for emergencies that start in the first 60 days of a trip74. That is travel coverage, not residence coverage.
Whether to keep paying the Part B premium ($202.90 a month in 2026) is a real decision: if you drop Part B and re-enroll later, the premium rises by 10% for each full 12-month period you could have been enrolled but were not, usually for life75. Decide with your whole plan in view.
Two Tax Systems, One Household
Moving to France adds a second tax system; it never removes the first. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income wherever they live50, and the U.S.–France treaty’s “saving clause” keeps that right: the United States may tax its citizens as if the treaty had not come into effect, apart from listed exceptions7633. What follows is the map; the route is a job for a cross-border tax adviser.
When you become tax resident in France
French law treats you as tax-domiciled in France if any one of three tests is met: your home (foyer) or main place of stay is in France; you work in France, unless the work is only a side activity; or the center of your economic interests is in France48. Main stay is generally taken to mean more than six months in a year, but the six-month rule does not decide the matter when you have a home in France48. If both countries treat you as resident, residence under the tax treaty always prevails over French domestic domicile77.
Income tax: the 2026 scale
The scale set by the 2026 Finance Act applies to 2025 income, and it is applied to income per household part (the quotient familial)78. The scale for 2026 income will be set by the 2027 Finance Act, which had not been adopted when we checked78.
| Taxable income per part | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to €11,600 | 0% |
| €11,601 to €29,579 | 11% |
| €29,580 to €84,577 | 30% |
| €84,578 to €181,917 | 41% |
| Above €181,917 | 45% |
Source: Service-Public.fr, income tax scale78. Children raise the number of household parts, but the tax saving they bring is capped: in the official example, a couple’s maximum benefit for their child is €1,80778. The scale alone does not give your tax, so we have not built a calculator.
High incomes
A surtax (CEHR) adds 3% on reference income between €250,000 and €500,000 for a single person (€500,000 to €1 million for a couple) and 4% above that79. A minimum tax (CDHR) sets a 20% minimum effective rate above €250,000 for a single person or €500,000 for a couple; created for 2025, it was renewed by the 2026 Finance Act21.
Investment income and social charges
By default, investment income is taxed at a flat 12.8% income tax plus social charges (the prélèvement forfaitaire unique, or flat tax). You can opt for the progressive scale instead, but the option then covers all such income for the year80. If you are tax-domiciled in France, social charges are due on investment and property income even when it is exempt from income tax29.
| Income | Total rate | Made up of |
|---|---|---|
| Most investment income (general case) | 18.6% | CSG 10.6% + CRDS 0.5% + solidarity levy 7.5%29 |
| Unfurnished rental income (revenus fonciers), real estate gains, life insurance, PEL and CEL savings plans | 17.2% | Unchanged29 |
The CSG rise from 9.2% to 10.6% comes from the 2026 social security financing law29. With the flat 12.8%, most investment income received in 2026 bears 31.4% in all, by our arithmetic. Furnished rental income is not in the 17.2% group; plan on 18.6% and confirm with your adviser29.
The reduced rate is written for EEA and Swiss coverage. Only the 7.5% solidarity levy is due, instead of the full charges, for residents who work in an EEA country or Switzerland and are covered by that country’s compulsory social security29. The wording does not mention U.S. coverage, so plan on the full rate and ask your adviser.
Real estate gains are taxed at 19% plus 17.2% social charges, with an extra tax on taxable gains above €50,000. Your main home is exempt; other property is exempt from income tax after 22 years of ownership and from social charges after 3081.
The inbound-worker regime (article 155 B)
France has a special regime for employees, not for retirees. It covers employees and certain company officers called from abroad, or hired directly from abroad, by a company established in France, who were not French tax residents in the five calendar years before they took up the post, and it lasts until December 31 of the eighth calendar year after that82. The extra pay linked to the move is exempt from income tax, or, on option, you can value it at a flat 30% of your pay83. Pay for work done abroad is also exempt, within a cap you choose each year: the total exemption at most 50% of total pay, or the foreign-work part at most 20% of taxable pay excluding the impatriation bonus. There is no advance approval: you state your options on your annual return84. The article also has a rule for some foreign investment income; ask your adviser whether it applies to you83.
The real estate wealth tax (IFI)
France taxes wealth held in real estate. The IFI is due when your net real estate wealth exceeds €1.3 million on January 1; the rates run from 0.5% on the part above €800,000 to 1.5% above €10 million, and your main home is valued 30% lower8586. IFI plus income taxes cannot exceed 75% of the previous year’s income86.
The newcomer rule: if you move your tax domicile to France after living abroad for the five previous calendar years, you are taxed only on your real estate in France, and this lasts for five years85.
