What if you come back to live in France?

Verified 23 June 2021 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

To facilitate your resettlement to France after an expatriation, you can or must several steps with various agencies and administrations abroad and in France.

If your spouse, your partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or your children are European (EEE) or Swiss, they can freely entering and living in France.

If they are not European, you must file a visa application at a French embassy or consulate in the country you are leaving, 3 months before departure.

Before leaving, at the consulate, you must check that family events abroad (birth, marriage, etc.) have been recorded in the civil registry of the embassy or consulate.

If you live in a country of the European Economic Area (EEA) and got a driver's license in exchange for your french license, your foreigner license remains valid until it has expired and you commit a road traffic offense in France.
If the license has expired or if you do not commit a road traffic offense in France, you must apply for the restoration of your driving rights.

If you live in a non-EEA country and got a driver's license in exchange for your french license, you must request the restoration of your driving rights to continue driving beyond 1 year after acquiring your normal residence in France.

If you have obtained your driving license during your stay in an EEA country, you can drive in France with your license as long as it is valid. You must request the exchange of your license only if you get a new category of license or if you commit certain traffic offenses.

If you have obtained a driving license issued by another country, you must exchange it for a french license to keep driving.

You must register your vehicle within one month of your return to France.

Schooling

Depending on the age of your children, you need to register them in nursery or elementary school or middle or high school.

You can benefit financial assistance for their schooling.

If your children are preparing the bin or already have the bin, they can prepare a training or a higher education diploma.

For a 1^re registration in the superior, they must follow the procedure Browse. If they have another diploma or if the training is not covered by Browse, they will be able to apply directly to the institution or rectorate concerned.

They may possibly benefit from a scholarships and study grants.

You have to think about compulsory medical examinations of your children.

Before you leave, you should consider retrieving a copy of the children's medical records.

Family benefits

You can inform you about your rights to the Caf: titleContent.

Childcare

You can inquire about the childcare facilities.

If you are expecting a child

You should inquire about the declaration of pregnancy and medical examinations.

Census

When your child of French nationality soon reaches the age of 16, he or she must to be registered.

School Road Safety Certificate / Road Safety Certificate

If your child has not obtained the school road safety certificate (ASSR) during his/her education abroad, he/she must pass the ASSR (or the ASR if he/she is at least 16 years old) upon his/her return to France.

Your child is under 16 years of age

He must take the ASSR at his school upon his return to France.

Your child is 16 years of age or older

General case

They must register with a Greta: titleContent to pass ASR.

Who shall I contact

ASR Examination Center

Your child is an apprentice

He has to pass ASR at an Apprenticeship Training Center (ATC).

FYI

the 2nd level SRA is required to obtain a 1^er driver's license for a young person under 21. SRA is required to obtain a 1^er driver's license for a young person under 21 years of age who has not obtained the 2nd-level SRA.

You should inquire about the entry conditions for your pet.

If you are looking for a job, you need to sign up for Pôle emploi on your return to France.
Under certain conditions, you can to receive unemployment benefits.

European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland

You have lost your job and you are coming back to France

Before returning to France, get the U1 portable document with the institution responsible for unemployment insurance in your former State of employment.

This form summarizes the periods of insurance or employment completed to calculate your unemployment benefits.

If you don't have U1 portable document, contact the Pôle emploi of your home to request it.

Who shall I contact

Pôle emploi

On your return to France, you have to work at least 1 day to be able to collect unemployment benefits. Register as a job seeker with Pôle emploi.

To calculate your period of membership, Pôle emploi takes into account the periods of work completed abroad indicated on the U1 portable document.

To calculate the amount of your allowance, Pôle emploi takes into account only your remuneration received in France after your return from expatriation.

Please note

the rules are different for frontier workers.

You are compensated in the country of employment and you return to France

Before returning to France, get the U2 portable document with the body paying your unemployment benefit. This document attests to the duration of your entitlement to unemployment benefits (up to 3 months, this period can be extended up to 6 months).

On your return to France, you must register in the Pôle emploi of your home in the 7 days after the date of termination of registration in the State which has left. You give Pôle emploi the U2 portable document .

The body paying your unemployment benefits abroad continues to pay you them but it is Pôle emploi who follows your job search in France.

