Last updated October 14, 2026

Quick summary

France has no digital nomad visa. For Americans the clearest route is the long-stay visitor visa and the visitor residence card, which are for people who live on savings or passive income and do not work. People who will work in France need a different permit, such as the Talent card.

• Visitor route. The French government’s visitor card page asks for resources of at least 1,477.93 euros net a month for a single person (17,735.19 euros a year, about $19,900), health insurance for the whole stay, and a handwritten sworn statement that you will not work in France.
• No work of any kind. The same page says no work as an employee, business owner, auto-entrepreneur, craftsperson or freelancer. It does not say whether remote work for a foreign employer is allowed, so ask the consulate before you assume it is.
• Talent card. A multi-year card of up to 4 years for skilled workers, EU Blue Card holders, business creators and others, with set annual salary or resource thresholds.
• Apply before you move. You apply to the French consulate in the US through the France-Visas site, no earlier than 3 months before you leave.
• Fees. The visitor card is 350 euros the first time (300 euros tax plus 50 euros stamp) and 250 euros to renew, per the government page. Visa fees for your country are in the France-Visas cost tool.

Wherever we can, the links in this guide go to official French or US government pages. Our full list of official links and forms is just below.

Why Americans are moving to France

France pairs a high quality of life with strong public services, food, rail and culture.

• Healthcare. Residents can join the public health system once they qualify, and most add a private top-up policy.
• Variety. Paris, the Riviera, Lyon, Bordeaux, Brittany, the Dordogne and small villages all offer different budgets and lifestyles.
• Transport. Fast trains link most of the country, and Paris is a major international flight hub.
• Food and culture. Markets, wine, museums, festivals and a strong cafe culture.
• A long-term path. Years of legal residence can lead to naturalisation, with language and integration requirements.

Visa options

Because there is no nomad visa, your route depends on whether you will work in France. Figures below come from the French government’s Service-Public pages unless we say otherwise.

Euro figures are the government’s. Dollar amounts are our approximate conversion and move with the exchange rate. Family members of Talent card holders can apply for a talent-famille card through a simplified procedure.

Things to know

• Long-stay visa types. The government’s long-stay visa page lists a temporary visa of more than 3 months and less than 1 year for visitors, which does not allow work or social benefits. It also describes visas that act as a residence permit (VLS-TS), which you must validate online within 3 months of arrival and pay a tax for. Which type applies to you is shown on France-Visas, so confirm it there.
• Passport. It must be valid at least 3 months after the visa ends, have at least 2 blank pages and have been issued in the last 10 years.
• Biometrics. Photo and fingerprints are taken (not for children under 12).
• No answer. If the consulate does not answer for 2 months, that counts as a refusal. You can appeal, and the government page explains how.
• Self-employed and other work routes. We could not confirm the rules for freelancers or other work permits on a government page. See the government’s residence permit index and ask the consulate.

Official sources: the visitor card page, the Talent card page and the long-stay visa page on Service-Public, and France-Visas.

How to apply, step by step

The first application is made through the French consulate that covers your US state. Start several months before you plan to move. The links in each step go to the official source.

1. Pick your route. If you will not work, look at the visitor card. If you will work, look at the Talent card or ask the consulate about other permits.
2. Use the visa assistant. The France-Visas assistant shows the visa, document list and fee for your situation. The government’s document list page and cost page point to the same tools.
3. Check your passport. Valid at least 3 months after the visa ends, 2 blank pages, issued within 10 years.
4. Get health insurance. The visitor card needs cover for the entire stay. Ask the consulate what proof it accepts.
5. Gather proof of resources. For one person the government page names 1,477.93 euros net a month. Bank, pension and investment statements are the usual evidence. The government says family allowances do not count.
6. Write the no-work statement. The visitor card needs a handwritten sworn statement that you will not work in France.
7. Apply online. File at France-Visas no earlier than 3 months before you leave, then submit documents and biometrics at the filing location that covers your state.
8. Wait for a decision. The government page gives no processing time. Silence for 2 months counts as a refusal.
9. After you arrive. If your visa acts as a residence permit, validate it online within 3 months and pay the tax, at the validation page. If you are asking for a card in France, you file on the ANEF platform 4 to 2 months before your current document expires, and pay by fiscal stamps.
10. Renew on time. The visitor card renewal is 250 euros, filed in the same 4 to 2 month window. If the prefecture does not answer within 4 months, that counts as a refusal and you have 2 months to appeal.