Social Security, pensions, 401(k) and IRA
- U.S. Social Security, and U.S. pension distributions paid for past employment, paid to a resident of France are taxable only in the United States, whether paid periodically or as a lump sum; a pension arises in the United States when a U.S. pension or other retirement arrangement pays it33. That fits 401(k) payouts and IRA money that came from employer plans; ask your adviser how an IRA funded from personal savings is treated.
- France still counts that income. Income that only the United States may tax is taken into account when France computes your tax, and France then gives a credit equal to the French tax on that income (article 24)76. By our reading, it can therefore raise the rate on your other French-taxed income; ask your adviser to model it.
- U.S. dividends and interest get a French credit only up to the U.S. tax paid under the treaty, capped at the French tax on that income. U.S. citizens resident in France get an additional credit for certain U.S. dividends and interest76.
- French pensions. A French pension paid to you while you live in France is taxed by France as your country of residence. The United States can still tax it because you are a citizen, and it allows a credit for the French income tax7687. The protocol’s exception to the saving clause matters if you later move back to the United States: French Social Security and French pensions paid to a U.S. resident are then taxable only in France33.
- What we could not confirm: whether France charges CSG and the other social charges on U.S. Social Security and U.S. pensions. Settle it with your adviser before you move, together with the new health charge on some treaty-covered residents (see health coverage).
Inheritance and gift tax
A surviving spouse or PACS partner pays no inheritance tax. Children have an allowance of €100,000 from each parent, then pay 5% to 45%; unrelated heirs have €1,594, then pay 60%88. Gift allowances of €100,000 from each parent to each child, and €80,724 between spouses, renew every 15 years89. The United States and France have an estate and gift tax treaty90; plan with it in view.
Property taxes
The annual property tax (taxe foncière), at locally voted rates, is billed to whoever owns the property on January 191. Second homes also pay housing tax, which some towns surcharge92.
The totalization agreement
The U.S.–France totalization agreement has been in force since July 1, 198893. Self-employed people who normally work in the United States and move their business to France for two years or less keep U.S. coverage; people who work only in France are covered by France. A worker exempted from French contributions by the agreement cannot receive free French health care and needs private insurance94.
Your first French return
You declare the income of your arrival year the following year; French-source income from before the move goes on form 2042-NR49. The tax authority’s pages disagree on whether a first return can be filed online: one says first-time filers do not have access to online filing49, another describes sending your civil status, address and ID to your local tax office and then creating an online account with the tax number you receive95. Ask your local tax office (SIP).
What you still file in the United States
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Form 1040 | Due April 15; citizens living abroad get an automatic extension to June 15 (interest still runs from April 15)50. |
| Foreign Earned Income Exclusion | Up to $132,900 of earned income for 2026. It does not cover pensions, Social Security or investment income9697. |
| Foreign Tax Credit | Claim French tax paid on Form 1116; no credit on income you excluded87. |
| FBAR | Required when your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year98. |
| Form 8938 (FATCA) | For taxpayers living abroad: over $200,000 at year end or $300,000 at any time (single); $400,000 and $600,000 (joint)99. |
For U.S. tax preparation and planning, our sister brand eTaxNexus works with Americans abroad.
- On which date will I become French tax resident, and does my former U.S. state still treat me as resident?
- How much will my U.S. Social Security and pensions raise the French rate on my other income?
- Will France charge CSG or other social charges on my U.S. Social Security, pension, 401(k) or IRA payouts?
- Will the new health charge for treaty-covered residents apply to me, and how much will it be once the decree is out?
- How many household parts will we have, and what will our first French return look like?
Lease Rules, Rent Control and Purchase Costs
Renting: what the law says
| Rule | Unfurnished | Furnished | Mobility lease (bail mobilité) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum term | 3 years, except in special cases37 | 1 year (9 months for a student)37 | 1 to 10 months, not renewable37 |
| Deposit cap | 1 month’s rent, excluding charges37100 | 2 months’ rent, excluding charges37100 | No deposit allowed37100 |
| Your notice | 3 months; 1 month in a legally designated tight housing market (“zone tendue”) and in other listed cases101 | 1 month101 | 1 month101 |
| The landlord’s notice | At least 6 months, at the end of the lease, only to live there, to sell, or for a legitimate and serious reason37 | At least 3 months, on the same grounds37 | None; the lease simply ends37 |
- Getting the deposit back. The landlord has one month if the move-out inspection matches the move-in one, and two months otherwise; each month late adds 10% of the monthly rent100.
- Rent reviews are allowed once a year, capped by the IRL (+1.15% in the second quarter of 2026). No review is allowed for homes rated F or G on the energy certificate on leases signed or renewed since August 24, 2022 in mainland France5455.
- Energy-rating bans. Since January 1, 2025, homes in mainland France rated G on the energy certificate (DPE) are legally unfit to rent out on new, renewed or tacitly renewed leases; F follows on January 1, 2028, and E on January 1, 203430. From January 1, 2027, a new calculation for electricity will lift some electrically heated homes out of F and G102. Ask for the rating before you sign.