Other country

Your employer has affiliated you with Pôle emploi services

You lost your job in the host country

On your return to France, you must register as a job seeker in Pôle emploi from your home in the 12 months following the loss of your business.

To calculate the length of your benefits, Pôle emploi takes into account the length of your membership and your age at the end of the employment contract.

To calculate the amount of your allowance, Pôle emploi takes into account the salaries received during the expatriation.

For any request concerning your allocation file, please contact the International Mobility service of Pôle emploi services.

Who shall I contact

Pôle emploi services - Service expatriates

You receive an unemployment benefit before your expatriation

You retain your unemployment insurance rights for 3 years.

Upon your return to France, you can benefit from a return of the rest of your former rights.

Warning

before your departure abroad, do not forget to declare your expatriation to Pôle emploi to interrupt the payment of your allowances.

You're in a different situation

If you are not affiliated with Pôle emploi services, you are not entitled to unemployment benefits upon your return to France. You can request a social assistance.

If you have obtained a diploma during your stay in foreigner, you can request a certificate of comparability with the Enic-Naric France Center.

If you are an international volunteer, you should inquire about the steps to follow before and after your return to France.

On your return to France, you can benefit of social assistance. They are granted under certain conditions.

Your pension entitlements vary depending on whether you are leaving as a posted employee or as an expatriate and your host country.

The formalities to be completed differ depending on whether you leave an EU Member State or another country.

EU Member State

You must establish a detailed inventory of your goods to be transferred to France for the local mover or freight forwarder you have chosen.
Before your departure, a tax status slip (tax receipt) may be requested by the local authorities of the country you are leaving.
You must declare any transfer of money to customs equal to or greater than €10,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency).
You must verify that you are not transporting goods prohibited or regulated.
You must ask the consulate for a certificate of change of residence to facilitate your customs procedures when you move to France.

Non-EU countries

You must establish a detailed inventory of your goods to be transferred to France for the local mover or freight forwarder you have chosen.
Before your departure, a tax status slip (tax receipt) may be requested by the local authorities of the country you are leaving.
You must verify that you are duty-free for the transfer of your goods (including for a vehicle purchased abroad) and the documents to be provided to customs. However, certain goods remain excluded from the deductible when moving.
You must declare any transfer of money to customs equal to or greater than €10,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency).
You must verify that you are not transporting goods prohibited or regulated.
You must ask the consulate for a certificate of change of residence to facilitate your customs procedures when you move to France.

Back in France:

You have to do necessary tax returns with the tax authorities.
You must use the form cerfa no. 11916 to declare your accounts (including bank accounts) open, used or closed abroad.

Your health insurance entitlements upon your return to France differ depending on your former country of residence and your employment situation.

Return from an EEA country, the EU, Switzerland or the UK

If you had expatriate status in a countries of the European Economic Area, of the European UnionIn Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you were covered by the social security system of your country of establishment. When you come back, the situation is different depending on your current situation.

You're working

You have French health insurance again.

If necessary, your periods of insurance completed in your former country of residence will be taken into account.

FYI

to have your rights opened, you must mail a copy of the employment contract or a salary bulletin with the form S1106 (application for entitlement to the universal health protection - Puma) to the CPAM: titleContent of your place of residence.

You can't find a job

You receive unemployment benefits from your former country of residence

Your rights are transferable in France for 3 months under conditions. You receive health insurance on presentation of your European health insurance card.

You did not receive unemployment in your country of residence, but it maintains your rights to health insurance under its scheme

You have French health insurance. You must present your European Health Insurance Card (or the S1 portable document that allows registration for health insurance coverage).

You did not receive unemployment in your country of establishment and do not have your rights to health insurance maintained under its scheme

Ask for it universal health protection (Puma) to your CPAM: titleContent.

Who shall I contact

Primary health insurance fund (CPAM)

You return to France between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2021 inclusive

If you return to France between 1^er March 2020 and September 30, 2021 inclusive, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, you are covered by health and maternity insurance without waiting period.

You're retired

If you are retired from a country of the European Union (EU), Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland will be covered differently.

You are retired from an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway

You can transfer your health insurance rights if you receive a pension due to the legislation of one of these countries. However, on behalf of the country in which the pension is payable, France will only pay for care provided on French territory.