A lawyer or visa agent is optional. Whatever you decide, the official pages above are the baseline for what to prepare. Beware private websites that charge for these procedures. The government itself warns about this.

Cost of living in France

A single person living comfortably in a smaller French city or town can expect to spend about $1,980 a month, and a couple about $3,135. These are our own estimates, built from several published sources, in US dollars for a comfortable (not luxury) lifestyle. Real costs vary with location and habits.

Living in Paris or another major city raises rent, bringing the estimate to about $2,450 for a single person and $3,685 for a couple. Use our cost of living calculator to compare scenarios across all 12 countries.

Sources consulted: Wise, Expatistan and International Living cost-of-living pages, combined with our own calculations. Figures are estimates, subject to change, and exchange rates are approximate.

Healthcare

Medicare does not cover you in France. Plan for private cover first, then public enrollment once you qualify.

• To apply. The visitor card requires health insurance covering the whole stay.
• Public system (PUMA). The government’s PUMA page says people who do not work must wait 3 months after arriving before their rights open, and rights stay open if you live in France at least 6 months of the year. You start with the online request to open your rights, and the Ameli PUMA page explains the process.
• A new contribution. A 2026 law provides for a contribution from some PUMA members who have no professional activity. The government page says a decree will set the amount, so check the current position before you budget.
• Top-up policies. Many residents add a private top-up policy (mutuelle) for what the public system leaves unpaid. Prices vary by age and cover, so compare quotes.
• If you work for a US employer abroad. The US–France social security agreement notes that workers exempt from French contributions do not get free French health care.

Confirm what your consulate and the local health insurance office (CPAM) will accept before you buy a policy.

Taxes for Americans in France

Moving to France does not end your US tax obligations, and you will likely owe French tax as well. This section is general information, not tax advice, so speak to an adviser who handles US and French taxes before you go.

On the US side

• You still file. US citizens are taxed on worldwide income and file a return wherever they live, according to the IRS.
• Extra time. Americans living overseas get an automatic 2-month extension, which moves the usual April 15 due date to June 15. Interest still runs on tax owed after April.
• Relief exists, but only if you file. The foreign earned income exclusion and the foreign tax credit can reduce what you owe, and you can claim them only by filing the right US return.
• Foreign account reporting. If your foreign accounts together exceeded $10,000 at any point in the year, you must file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) electronically by April 15, with an automatic extension to October 15, per the IRS FBAR page.

On the French side

• French tax authority. The French tax site is impots.gouv.fr. We could not open its pages, so we have not quoted French rates or residency tests. Check them there, or with an adviser.
• Treaty. The IRS publishes the US–France tax treaty documents, with protocols from 2004 and 2009. The treaty is meant to prevent double taxation.
• Social security. The US–France totalization agreement assigns workers to one country’s system so they do not pay into both, and lets credits from both countries count toward a pension.
• Credits. Many Americans rely on the foreign tax credit or the foreign earned income exclusion on their US return.

Where to live

Your visa lets you live anywhere in mainland France, so choose by budget, climate and lifestyle.

• Paris. The most services, culture and English speakers, with the highest rents.
• The Riviera (Nice, Antibes). Mediterranean weather and an international crowd, at a premium price.
• Lyon. A big city known for food, with lower rents than Paris.
• Bordeaux and the southwest. Wine country, a mild climate and fast trains to Paris.
• Toulouse and Montpellier. Sunny university cities with moderate costs.
• Brittany, Normandy and the Dordogne. Quieter regions popular with retirees, with lower costs and fewer services.
• Small villages. Cheaper, but a car and some French are close to essential.