- Registering the lease is not required; voluntary registration costs a fixed €25103.
Rent control, and why its future is uncertain
In some towns in tight housing markets, the rent on a new lease is capped by reference rents set by the prefect, although an extra charge for exceptional features is possible54. It applies in Paris, two areas of Seine-Saint-Denis, Bordeaux, part of the Grenoble area, Lille, Lyon and Villeurbanne, Montpellier and 24 communes of the Pays Basque; landlords who break it face fines of up to €5,000, or €15,000 for a company54. It does not apply in the other eight cities on this page54. Elsewhere in tight markets, a landlord can generally raise the rent between tenants only by the IRL54.
Rent control may lapse on November 24, 2026. The experiment was set up by the ELAN law in 2018 for five years and extended in 2022 to eight years from the law’s publication1011, and the housing minister told the Senate on March 31, 2026 that it expires in November 202611. A bill to extend it and make it permanent passed the National Assembly on December 11, 2025 and has been with the Senate since December 12, 202512. No extension was in force when we checked on September 25, 2026; if you sign a lease late in 2026, check the status that day.
Vacation rentals
A furnished tourist rental cannot go to the same client for more than 90 days in a row; in towns that require registration, a main home can be rented out for 90 to 120 days a year, and a second home in most large towns needs a change-of-use authorization104105. The Le Meur law of November 2024 lets towns cap main-home rentals at 90 days, and fines reach €10,000 for not registering13. A national online registration, compulsory in every town, is now planned for the fourth quarter of 202614; the EU regulation on short-term rental data applies from May 20, 2026106.
Buying: transfer duty and the notary
On a resale home you pay the département’s transfer duty: up to 4.50%, or up to 5% for deeds signed from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 202831. By June 1, 2026, every département covering the cities on this page had moved to 5% except Alpes-Maritimes (Nice)107. Buyers of a main home who have not owned one in the last two years are exempt from the increase108. A communal tax and a state fee come on top31; we could not confirm the totals from an official page, so use the official simulator.
| Département | City | Rate voted (most buyers) | First-time buyers of a main home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75 Paris | Paris | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 69 Métropole de Lyon | Lyon | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 33 Gironde | Bordeaux | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 31 Haute-Garonne | Toulouse | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 06 Alpes-Maritimes | Nice | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| 34 Hérault | Montpellier | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 13 Bouches-du-Rhône | Aix-en-Provence | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 44 Loire-Atlantique | Nantes | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 67/68 Collectivité européenne d’Alsace | Strasbourg | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 74 Haute-Savoie | Annecy | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 64 Pyrénées-Atlantiques | Pau | 5.00% | 4.50% |
| 66 Pyrénées-Orientales | Perpignan | 5.00% | 4.50% |
Sources: impots.gouv.fr rate table at June 1, 2026107; first-time buyer rule108. The communal tax and the state collection fee are not included.
The notary’s regulated fee on a sale, in force since January 1, 2021, is 3.870% of the price up to €6,500, 1.596% from €6,500 to €17,000, 1.064% from €17,000 to €60,000 and 0.799% above €60,000, plus 20% VAT. On a €200,000 apartment, the fee is €1,995.25 before VAT109, or €2,394.30 with it, by our arithmetic. We found no rule in the official sources we read that stops foreigners from buying.
What homes sell for
The figures below are our calculation from the DVF open data, the government’s record of property sales: the 2025 average price per m², weighting each month by its number of sales. They are averages, not medians or an official headline figure, and DVF does not cover Alsace, so there is no figure for Strasbourg110111.
| City | Apartments, € per m² | Apartment sales | Houses, € per m² | House sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | €10,033 | 29,662 | €15,248 | 152 |
| Annecy | €5,266 | 1,637 | €6,604 | 184 |
| Nice | €5,151 | 7,367 | €7,141 | 284 |
| Aix-en-Provence | €4,973 | 1,868 | €6,631 | 346 |
| Lyon | €4,497 | 6,834 | €5,471 | 185 |
| Bordeaux | €4,259 | 3,473 | €5,042 | 1,089 |
| Nantes | €3,438 | 4,013 | €4,358 | 1,011 |
| Toulouse | €3,438 | 6,937 | €4,041 | 1,185 |
| Montpellier | €3,381 | 4,169 | €4,138 | 460 |
| Pau | €2,242 | 1,473 | €2,632 | 253 |
| Perpignan | €1,622 | 1,608 | €2,265 | 568 |
Our calculation from the DVF statistics file (January 2021 to December 2025, updated July 17, 2026)110. Paris and Lyon cover all their arrondissements; their house figures rest on few sales.
Our position on property. We take no developer or property commissions. We may receive a referral fee from some professional partners. It never changes what you pay, and we tell you when it applies.
