Time in France

[Michelle]

Can anyone help please, just want to know how long a UK resident can spend in France at any one time and the total for the year.   This would be as part of an extended holiday, living in rented accommodation, or in my own holiday property/mobile home.  Many thanks.

[Nearly Retired (I am now)]

Pedant mode on.

Er....., as long as you like. Or until your money runs out.

Pedant mode off.

[Iceni]

Further evidence, if it were needed, that to get the right answer you have to ask the right question.

John

not

[Minouche]

I have always understood that you are allowed to stay in France for a total of 183 days in any one year.  No fixed periods but a total of 183.

After that you are I understand deemed to become resident.

 

[cooperlola]

It is more complicated, in that if you move permanently, then you become a resident from day 1, not after 183 days.  So, if you came over and stayed in a caravan, then the "stay" turned into permanent residence, your tax liability would begin from the day you first travelled over, not the day you changed your mind and decided to stay.  That's why it's difficult to answer a question like this directly.  If you genuinely just want to explore France for 1 day less than 6 months, then go home and settle down back in your old home in the UK, then probably you'd be fine with that.  Any more than 6 months then there's little doubt that France would be your main residence, but from the date you got here, not from the 1st day after the six month period.  Confused, you won't be after the next episode of...

[allanb]

"How long can a UK resident spend in France?"  I agree with Nearly Retired : as long as you like.

But if you really mean "when do I become officially resident?" the answer is : as soon as you meet any one of the criteria for residence.   For tax purposes, I think there are four separate criteria, one of which is that you have your principal place of residence in France; so, depending on the circumstances, you could conceivably become resident within a few days of arriving.  (Another of the criteria is 183 days of physical presence in a year, but it isn't the only one.)

This topic has been discussed quite often on the forum and if you do some searching you can find out what the rules are.

[andyh4]

On the other hand if the question is meant to be "when would I loose my UK resicdency" the answer might be never.

 

[gfplux]

You also have to consider when you become liable for tax in France or when you become non resident in the UK for Tax.

To become non resident in the UK for tax  you have to convice the UK tax authority that you are living permantly somewhere else. I live in Luxembourg and a letter to the UK with a copy of my Luxembourg tax number, residents permit, etc did the trick.

However if I had wanted to I could have kept a UK address, continued to pay tax in the UK and lived in Luxembourg OR any other EU state for as long as I wanted to.

Except!!! when you come up against other types of law or regulation.

For example I believe (just like the UK) your UK driving licemce can only be used for 6 months in France. If you have a UK registered car the insurence will only cover it for trips of less than 3 months.

etc, etc.

[bigears]

hi

Depends if you want to know the rules and regulations or what in practice you can get away with.  Some people are here for years without being legal.  This forum is not really a good place to obtain 'what can I get away with' information. 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="bigears"]

hi

Depends if you want to know the rules and regulations or what in practice you can get away with.  Some people are here for years without being legal.  This forum is not really a good place to obtain 'what can I get away with' information. 

[/quote]This is the thing.  Some friends of mine moved here last year.  Because I'd done it already and "got the t-shirt", as it were, I have guided them through all the legal processes so that they now have proper CPAM cover, a legally registered car, pay their taxes here etc etc.  Now they are about to be severely hit by the new regs because he has a couple of long term medical conditions which are going to be costly to cover.  They have no big house (they rent - no home in the UK, or capital).  However, they also know a couple nearby who have done none of this legally.  The lady of the house recently had a complicated op' back in the UK even though they live here for 10 months or more each year.  My newly arrived friends are now asking me why they're going to be thumped by this, while others, who are far better off, will be unaffected because they cheat.  I don't condone it, but I understand it perfectly.  It seems so cruel that those who break the law are not to be caught out by this new clampdown on our rights to healthcare and other things - only those who have done it "by the book."[:@]