Tag: early retirement
Early Retirement Abroad and US Tax Strategy
As Americans living overseas, we now get the joy of filing two tax returns every year: French and US. While expat taxes can be quite complex, the US-France tax treaty keeps things fairly simple for us. We’ve now finished our second tax year abroad, finished our US filing, and we’re getting ready to file our…
Remote Work on a French Visitor Visa: Rules, Risks, and Reality
Introduction: Why This Question Comes Up So Often One of the most hotly debated questions amongst expats in France is whether the VLS-TS Visitor visa allows remote work in France. Legally, the Visitor visa does not authorize any professional activity. Despite that, enforcement and approvals in practice have created confusion. The confusion starts with the…
How to Retire to France from the US: Visas, Healthcare, Taxes & Cost of Living
Thinking about retiring to France from the US? You’re not alone. It’s possible for Americans to retire to France, but the process is more structured than many expect. This guide explains exactly how US citizens retire in France, including the visa you’ll need, income requirements, healthcare access, taxes, and realistic monthly budgets. It’s written specifically…
Cost of Living in France (2025): What It Really Cost Us to Move and Live Here
2025 was an expensive year for us. Not only did we move from the US to France, but we also moved within France. We arrived at the Nice airport in mid January with only four suitcases, having sold everything we owned. I’d love to say we lived like minimalist monks for the last year, using…
New French Healthcare Taxes Expected for Visitor Visa Holders
American Retirees are getting targeted specifically by French regulators on this one. While the new tax will likely apply to anyone from a non-EU country (except those like the UK with bilateral healthcare agreements) on a VLS-TS visiteur visa, the heat is specifically on Americans like us. The goal is to plug the €23 billion…
Six Months Living in France: Life, Culture, and Surprises
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It’s been just over six months since we first arrived in France. Our first half-year has been a rollercoaster, with plenty of ups and downs. After being approved for our visas and moving here we found an apartment, validated our visas, and joined the healthcare system. But more importantly, in between all those administrative tasks…
The Hidden Financial Risks of Retiring Abroad – Part 1
We arrived in France in January 2025. That month, the USD:EUR exchange rate had climbed to 0.97:1 and was on track to reach parity at 1:1. Because we’ve worked and invested in the US for our entire careers, all of our retirement planning was done in dollars. Apartment searching, grocery shopping, vacation planning; we imagined…
Why Retiring in France Works So Well for Americans
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Retiring in Europe is appealing, but many countries make long-term residency, taxes, and healthcare complicated. France is one of the few places where retirement is both legally straightforward and makes financial sense. For Americans considering retirement abroad, France stands out for four reasons: Why We Chose France In 2024, my wife and I were on…