Where to Look, by the Life You Want
Our suggestions start from official numbers: census populations, Météo-France climate normals, the rent map and where U.S. consular services are11211351114. They are starting points for a scouting trip, not verdicts.
Close to U.S. Consular Services
Services for U.S. citizens are offered at the Embassy in Paris and the consulates general in Marseille and Strasbourg114. The U.S. presence posts in Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes do not offer passport or other consular services115.
Consider: Paris · Strasbourg
Mild Winters and Sun
Météo-France’s Nice airport station has the warmest year in our table, 16.3°C (61°F), January mean lows and highs of 5.8°C and 13.3°C (42°F and 56°F), and 2,761 hours of sunshine. Perpignan follows at 16.0°C and Montpellier at 15.5°C113.
Consider: Nice · Perpignan · Montpellier
Lower Rents
The 2025 rent map puts asking rents at €12.05 per m² in Pau and €12.18 in Perpignan, charges included, against €27.70 to €37.89 across Paris arrondissements51. Our calculation from the DVF data puts 2025 apartment prices at €2,242 and €1,622 per m²110.
Consider: Pau · Perpignan · Toulouse
Fewer Very Hot Days
The Nice airport station averages 8.5 days a year at 30°C (86°F) or more, Nantes 11.8 and Paris-Montsouris 14.0. Aix-en-Provence averages 55.2 such days, the most in our table. Paris-Montsouris recorded 42.6°C on July 25, 2019113.
Consider: Nantes · Nice · Paris
| City | Municipal population |
|---|---|
| Paris | 2,103,778 |
| Lyon | 519,127 |
| Toulouse | 514,819 |
| Nice | 357,737 |
| Nantes | 327,734 |
| Montpellier | 310,240 |
| Strasbourg | 293,771 |
| Bordeaux | 267,991 |
| Aix-en-Provence | 149,695 |
| Annecy | 132,117 |
| Perpignan | 121,616 |
| Pau | 80,441 |
Source: INSEE reference populations, 2023 census112. The figures count usual residents of the commune itself, not the metropolitan area; Lyon is the sum of its nine arrondissements, by our arithmetic.
| City (station) | Year mean | January min / max | July min / max | Rain a year | Days ≥ 30°C | Sunshine hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris (Paris-Montsouris) | 12.8°C (55°F) | 3.2°C (38°F) / 7.6°C (46°F) | 16.2°C (61°F) / 25.7°C (78°F) | 634.3 mm (25 in) | 14.0 | 1,717 |
| Lyon (Lyon-Bron) | 13.0°C (55°F) | 1.1°C (34°F) / 7.1°C (45°F) | 17.0°C (63°F) / 28.2°C (83°F) | 820.8 mm (32 in) | 30.6 | 2,050 |
| Toulouse (Toulouse-Blagnac) | 14.2°C (58°F) | 2.9°C (37°F) / 9.7°C (49°F) | 17.0°C (63°F) / 28.2°C (83°F) | 627.0 mm (25 in) | 33.1 | 2,075 |
| Nice (Nice airport) | 16.3°C (61°F) | 5.8°C (42°F) / 13.3°C (56°F) | 20.8°C (69°F) / 27.5°C (82°F) | 791.3 mm (31 in) | 8.5 | 2,761 |
| Nantes (Nantes-Bouguenais) | 12.7°C (55°F) | 3.4°C (38°F) / 9.3°C (49°F) | 14.3°C (58°F) / 25.1°C (77°F) | 819.5 mm (32 in) | 11.8 | 1,873 |
| Montpellier (Montpellier airport) | 15.5°C (60°F) | 3.3°C (38°F) / 12.0°C (54°F) | 19.3°C (67°F) / 29.5°C (85°F) | 639.2 mm (25 in) | 34.3 | 2,705 |
| Strasbourg (Strasbourg-Entzheim) | 11.4°C (53°F) | −0.2°C (32°F) / 5.2°C (41°F) | 14.9°C (59°F) / 26.4°C (80°F) | 635.7 mm (25 in) | 18.4 | 1,747 |
| Bordeaux (Bordeaux-Mérignac) | 14.2°C (58°F) | 3.7°C (39°F) / 10.5°C (51°F) | 16.2°C (61°F) / 27.1°C (81°F) | 924.9 mm (36 in) | 25.5 | 2,070 |
| Aix-en-Provence (Aix-en-Provence) | 14.7°C (58°F) | 1.6°C (35°F) / 11.8°C (53°F) | 17.0°C (63°F) / 31.0°C (88°F) | 608.8 mm (24 in) | 55.2 | 2,873* |
| Annecy (Annecy-Meythet) | 11.1°C (52°F) | −1.4°C (29°F) / 5.6°C (42°F) | 14.4°C (58°F) / 26.5°C (80°F) | 1,211.2 mm (48 in) | 17.4 | 2,069 |
| Perpignan (Perpignan) | 16.0°C (61°F) | 4.8°C (41°F) / 12.7°C (55°F) | 19.7°C (67°F) / 29.5°C (85°F) | 578.3 mm (23 in) | 36.0 | 2,489 |
| Pau (Pau-Uzein) | 13.7°C (57°F) | 2.4°C (36°F) / 11.2°C (52°F) | 15.8°C (60°F) / 25.9°C (79°F) | 1,093.8 mm (43 in) | 19.7 | 1,910 |
Source: Météo-France climate sheets, statistics 1991–2020113. Fahrenheit and inch conversions are our arithmetic. Most stations are at airports; Paris-Montsouris is inside the city. *Sunshine at Aix-en-Provence covers 1991–2016, and temperature and rain at Annecy-Meythet 1992–2020113. Compare France with other destinations.