Common mistakes to avoid

Most problems come from work rules, insurance and paperwork.

• Working on the visitor card. The government page bars any professional activity in France. Ask before assuming remote work is fine.
• Skipping the online validation. If your visa acts as a residence permit, validate it within 3 months of arrival.
• Short insurance. The visitor card needs cover for the entire stay.
• Counting family allowances. The government says they do not count toward the resource figure.
• Paying private sites. The government warns that private websites charge for procedures that cost nothing beyond the official fees.
• Expecting instant public healthcare. For people who do not work, rights open after a 3-month wait.
• Missing the renewal window. File 4 to 2 months before your document expires. A late filing adds 180 euros without force majeure or a valid visa.
• Forgetting US filing. You still file with the IRS every year.
• Skipping translations. Some documents may need certified French translations. Check the document list.

Permanent residency and citizenship

France builds long-term status step by step. We have only confirmed the citizenship rules on a government page, so check the residence-card stages with the prefecture.

1. Year 1. The visitor card is valid for up to a year and is renewable.
2. Later cards. We could not confirm the rules for multi-year or ten-year cards on a government page. See the residence permit index and ask your prefecture.
3. Citizenship by naturalisation. The naturalisation page says at least 5 years of residence in France is required, or 2 years for some people, such as those with a French higher-education diploma. You also need a valid residence permit, stable and sufficient income, no bar such as an expulsion order, a civic exam and an interview at the prefecture.
4. Language. The language page states level B2 in French, spoken and written, with proof such as a TCF or TEF result under 2 years old.
5. Fee and timing. The fee is 255 euros, paid by fiscal stamp. The administration has up to 18 months to decide, and you apply online at the naturalisation portal. We could not confirm the dual citizenship rules on a government page.

Frequently asked questions

Does France have a digital nomad visa?

No. The government pages we read list no remote-work visa. The visitor card bars working in France, so people who work usually look at the Talent card or ask the consulate about other permits.

How much money do I need for the visitor card?

For one person the government page says at least 1,477.93 euros net a month, or 17,735.19 euros a year, with proof of health insurance for the whole stay.

Can I work on the visitor card?

No. You give a handwritten sworn statement that you will not work in France, as an employee, business owner, auto-entrepreneur, craftsperson or freelancer.

Does Medicare cover me in France?

No. You need private cover first. People who do not work can join the public system after a 3-month wait.

How long does it take?

The government page gives no processing time. A consulate that stays silent for 2 months is treated as refusing.

Can I renew?

Yes. The visitor card renews for 250 euros, filed on the ANEF platform 4 to 2 months before it expires.

Do I need to speak French?

Not for the visitor card, but citizenship requires B2 spoken and written.

Will I pay tax in both countries?

If you become a French tax resident you will likely file in both. The US–France treaty and totalization agreement reduce double taxation, so plan with a cross-border adviser.

Sources and last updated

Last updated October 14, 2026. Visa rules, fees and thresholds change often, so confirm every figure with the French consulate and the France-Visas site before you apply. Cost of living figures are our own estimates, built from private cost-of-living sources. Where this guide says something could not be confirmed or is unclear, consult and verify it with the immigration authorities before making any major decision, such as signing a lease, buying property, moving money or booking a move. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Official sources used in this guide:

• Service-Public: visitor residence card
• Service-Public: long-stay visa
• Service-Public: Talent card
• Service-Public: PUMA health coverage
• Service-Public: naturalisation
• Service-Public: French language level for naturalisation
• France-Visas: official visa site
• IRS: US–France tax treaty documents
• Social Security Administration: US–France agreement
• IRS: U.S. citizens and resident aliens abroad
• IRS: Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)