Seriously considering a move from Florida to South of France

@MEastman

Bonjour.

Wherever you land in France, remember that being on vacation/90 days search, is very different to the day to day life that you will have once you are settled in France. It is good to arrive without the rose coloured specs, and look at every day life as not being cafe and wine visits, though you will do plenty of exploring, normal life where you have to find a brico for parts to fix the WC, take precedence. Negotiating contracts to get the pool cleaned/lining changed, finding artisans who dont rip you off et al and in the first 12 months of being here, negotiating all the bureaucratic essentials to get into the French System, not to mention filing your Impot each year IN  French.

You should arrive with an excellent sense of humour, ultimate patience and a cushion on your forehead for when you just want to beat your head against the wall because nothing much makes sense to you! lol.

Retired life is much the same no matter where you live. You are just changing locations, and your wife cannot work on a Visiteur Visa, in France. She would have to apply for a visa that allows her to earn while living in France. This is usually (emphasis) a Self-Employed/Liberal Visa ( https://www.france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web … al-purpose) and she would have to adhere to the requirements there.

If you have not investigated other parts of France, you might like to spend some of your 90 days going west/south west where we have the 2nd most sunshine hours to Marseille in the Charente/Charente Maritime. If it is sailing and coastal activity, you might also investigate La Rochelle, and up into Brittany and the Golfe de Morbihan at Vannes, where the sailing is excellent.

You should know that 40C days happen frequently in Summer all over France, and if you want a more temperate climate, you should carefully explore that option somewhere other than the Med Coast. I find online climate information is generally conservative and inaccurate, these days. I have lived here for 7 yrs now and in that time the climate has changed considerably. We chose the south Charente for its sunshine hours, more moderate climate and lack of snow/super cold, in winter. This winter is mild, but we have experienced 40-45C days in the previous 4 years in the middle of summer.

The average temps in summer in the south of France appear to be mid to late 30's C, and having come from Jacksonville, FL myself where the heat was too much for me, you might like to explore whether that is something you can tolerate for weeks on end.

Nothing will give you better language experience that person to person interaction, and a language school might be the best option to learn colloquial French. I find that speaking it daily IN France is the best learning mode.

I wish you Bon Chance.

I would find an online Schengen agreement calculator that the French accept. Not all calculators are the same.  I learned this personally when using a calculator in Romania (then out of the Schengen zone) before re-entering.  There is no standardized calculator (or wasn't then) and my count was off.  A decent Romanian official helped me with the calculation and explained how common this problem is.  Bottom line, be sure your length of stay is calculated correctly.

As to where, even though I live in France, I really only am familiar with the Occitane.  I would think in general terms of climate type you prefer i.e. hot, cold, beach, mountains, wet dry season length.  I would also be realistic about potential costs.  Paris...expensive, Brittany not.  You also might want to speak to a France/US tax specialist to see what your obligation will be once you are here.  Getting hit with a tax bill on your international income for 40+ percent is not a happy moment, as opposed to the 10% I paid last year in the US.  This depends on your particular situation and the US/France tax treaty.

Language.  My experience is, French is like wrestling a Kodiak bear, when you thought it was a puppy.  To not sound like a complete idiot (and confuse the heck out of people) French grammar is absolutely painful. It's painful for the French. Online learning is interesting, but LIVE conversation is crucial.  If you already speak or have studied a Latin based romance language you will have a big leg up. If you just speak English, immerse yourself now and don't let up.

Some areas have higher English speaking populations, but your IN France. You will not only want to speak to the French, but will NEED to do so to deal with basic life bureaucracy.

I use Duolingo and found it insufficient.  I signed up for 4 weeks at Alliance Francais and while excellent, was just too short and too fast. Now I am using a private teacher and it is still whipping me.  Again the key is sitting with people and talking and learning the grammar to do so with even minimal effect.

Good luck.

Bonjour and merci beaucoup to both of you for your valuable insights. I loved the explanation of the pain of dealing with folks to take care of the everyday issues that you cannot address yourself, as well as the absolute requirement for the patience. It once again points to the crucial need to get started with language learning asap. (We will both begin with Lingoda training this week. I took French through high school, but my wife is a true newbie.) As far as my wife working remotely, we've consulted with a French attorney as well as another immigration expert and understand that the law on this subject is not black and white--she will be able to remotely work as long as it's not for a French company. At least that's the way it was explained to us. We will research this more, for sure. Also, your suggestion of dipping our toes in a bit on the west coast is interesting. I will look into that as one possible leg of our next visit. We have retained the services of French Connections HCB and will be reviewing our financial/tax/inheritance situation soon with their accountant. We are not wealthy folks, but should have plenty in the tank to live quite comfortably there, if we choose to do so. Also, the 90-day calculator issue is something that I have never considered. (I figured 90 days meant 90 days, but I will look into this too.) It's obvious that both of you have somehow been able to maintain your sense of humor while experiencing the transition. We hope to do the same. Again, thanks for taking the time to reply to my note. Your input is much appreciated!

@MEastman

I am not sure who has advised you that working online is not taxable in France. If you are earning money while living in France, you will need to not just have the correct Visa to allow you to do so, but you will also have to file your Impot each year and contribute to Social Security/health system if you want to be in it.

The DAY that you arrive in France with the INTENT of living in France is the day you become a TAX Resident of France. This is regardless of the Visa you hold.

Yes, I know there are people who THINK there is a tax loophole allowing for people not employed by a FR company and with their own (entrepreneurs) company/IRS # in the USA, but if they/you are living permanently in France, and earning ANY money while you are sitting here, the law is very clear. You must have the appropriate visa and be in the Impot system. This is generally knows as a Visa Entrepreneur/ Professional Liberale.

https://www.remotehype.co/remote-work-taxes-france-2025

https://www.etiasfrance.org/news/everyt … %20France.

Please be aware that laws change each year, and its a challenge to keep up with them, but it pays to be complaint, whatever they may be.

I would definitely want proof from those 'experts' that you can LEGALLY work remotely while resident in France and with only a Visa VLS/ TS. Everything I have ever read indicates that it is illegal to be earning money from overseas while living here, and not being in the Fr tax system and paying cotisation/Social security. I have included a couple of links you might like to consult.

Thanks for your thoughts. I understand that we will pay taxes in France and the U.S. on what she earns through working remotely (though we won't be double-taxed), but currently she will be able to do so under the long-stay visa. I will double check this with our French accountant when we speak and continue to do my due diligence. But you raise important issues. The last thing we want to do is to run afoul of the French authorities.

@MEastman

Can please post any LEGAL information about earning in France while working remotely for an overseas company (US) as an American. I am sure others would like to know. I certainly would, as I know of at least two Americans who do this, and they had been advised by a US/FR lawyer on how to do this. This was not shared with me at the time they moved here, but I know they work remotely without having a FR company, and all monies for their work are paid into US bank accounts in $. 

Thank you.