The Paperwork Nobody Mentions Until You Need It
A bank account
If a bank refuses to open an account for you, or does not answer within 15 days, you can ask the Banque de France to name a bank that must open one with basic services. Living in France qualifies, and the procedure is free: apply online or at a branch with your ID, proof of address and the refusal letter. The page does not mention U.S. citizens or FATCA46.
Driving
A U.S. license is valid in France for one year after you take up normal residence. To keep driving, apply online through ANTS to exchange it within a year of your first residence permit or of validating your long-stay visa. Since May 12, 2026 the exchange costs a €40 tax stamp4719. You can keep driving on your U.S. license while the application is processed, and once you have sent in the original you receive a four-month certificate47.
Only licenses from U.S. states on the Interior Ministry’s list, published by the Foreign Ministry, can be exchanged, and the list sets which French categories you get (A for motorcycles, B for cars)38. Eighteen states are on it; holders from California, New York and every other state must pass the French test. The license must be valid when you apply, the categories must have been obtained by theory and practical test, and digital licenses are not exchanged, so you must hand in a physical card38. Holders of a student residence card cannot exchange while it is valid; they drive on their U.S. license instead4738.
Can Your State’s License Be Exchanged in France?
From the Interior Ministry’s list of U.S. states with an exchange agreement, updated May 1, 202638. The list names states only; states can be added or removed. Check the list, or the Service-Public.fr simulator, before you apply.
| French categories | U.S. states |
|---|---|
| All categories (5) | Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, South Carolina |
| Categories A and B (3) | Connecticut, Florida, Pennsylvania |
| Category B only (10) | Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin |
| Not on the list (32) | All other states, including California, New York and Washington |
Pets
Since April 22, 2026, pets coming from outside the EU fall under EU Regulations 2026/131, 2026/705 and 2026/636, and more than five animals counts as a commercial movement22. A dog, cat or ferret from the United States needs a microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, a valid rabies vaccination, and an official health certificate endorsed by a USDA official vet, valid for at most 10 days until the entry check; the United States is exempt from the rabies titer test22. At least 21 days must have passed since the primary vaccination was completed22. On arrival, present your pet to customs at a designated travelers’ point of entry. Old-model certificates are accepted until March 31, 2027 if issued before October 1, 2026, and Category 1 “attack” dogs are banned22.
Shipping your household
Your belongings enter free of duty and VAT if you have lived outside the EU for at least one year, have owned and used them for at least six months, import them within 12 months of settling in France, and do not sell or lend them for a year. You list them on form cerfa 10070. A car needs customs certificate 846 A to be registered. Alcohol, tobacco and commercial vehicles are taxed, and goods for a second home do not qualify116117.
Schools
Instruction is compulsory from age 3 to 16, and training from 16 to 18; children must be enrolled in a public or private school, starting at nursery school (école maternelle), and home education needs authorization118.
Your address
We found no general duty to register your address with the town hall. If your residence card is valid for more than a year, you must report a change of address within three months of moving, online on ANEF. The declaration is free, and a new card showing the address costs €50 if you ask for one119.
Your U.S. services from France
Before the Visa: Visiting Under EES and ETIAS
France is in both the EU and the Schengen area5. As an American you can visit without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area121; to stay in France for more than three months, you need a French long-stay visa before you travel6. Since April 10, 2026, the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) records your entries and exits with fingerprints and a facial image instead of passport stamps, which lets border systems detect overstays automatically23. Once you hold a French residence permit or long-stay visa, you are not registered in the EES; you show the permit with your passport122.
ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not yet running and no start date has been announced; the EU says it will give several months’ notice123. When it starts it will cost €20 (free under 18 and over 70) and last three years or until your passport expires124125. Residence permit and long-stay visa holders will not need it125. The Schengen, EES and ETIAS section of our FAQ explains the 90/180 count.
A Realistic Twelve Months
Built backwards from the rules above, for the visitor route. Your own dates depend on TLScontact appointments, your consulate and how quickly U.S. documents arrive.