You are retired from the Swiss scheme

You receive a Swiss pension exclusively

You can choose to subscribe to French health insurance rather than Swiss health insurance by exercising the right of option (in return for payment of a health insurance contribution).

The option that has been exercised is final. Changes in civil status (marriage, divorce) or changes in the composition of the family unit (birth or death of a family member) are not considered as new events. These changes do not allow you to change your option.

You may receive a French and Swiss pension

You can claim French health insurance if you live in France and receive a pension paid every month.

You return to France between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2021 inclusive

If you return to France between 1^er March 2020 and September 30, 2021 inclusive, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, you are covered by health and maternity insurance without waiting period.

Return from another country

You have ceased to depend on French social security, unless you have subscribed to voluntary insurance.

You're back to work immediately

You become subject to French health insurance again. Since the universal health protection (Puma) in 2016, compulsory membership of french health insurance on the basis of professional activity is acquired from the first hour worked.

If you have worked in a country linked to France by a social security agreement, your periods of insurance completed in that country may eventually be taken into account.

If you have worked in a country not linked to France by a social security agreement but you have contributed to the CFE: titleContent for sickness, your periods of membership may be used.

FYI

as soon as you have your employment contract, you must go to the CPAM: titleContent of your place of residence to have your rights opened.

You don't get a job right away

A residence period of 3 consecutive months must be respected. This condition can be proven by any means (example: 3 successive rent receipts).

In addition, you must submit the Form S 1106 completed and accompanied by supporting documents.

You have contributed to the Caisse des Français de l'foreigner (CFE)

You can benefit, under conditions, during the 3 months following your return, benefits from the expatriate scheme of the CFE: titleContent.

You are registered in Pôle emploi and receive unemployment benefits (due to previous periods of work in France, your membership to the expatriate insurance of Pôle emploi services, ...)

Your unemployment benefits entitle you to health insurance.

You did not have unemployment in your country of residence

A residence period of 3 consecutive months must be respected and you must send the form S1106 completed and accompanied by supporting documents to request the opening of universal health protection (Puma).

You have no social security coverage

Ask your CPAM: titleContent the universal health protection (Puma).

Who shall I contact

Primary health insurance fund (CPAM)

You returned to France between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2021 inclusive

If you returned to France between the 1^er March 2020 and September 30, 2021 inclusive, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, you are covered by health and maternity insurance without waiting period.

You're retired

This depends on whether your country of origin has an agreement with France (the list is available on the Cleiss site). Depending on the country and the agreement you have signed, you may or may not be covered by health insurance in France.

If the agreement concluded by your country does not give you rights in France and if you meet the conditions of stable residence on French territory, you can request the universal health protection (Puma) to your CPAM: titleContent. You must complete the form S1106 completed and accompanied by supporting documents.

Please note

if you returned to France between the 1^er March 2020 and September 30, 2021 inclusive, due to the COVID-19 health crisis, you are covered by health and maternity insurance without waiting period.

If you have lost your Vitale card, you must report the loss.
You should also think about updating your Vitale card when you return to France.

Before leaving:

You must inform all agencies and administrations in the country you are leaving of your move so that they can contact you in France if necessary.
For example, postal services, banking, insurance, local government, electricity / gas / water / telephone providers, children's school.
Remember to ask these authorities and organizations for all the necessary supporting documents when you are settled in France. For example, social security forms.
You must keep these documents and any other useful documents: employment contracts, local tax notices, children's school certificates, list of mandatory vaccinations received, etc.

If you want to rent a home in the private sector, ask about the procedure and your rights.

If you want to apply for social housing, ask about the procedure.

You can inquire about the aid for the lodging of a security or security for a rental unit.

You can also inquire about the requirements for obtaining a housing allowance.

Whether you become a landlord or a tenant, you also need to think about a home insurance contract.

If you are registered in the register of French people established outside France
Before your departure, you must inform the consulate and ask to be removed from the register. You will get a certificate of cancelation.
To be able to vote in France, you must register on the list of electors of a municipality. You will be automatically removed from the consular voters list.

If you are only registered on the consular voters list :
Before you leave, you must apply to be entered on the list of electors of a municipality to be able to vote in France. You will be automatically removed from the consular voters list.