France (FR)
France is a unitary semi-presidential republic and the EU's most visited country, renowned for its world-class cuisine and wine, the iconic City of Light that is Paris, the French Riviera, iconic Alpine ski resorts, and a generous social state offering universal healthcare, extensive family benefits, and strong worker protections.
Leaving France
How to properly exit — protecting your finances, rights and records.
📅 General Timeline
3 months before: give notice on rental, apply for mail forwarding (réexpédition) with La Poste, notify impôts of upcoming departure. 1 month before: cancel utilities with meter readings, close Livret A/LDDS, notify CPAM and CAF, transfer funds. Last week: state-of-play inventory (EDL), hand over keys, notify bank of departure date, update ANTS/carte grise if selling car. After departure: file final tax return the following spring on impots.gouv.fr with non-resident status.
Deregistration
France does not require formal "deregistration" of residence like Germany. However, you must: (1) file a form 2042 declaring your departure date with the service des impôts des particuliers — this converts your status to "non-resident"; (2) update your carte Vitale/Ameli profile as "partant à l'étranger"; (3) notify CAF, Pôle emploi/France Travail, mutuelle, and banks; (4) if you held a titre de séjour, you don't need to return it but you lose residence after 3 years abroad.
Tax clearance
File a final income declaration the year after departure: Form 2042 for income earned in France up to departure date, plus Form 2042-NR for any French-source income after that (rental income, dividends from French equities, etc.). Expatriates may owe exit tax (article 167 bis CGI) on latent capital gains if they held stakes > €800,000 or 50% of a company and had been French-resident for 6 of the last 10 years. Pre-departure rendez-vous with your SIP recommended.
Pension portability
French state pension (retraite de base + AGIRC-ARRCO) contributions are fully portable within the EU/EEA/CH. For non-EU countries with a convention bilatérale de sécurité sociale (USA, Canada, Japan, Brazil, 40+ others), periods are totalised. Claim at the French retirement age (62–64 depending on year of birth under the 2023 reform) from abroad via lassuranceretraite.fr. If no bilateral agreement: rights vest and can still be claimed at pension age — they do not disappear.
Health insurance
Notify CPAM via ameli.fr "Déménagement à l'étranger" online or by LRAR. Your Assurance Maladie rights end the last day of the month following departure. Request a form S1 (EU) or portable document if moving within Europe to transfer your entitlements. Keep your Carte Vitale — it can be reactivated if you return within 2 years.
Bank account
Notify your bank of your new foreign address. French residents cannot usually keep a Livret A, LDDS or LEP once they move outside France — these are residency-restricted. Current accounts (compte courant) can usually be kept but monthly fees often rise for non-residents (€5–20/month). Online banks (Boursorama, Revolut, Fortuneo) are more flexible. Transfer via Wise for best rates.
Utilities
Give notice (préavis) to electricity (EDF/competitor), gas (Engie/competitor), fibre/internet (Orange/Free/SFR/Bouygues) and mobile operator. Notice is 10 days to immediate in most cases (art. L121-85 Code de la consommation for mobile). Provide final meter readings (index de relevé) on moving day. Cancel mutuelle santé by LRAR with 2 months' notice (or immediate if triggering event per Loi Hamon).
Rental contract
Notice period (préavis): 3 months for unfurnished (loi du 6 juillet 1989), reduced to 1 month in zones tendues (Paris, most big cities), for job-related moves, health reasons, or RSA/ASS beneficiaries. 1 month for furnished. Serve notice by LRAR or remise en main propre contre signature. Arrange the état des lieux de sortie with the landlord; deposit (dépôt de garantie) must be returned within 1 month if no damage, 2 months if deductions.
Leaving the Country
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