Decide and test
Choose the route and check your income against the visitor figure. Take your pensions, social charges and the new health charge to a cross-border tax adviser. Plan a scouting trip, and start French lessons.
Build the file
Gather pension and bank statements, and buy health insurance for the whole stay. Look up your state on the license list. Microchip your pet, then vaccinate.
Apply
Complete the France-Visas application and book TLScontact; the Embassy allows six months ahead, Service-Public.fr three, so check the wizard. List your household goods for customs on cerfa 10070.
Arrive
Get the pet health certificate within 10 days of the entry check. Carry originals of every document.
Validate and settle
Validate the VLS-TS online within three months. Sign a lease, open a bank account, and at three months apply for public health coverage with your permit.
Renew and file
File for your first card, and later each renewal, on ANEF four to two months before your visa or card expires; ask the prefecture whether the first card after a VLS-TS costs €350 or €250. Exchange your U.S. license within a year if your state qualifies. Put the French return for your year of arrival, the U.S. return (June 15 for Americans abroad) and the FBAR on the calendar.
What Americans Ask Us About France
How much income do I need for a French visitor visa in 2026?
For one person, at least the annual net minimum wage: €1,477.93 net a month, or €17,735.19 a year, about $1,680 a month at the ECB rate of September 24, 2026. The official page gives no figure for a couple or dependents; the consulate may look at your whole household, and your housing is also taken into account.
Can I work remotely for my U.S. employer on a French visitor card?
It is unclear. The law says the visitor card does not allow any professional activity, and we found no official page that says whether remote work for a U.S. employer counts. France’s official list of long-stay visas has no digital-nomad category. Confirm with the consulate or a French immigration lawyer before you apply.
How early can I apply for a French long-stay visa?
The official sources disagree: the Embassy of France in the United States says up to six months before departure, Service-Public.fr no more than three months before. Check the France-Visas wizard and the TLScontact calendar. Once in France, validate a VLS-TS online within three months.
Do I need to speak French to live in France?
Not for a first visitor card. Since January 1, 2026, a first multi-year card issued after a temporary card, such as the employee or entrepreneur card, needs A2 French and a civic exam; talent cards, including the EU Blue Card, need no civic exam. A first 10-year card needs B1 and the civic exam. People over 65 are exempt from these card tests, and renewals are not affected. Naturalization requires B2 and its own civic exam.
How long until I can become a French citizen?
The standard rule is five years of habitual residence, with no special rule for Americans. You need B2 French, a pass in the civic exam (32 of 40 questions) and stable income, among other conditions. The fee is €255, and the administration has up to 18 months to decide.
Will France tax my Social Security, 401(k) or IRA?
Under the tax treaty as amended in 2004, U.S. Social Security, and U.S. pension distributions paid for past employment, such as 401(k) payouts, are taxable only in the United States when paid to a resident of France. Ask your adviser how an IRA funded from personal savings is treated. France still counts that income when it computes your tax, and gives a credit equal to the French tax on it. Ask your adviser whether French social charges apply to these payments.
Can I join French public health insurance as a retiree?
If you do not work, you can apply after three months of residence with a residence permit. A new charge on some inactive members who pay no French health contributions because of an international agreement has been enacted; its amount awaits a decree. You need your own health insurance for the visa and first card, because public coverage opens only after three months; the card requires health insurance covering your whole stay.
Can I drive in France on my U.S. license?
For one year after you take up normal residence. Licenses from 18 states can be exchanged, among them Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas; the tax stamp is €40 since May 12, 2026. Holders from California, New York and the other states must pass the French test.
Does France have a golden visa?
Not for property: we found no route that grants residence for buying a home. The talent – direct economic investment card requires at least €300,000 invested in business assets in France, creating or safeguarding jobs.
Will rent control still apply when I move?
It is uncertain. Its legal basis ends on November 24, 2026. A bill to extend it passed the National Assembly on December 11, 2025 and is still before the Senate; no extension was in force on September 25, 2026.
Every Figure on This Page, and Where It Comes From
We use official sources only: French law on Légifrance, the government’s Service-Public.fr, the French tax authority, Urssaf, INSEE, Météo-France, the energy regulator, French ministries and Parliament, public datasets on data.gouv.fr, the Embassy of France in the United States, city transit operators for their own fares, the EU, and U.S. federal agencies and the U.S. Embassy. French-language titles are given in English. Each source was read on the date shown. Where official texts disagree, we say so in the text. If you spot something that has changed, email [email protected].
- Multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- 10-year resident card. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- French nationality: how to prove your level of French. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Euro foreign exchange reference rates (USD, September 24, 2026). European Central Bank. Official page. Checked .
- EU countries: membership, euro area and Schengen dates. European Union. Official page. Checked .
