Is it still possible to Retire to France ?

[alittlebitfrench]

Given the Brexit vote, is it still possible to retire to France ? I don't see how you could unless you are very well off.

When you think about it, this really is the end of an era for the British looking to retire to any country within the EU ?

It is very quite sad in that respect.

[Al Rogers]

I certainly hope it'still possible. Most of my possessions are in storage, my house in the UK is on the market and I plan to head over to SW France as soon as it sells.

My understanding is that S1 healthcare coverage for retirees should be available until Britain formally exits the EU. The government helplines were too busy today to confirm this, for some reason. There have been reports that the French healthcare rules have been changed to allow foreigners access after three months. If this is the case, it would remove a major hurdle for potential retirees who, like me, are not "very well off".

I would think it's possible to retire almost anywhere in the world if you meet the minimum income requirements, and believe I could just about scrape in.

Over-optimistic and naive perhaps, but it's full steam ahead for me – and damn the torpedoes.

If you really want to retire in France, don't give up hope.

[NormanH]

I haven't heard of anyone getting access to healthcare after 3 months, but in any case it seems very questionable that the S1 system would survive Brexit once it is in place. Nor will the present EHIC card be available.

Both those are just my guesses  by the way and have about as much validity as a Brexiteer's promise.

If it doesn't you might find yourselves paying around 15% of your income to be in the CMU, plus the cost of a 'top-up' if you choose to take one, since only about 70% of costs are covered, unless you have certain specific long-term diseases.

I don't wish to be discouraging

[woolybanana]

Yes you do!!

[suein56]

[quote user="NormanH"]

If it doesn't you might find yourselves paying around 15% of your income to be in the CMU ...

[/quote]

It was 8% when OH and I paid it for 9 years, until 2015, after arriving here as early retired inactifs without access to S1. This is 8% after taking into account the €9K+ allowance.

The resultant costs are then tax deductible; so the payments to URSSAF are not too dreadful ... versus the cost of private health cover.

Sue

[Rabbie]

It will all depend on what agreements are reached during the negotiations. Britain had a full healthcare agreement with Sweden before Sweden joined the EU so it is not impossible. We will just have to wait and see

[YCCMB]

ALBF, the Idea of you finding it sad that Brits may not be able to retire to France is about as far-fetched as the idea of the European Parliament buying Farage a leaving present.

[Chancer]

Not so, he is feeling sad for his-self.

 

Dans un seul coup all his future plans have been turned upside down, he is taking it  as stoically as many other headless chickens at the moment.

 

Surprisingly I dont think it will affect me in the slighest overall, any losses made in one country should be balanced out by gains in the other, I dont intend remaining in France more than a couplemore years and I dont intend returning to the UK either.

 

That said even if it did turn my world upside down (maybe I have missed something major) after 11 years in France I'm pretty much used to that anyway, it would take a lot now to unsettle me,  have had plenty of  wobbles and worrying about them served for nothing, in any case I thrive on changing situations and insecurity.

 

Seeing the reactions from many in France and seemingly both sides in the UK its made me realise that I am in a very tiny minority, even those who voted for change now seem not to want it, and as for the young, well what a dissapointment they are, we should buy them all some warm comfy slippers and a travel rug [:P]

[alittlebitfrench]

Chancer wrote....".Not so, he is feeling sad for his-self.

Dans un seul coup all his future plans have been turned upside down, he is taking it as stoically as many other headless chickens at the moment".

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My future plans ???? The Brexit vote has no impact on me/family whatsoever, or I can't think of an impact. Maybe you can help me.

I was an advocate of Bexit as I feel the the EU project needed to be reformed and that was only going to happen with the UK standing up and voting out. I still think that when everything has sorted itself out life will largely be unchanged for the UK.

One downside (which I did not think of) is retirement to other EU countries will become much harder. Maybe in fact that is a good thing as future retirees moving to France will think twice when making such a decision. It is clear that many have moved to France in the past on a whim without really understanding the costs/social economics involved and find themselves in all sorts of trouble. In the past/at the moment (with the UK still in the EU) you could argue it is too easy to move. Certainly since the vote people are now questioning their potential move yet this type of 'questioning' was applicable before the vote. If that makes sense.

I am not sure I would ever retire to a foreign country where your income is at the mercy of an exchange rate !!! Even for us (in 35 years time) retiring to the UK and being income dependent on France. That just does not make sense to me.

[YCCMB]

See? Sad, mon oeil.

[Chancer]

No I cant help you, I thought that you like me would be unaffected but given your out of character posting I had a little fishing trip [:D]

 

It is clear that many have moved to France in the past on a whim without really understanding the costs/social economics involved and find themselves in all sorts of trouble.

 

That describes me! I hadn't considered healthcare and didn't even have an EHIC but head butting the glass door at Intermarché brought me to my senses, it was by then too late as the rules had changed.

 

You came here as a young man so I guess you may not have thought much about it and acted on impulse, I never look for the négatives in people taking a chance and ignoring all the contrary advice, thats how the world moves forward, it will indeed be a shame that people may no longer be able to do that in the future but I think you came as a result of love and probably would have done so illegally were there no other way and sorted out the détails once you were established and earning, nothing will ever stop that sort of migration.

 

[alittlebitfrench]

Healthcare won't change. Given the far greater number of French living in the UK there will be some bilateral agreement that will allow access to the healthcare system in the country that you are living in.

The French living in the UK don't pay for their heathcare and the majority I suspect don't want to leave. Same with the Polish, Germans or whoever.

[Harnser]

[quote user="alittlebitfrench"]Healthcare won't change. Given the far greater number of French living in the UK there will be some bilateral agreement that will allow access to the healthcare system in the country that you are living in.

The French living in the UK don't pay for their heathcare and the majority I suspect don't want to leave. Same with the Polish, Germans or whoever.[/quote]

Given that the French who currently work in the UK mostly left France to get out from under the French tax regime, the French government may take a different view, and be keen to get their lost sheep back in the taxpaying fold!

[EuroTrash]

The S1 is an EU document so there will have to be a different solution. And I can't for the life of me see how it's going to be possible to stop freedom of movement, which the UK seems dead set on doing, and at the same time have healthcare arrangements in place the purpose of which is to facilitate freedom of movement...