Obstacles and hurdles
As we covered in one of our earlier post, France is by far and away the most popular European tourist destination and is also attracting significant numbers of people looking to retire to the region. However, it is hard enough gaining access to a country when you have employment and income but gaining access on a long-term basis when you are retired, or looking to retire, seems to be that bit more difficult!
Background to the thread
There is a thread on the French forum which looks into immigration and the amount of money required when applying for a “retirement visa”. It looks as though the French system is fairly ambiguous in relation to requirements for a retirement visa with fairly vague wording such as “evidence of retirement pensions or income”. The system appears to be slightly more complicated by the fact that there are no different immigration visas for retirement with a “one visa fits all” policy.
Paperwork in France
As we have covered on a number of occasions in the past, the French documentation system can be very awkward, very difficult to understand and ultimately very frustrating. Whether the authorities are looking to test the resolve of people considering a move to France on the system is just inefficient is open to debate but either way you will encounter different opinions and differing suggestions as you work your way through the French immigration system.
As we touched on above, many of the forms and conditions you will encounter are ambiguous and do not detail for example the income level required by someone retiring to France. Many people looking to move to France in the later years will also be surprised to hear talk of employment on their forms which bears no resemblance to their specific situation and can again be misleading.
As with any immigration application form, you need to specify why you’re moving to the country and your financial situation. Thankfully, retirement is a very common reason for people to move to France and therefore as long as you can cover the remaining specific conditions you stand every chance of a successful application.
Financial income
In order to cross this particular bridge you will need to show your pension arrangements and other incomes when applying for your retirement visa. There is also a suggestion that the authorities will ask for evidence of past employment which many people believe is an attempt to confirm you have been in pensionable work in the past. However, countries such as America have a very large self savings pension system and it can be difficult to obtain proof that you have in fact had pensionable employment and are able to “fund your own lifestyle”.
There is a suggestion that proof of income for those looking to retire to France is required to ensure you do not “sneak away for a job” however in reality it may be more to do with the Social Security system and any potential claims you may need to make.
Criminal record
As you might expect, entry into any country nowadays would be blocked without question if you have a criminal record, with relatively minor offences often causing problems. In France there is a requirement for you to obtain written confirmation from your local police authority, or potentially FBI in America, to confirm that you have no criminal record and you are “clean”. The exact process will differ from country to country and some French bureaucrats will accept written confirmation from your local police station while others may request something from a more recognised central authority.
The bottom line is, if you have a criminal record there is every chance that you will be refused permission to enter the country on a long-term basis.
Accommodation in France
This is a very tricky situation because ultimately you will be expected to show you have accommodation arranged in France before you are able to apply for your “retirement visa”. Therefore, the more common course of action is to visit the country on a short-term visa, arrange the lease of a property or outright purchase and then return home and apply for a French visa. There is some debate as to whether the authorities actually want you to sign an agreement for your accommodation or just confirm that there is an arrangement in place awaiting signature.
As you might expect, a number of people looking to move to France are more than dubious about signing a lease agreement or completing a property purchase without knowing whether they will be able to return for the long-term. This is serious matter which you need to investigate further before you go down the route of applying for a long-term visa in France.
Obstacles and barriers
There are a number of comments on the thread suggesting that the French authorities seem to put up obstacles and barriers in the way of those looking to move to the country on a long-term basis. Whether this is true or not there is no doubt that the visa application system is often very ambiguous and details are often very thin on the ground. However, it is very dangerous to make assumptions which could influence not only your visa application but potentially financial well-being as well. For example, who would sign a lease agreement on a property before actually receiving confirmation they are able to move to the country?
Despite the general opinion that visa applications are now more straightforward in European countries, this is not always the case.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to move to France, or for that matter any other country, in your retirement years then this is an interesting thread which will give you food for thought. Hearing the opinions and experiences of others will focus your mind on what is required, what you can expect and ultimately your chances of success.
Unfortunately, a number of people appear to have experienced rejection of their visa applications and while some are given reasons others have been left wondering why. The expat forum is the perfect platform for discussing issues such as visas, income and paperwork and ultimately it will give you a grounding which will allow you to progress your application in the correct manner.
Knowing what to expect, when to expect it and what you can do about it are all part of the battle you will have to win if looking to apply for a retirement visa in France.
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