- Long-stay visa (stays of more than 3 months up to 1 year), page checked August 21, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Temporary residence card “visiteur”, page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Order of May 22, 2026 raising the minimum wage (SMIC) on June 1, 2026. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- French naturalization by decree, page checked July 16, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- ELAN law of November 23, 2018, article 140: the rent-control experiment, as extended in 2022 to eight years from publication. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Written question on the future of the rent-control experiment, with the minister’s answer of March 31, 2026. French Senate. Official page. Checked .
- Bill to restore trust and balance in rental relations (legislative file). National Assembly. Official page. Checked .
- Tourist rentals: new rules in 2025 (news). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Furnished tourist rentals: the rules change in 2026 (news, July 27, 2026). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Medical costs: annual caps on deductibles and flat fees rise from October 1, 2026 (news, September 16, 2026). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Decree 2026-526 of June 22, 2026 on students’ minimum resources (in force August 1, 2026). Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Foreign students in France: long-stay visa or residence permit, page checked August 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Minimum wage: the SMIC rises on June 1 (news, 2026). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Exchanging a foreign driving license for a French one now has a fee (news, 2026). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- CESEDA, articles L436-1 and following: taxes on residence permits, version in force from May 1, 2026. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Taxes 2026: the differential contribution on high incomes (CDHR) is kept (news). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Pets arriving from non-EU countries: DGAL note, updated April 22, 2026. Ministry of Agriculture (DGAL), published by French Customs. Official page. Checked .
- Entry/Exit System (EES). European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- Multi-year card and resident card: how to take the civic exam. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Order of December 22, 2025 on the French-language level for residence cards (in force January 1, 2026). Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- What is the republican integration contract (CIR)? Which residence cards are subject to it, page checked June 26, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Civil Code, articles 21-14-1 to 21-25-1: naturalization (articles 21-17 and 21-24). Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Naturalization: how to take the civic exam. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Social charges (CSG, CRDS and others) on investment and property income, page checked June 30, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Landlords: the least insulated homes can no longer be rented out (news). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Transfer duties (droits de mutation): the département rate and the 5% option. Ministry of the Interior, collectivites-locales.gouv.fr. Official page. Checked .
- Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners (CESEDA), article L426-20: the visitor card. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Protocol amending the U.S.–France tax convention (December 8, 2004), including the new article 18. U.S. Department of the Treasury. Official page. Checked .
- What is universal health protection (PUMa)? Page checked May 13, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Talent card: multi-year residence card, including the EU Blue Card, page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- EU long-term resident card (5 years in France), page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Residential leases: differences between unfurnished and furnished homes, page checked March 6, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- List of non-EU/EEA states and U.S. states whose licenses are exchanged, as of May 1, 2026 (Ministry of the Interior, published by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs). Ministry of the Interior. Official page. Checked .
- Applying for a visa. Embassy of France in the United States. Official page. Checked .
- Consulate General of France in New York. Embassy of France in the United States. Official page. Checked .
- Residence card “entrepreneur/profession libérale”, page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Family reunification, page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Residence card for retirees or spouses of retirees. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Order of August 21, 2025 setting the reference average gross annual salary at €39,582. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Permanent resident card. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Refusal to open a bank account: the right to an account, page checked October 28, 2025. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Exchanging a driving license obtained outside the EU/EEA when you settle in France, page checked June 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Income tax: tax domicile under article 4 B of the General Tax Code (BOI-IR-CHAMP-10). BOFiP-Impôts (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- I am returning to France after a stay abroad: filing in the year of arrival. impots.gouv.fr (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Rent map: asking-rent indicators by commune in 2025 (Housing Ministry, DGALN, with ANIL), updated September 14, 2026. data.gouv.fr (Etalab). Official page. Checked .
- National results of the local rent observatories (OLL), 2024 and 2025 files. data.gouv.fr (Etalab). Official page. Checked .
- Glossary of rent observation: monthly rent excluding charges, unfurnished homes. Observatoires locaux des loyers. Official page. Checked .
- Rent control in tight housing markets, page checked August 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Rent reference index (IRL), second quarter of 2026 (published July 10, 2026). INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Rents between October 2025 and January 2026. INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Consumer prices, August 2026 (published September 15, 2026). INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Regulated electricity tariffs from August 1, 2026 (press release, July 16, 2026). Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE). Official page. Checked .
- Decision of July 29, 2026 on the regulated electricity sales tariffs. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Free public transit for residents of the Montpellier Métropole. TaM, Montpellier transit operator. Official page. Checked .
- Full-price subscriptions. CTS, Strasbourg transit operator. Official page. Checked .
- Monthly pass for ages 28 to 59 (online shop, price on September 25, 2026). TBM, Bordeaux transit operator. Official page. Checked .
- Fares. Idelis, Pau transit operator. Official page. Checked .
