France Financially Independent Visa

Specifics of the FIP Visa

There is no dedicated France retirement visa or Golden visa. However, there are alternatives — and the long-stay visa for well-to-do foreigners is one of them.

FIPs are not allowed to work or run a business in France. However, they can own a company or act as self-employed specialists abroad. The money that they earn on their entrepreneurial activities won't count as passive income. If your dream is to get employed or own a company in France, you'll be able to achieve this goal after you become a local resident or citizen — we'll talk about it at the end of our article.

One of the best things about this visa variety is that you don't have to learn French to apply. After the relocation, you'll be able to attend free language courses if you wish.

Benefits of Relocating to France

France is one of the most attractive destinations for the expats because of its following advantages:

• Favorable location and mild climate. In this country, you can choose from territories with different conditions. In summer, it's a delight to sunbathe on the Mediterranean or the Atlantic coast. In winter, it's the right time to go skiing in the mountains. And of course, there are multiple urban areas with various vibes.
• Democratic laws and respect for human rights. France was the birthplace of modern democracy. Until today, the local laws respect the freedom of every person to a greater extent, compared to many other states.
• Opportunity to travel freely to over 150 countries all around the globe. Dozens of destinations will welcome you without a visa. Others will promptly issue a visa to you upon arrival.
• Permission to relocate anywhere you wish within the EU. You'll be able to move to another country to work, study, or run a business without obtaining any extra permissions. This opportunity can come in particularly handy for your kids when they grow up.
• Excellent educational opportunities. Your children will be able to attend a public or private school. The quality of education will be just as high as anywhere in the EU. French universities can prepare your kids for an impressive international career.
• Top-notch healthcare services. Public hospitals in France set the bar high for medical institutions in other countries. The selection of private clinics is extensive.
• Robust support for businesses. You might be able to benefit from tax incentives, incubators, accelerators, and other perks — especially if your company deals with innovative technologies.
• Rich culture and exquisite cuisine. The French people are renowned for their hedonism and good taste for art. It will be a pleasure for you to dine in local restaurants as well as explore museums and galleries.

If you decide to live in a big city, you'll find yourself in a multicultural environment and will be able to make many new international contacts.

Requirements for Your Savings and Earnings

Attention: in this article, we indicate the lowest accepted limits. In fact, the more money you have for each case, the higher your odds of approval.

This route for relocating to France suits those who have at least €36,000 in their bank account. You'll need to transfer this money to a French bank and keep it there.

If you are planning to take your spouse with you, be ready to provide a bank statement of at least €18,000 for them. If you have underage children, make sure to have an additional €9,000 for each of them. Kids aged over 18 fail to qualify for the offer — but they can apply independently.

It's mandatory to prove the amount of your monthly passive income. The minimum threshold is €1,800 for over 12 months. If you bring your spouse together with you, add €1,500 to this sum. If you would like to relocate together with kids, add €750 for each of them.

The source of your passive income doesn't matter. It can be your investments, money that you make renting out real estate, royalties on your intellectual property, pension, or anything else. If you rely on multiple sources, this would be even better because it further solidifies your financial stability. The key prerequisite is that you should generate this money outside of France.

The term independent means the following: if you get paid for work, your salary or fees won't qualify for the passive income visa.

Requirements for Living in France

When submitting your visa application, you'll need to prove that you have somewhere to live in France. In theory, you can book a hotel room or stay with your friends and relatives.

However, in practice, to maximize your odds of approval, it would be better to buy a house or apartment. The more expensive it is, the better — but there are no precise requirements to the cost of the real estate that you purchase.

Alternatively, you can rent a property for at least 12 months. It can be any type of residential real estate, regardless of its price.

You won't face any restrictions regarding where to live. Feel free to choose a location that you love the most — be it the capital, a cozy settlement by the ocean, or a remote village in the mountains.

Paperwork

The standard set of documents that you should prepare includes:

• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Photos
• Proof of having always been law-obedient
• Proof of financial stability
• Proof of the fact that you are not planning to get employed in France
• Health insurance
• Proof of residence in France

Be ready to provide the original versions of all the papers, translate them to French, and either get an apostille for them or legalize them in the French Consulate. For this purpose, you should use the services of a translator with the relevant qualifications.

If you relocate together with your dearest and nearest, you should mention all your names in one application instead of filling in an individual form for each person. In this case, you might need to add more documents to your set of papers — such as birth certificates of all your kids and proof of having enrolled them into a French school. You'd better discuss your situation in advance with an experienced consultant.

Application Instructions

Here is the scheme to follow:

1. Buy or rent a property in France — you can do it remotely from your homeland
2. Apply for the visa from a third-party country at least two months before your planned relocation to France and receive it
3. Come to France and validate your visa at the Immigration Office
4. Wait for a couple of days to get a residence permit
5. Within four months, check your health in France and get relevant medical insurance

Your visa will remain valid for 12 months. A couple of months before it expires, you should apply for prolongation if you would like to stay in the country. It's important that you spend in France at least 183 days annually to qualify for prolongation.

For your second year in the country, you'll get a different type of residence permit. You'll be able to renew it if you spend at least half of the year annually in France and maintain your level of financial stability.

In five years, you'll become eligible for permanent residency or citizenship. These options don't require renewals. However, they might involve limitations — for instance, if your homeland fails to recognize dual citizenship, you'll have to choose between your old passport and the French one.

In this article, we won't focus in detail on the specifics of becoming a French citizen. However, we'll briefly mention that you'll need to prove with your documents the fact of having integrated into the country. While you live in France as a financially independent individual, make sure to keep your bills, pay taxes on time, and participate in local clubs, societies, or charities. Plus, you'll need to pass an exam to confirm your language proficiency.

Rejection Cases

If you meet the eligibility criteria and submit all the documents properly, you should have decent odds for approval. However, some applications might end up being rejected — for instance, if you make a mistake in a paper and fail to notice it. In this case, the prefecture can send the rejection to you in written form or just keep silent without sending the approval to you. If you disagree with their decision, you can take the matter to court.

To make sure everything goes without a hitch, it would be reasonable to hire an experienced consultant in advance. They will assess your odds of getting the visa in advance as well as assist you with paperwork and application.