- Private-sector wages in 2024 (Insee Première no. 2079, October 23, 2025). INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Prices of existing homes, second quarter of 2026 (published September 8, 2026). INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Social security registration for an employee arriving in France. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- The carte Vitale, page checked August 29, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Universal health protection (PUMa): the subsidiary health contribution (CSM). Urssaf. Official page. Checked .
- Order of December 22, 2025 setting the social security ceiling (PASS) for 2026. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Patient share, flat fees and deductibles (social security), page checked April 7, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Pact against medical deserts (press kit, April 25, 2025). Government of France (info.gouv.fr). Official page. Checked .
- Emergency numbers (SAMU, fire department and others), page checked August 25, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Travel outside the U.S. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- Medicare coverage outside the United States (Product 11037, April 2026). Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- Avoid late enrollment penalties. Medicare.gov. Official page. Checked .
- United States–France income tax convention (1994), articles 24 and 29. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Resident of France: tax residence and tax treaties. impots.gouv.fr (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- What is the income tax scale? Page checked April 15, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- General Tax Code, article 223 sexies: the exceptional contribution on high incomes (CEHR). Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Income tax: savings and investment income (flat tax). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Income tax: capital gains on real estate. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Inbound workers (article 155 B): who qualifies and for how long (BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-10, August 11, 2025). BOFiP-Impôts (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- General Tax Code, article 155 B: inbound workers. Légifrance (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Inbound workers (article 155 B): exempt pay, the 30% option and the caps (BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-20, August 11, 2025). BOFiP-Impôts (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- Real estate wealth tax (IFI): who and what is taxed. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Calculating the real estate wealth tax (IFI), page checked March 6, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Foreign tax credit. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Inheritance tax: valuing the estate and calculating the tax, page checked February 9, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Gift tax by relationship to the donor, page checked May 13, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Estate and gift tax treaties (international). Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Property tax on buildings (taxe foncière), page checked July 8, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Housing tax on second homes (THRS), page checked August 24, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- U.S. international social security agreements: dates in force. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
- U.S.–France social security agreement. Social Security Administration. Official page. Checked .
- Can I file online for my first income tax return? (updated March 30, 2026). impots.gouv.fr (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- Figuring the foreign earned income exclusion. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Foreign earned income exclusion: what is foreign earned income. Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR). FinCEN, U.S. Treasury. Official page. Checked .
- Do I need to file Form 8938? Internal Revenue Service. Official page. Checked .
- Security deposit in a residential lease, page checked June 9, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Notice given by the tenant (residential lease), page checked April 16, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Energy label: the new DPE calculation (news). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Must a residential lease be registered? (updated July 15, 2026). impots.gouv.fr (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- Renting out your main home as a vacation rental, page checked May 21, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Renting out a second home as a vacation rental, page checked May 21, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1028: short-term rental data. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
- Registration duties and land-registration tax: département rates applicable on June 1, 2026. impots.gouv.fr (French tax authority, DGFiP). Official page. Checked .
- Real estate sales: transfer duties rise in some départements (news). Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Notary fees: what they are, page checked August 5, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- DVF statistics: monthly sales and prices per m² by commune, built from the DGFiP register of property sales (file updated July 17, 2026). data.gouv.fr (Etalab). Official page. Checked .
- Requests for land values (DVF): coverage, excluding Alsace, Moselle and Mayotte. data.gouv.fr (Etalab). Official page. Checked .
- Reference populations in force on January 1, 2026 (2023 census). INSEE, National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies. Official page. Checked .
- Climate sheets, 1991–2020 statistics and records (Paris-Montsouris shown; each station uses the same address with its own number). Météo-France. Official page. Checked .
- Services for U.S. citizens. U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
- U.S. Consulate Bordeaux (notice: the offices in Bordeaux, Lyon and Rennes offer no passport or other consular services). U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
- Moving to France after living outside the EU: customs duties on your belongings, page checked November 19, 2025. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Council Regulation (EC) 1186/2009: relief from customs duty (personal property). EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
- Compulsory schooling, page checked November 6, 2025. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- What a foreign national must do after a change of address, page checked May 1, 2026. Service-Public.fr (DILA, Office of the Prime Minister). Official page. Checked .
- Contact the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. U.S. Embassy and Consulates in France. Official page. Checked .
- Entry and exit requirements for non-EU nationals (90 days in any 180-day period). Your Europe, European Union. Official page. Checked .
- Entry/Exit System fully operational from 10 April 2026: who is exempt. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- ETIAS, the EU travel authorization for visa-free visitors. European Commission, Migration and Home Affairs. Official page. Checked .
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1411: ETIAS fee of €20. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
- Regulation (EU) 2018/1240 establishing ETIAS. EUR-Lex. Official page. Checked .
General information, not advice. Quantum Jetset does not give legal, tax, immigration, financial or investment advice. Rules and costs change; check the official sources above and speak to a qualified professional before you act. Next scheduled review: December 2026.
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