Retiring in the British Virgin Islands as a French National: Residence, Taxation and Health

The government pages consulted describe no specific visa or residence permit for retirees. They present two routes: entry into the territory for work and permanent stay, through resident status (Residence Status) or Belonger status. Every traveller completes the ED Card online before each arrival and presents a passport valid for the whole stay; the list of nationalities subject to a visa published by the tourist board does not name France. A visitor's authorised length of stay was not read: a retiree who wants to spend several months a year there should contact the Department of Immigration (284-468-4700) before any plan.

Resident status requires ten consecutive years of stay, with no absence of more than a year and at most 90 days of absence a year, good character and the intention to settle permanently. The file includes, among other things, a police certificate and a medical certificate less than six months old, a certificate of the territory's history and culture, an English certificate for applicants whose mother tongue is not English, references, bank statements and proof of income. The application fee is $250 (about €223); the spouse and children under 18 may be included. The Cabinet decides after review by the Immigration Board. Belonger status comes under separate routes: twenty years of stay for long-term residence, family link, or exceptional circumstances. Providing false documents is an offence that exposes the applicant to a fine and a ban on reapplying.

The BOFiP list of tax treaties concluded by France does not include the British Virgin Islands. The two States are linked by a tax information exchange agreement, signed on 17 June 2009, in force since 18 November 2010 (decree no. 2011-29 of 7 January 2011): it organises cooperation between administrations without allocating taxing rights. It is therefore French domestic law that applies. Tax residence remains in France if the home or main place of stay, the professional activity or the centre of economic interests is there (article 4 B of the French General Tax Code); it is enough for a single criterion to be met. The territory does not appear in the list of non-cooperative States and territories, revised regularly.

For a person whose tax home is outside France, retirement pensions, pensions and life annuities paid by a payer established in France are subject to withholding tax (article 182 A of the French General Tax Code). The base is the amount paid after a 10% allowance. According to the BOFiP, the scale has three rates (0%, 12% and 20%) applied by bracket, whose thresholds are revised every year; the 12% and 20% rates are reduced in the overseas departments. The 12% bracket is final; the portion subject to 20% is credited against the tax due, calculated with a minimum rate of 20%. The taxpayer declares their French-source income and may claim a refund of excess withholding. No local income tax scale was read: the list of taxes collected by the Inland Revenue Department includes no personal income tax.

CLEISS (the French centre for European and international social security liaison) specifies that a retiree who is no longer tax resident in France pays neither CSG, nor CRDS, nor Casa. If the retiree still depends on a French scheme, a health insurance contribution is withheld from their pensions, at the usual rates of 3.2% on the basic pension, 4.2% on the supplementary pension and 7.1% for self-employed workers' pensions. The guide on receiving your pension abroad recalls the procedures with the funds.

Form S1 is valid in the European Union and does not apply to this territory. CLEISS asks the retiree to check with local institutions to what extent the local scheme covers their care, then to join the CFE voluntarily or take out private insurance. Three routes exist.

The first is the National Health Insurance, open to legal residents. According to the office, a retiree without a job under 65 whose pension is their only income contributes 3.75% of their insurable earnings, and 7.5% if they have other income; the government covers the contributions of non-working seniors aged 65 and over. The pages consulted do not specify whether this cover applies to a foreign retiree, nor the conditions for a resident who settles after retirement age: they should be confirmed with the office (1 (284) 852-7860). Registration is done within the month following arrival, and the benefit catalogue could not be read. See the page on the healthcare system in the British Virgin Islands.

The second route is the CFE retiree offer, with a contribution depending on the country, age and family situation: it is reserved for people with no professional activity who receive a pension from the French basic scheme, with no health questionnaire, with immediate cover if you join before departure or within three months of settling, then three months' waiting before age 44 or six months from age 45. The third is an international health insurance with medical evacuation: care abroad requires, under the NHI, prior approval and a share of 20% or 40%, and the cover read does not include air ambulance.

During a temporary stay in France, cover applies to holders of a French pension showing at least 15 years of insurance in France; an accompanying spouse is not covered and must take out insurance before the stay. See the guide on retiree health insurance abroad and the page on healthcare reimbursement in the British Virgin Islands.

The BVI Social Security Board pays retirement, disability, sickness, maternity and survivor pensions, funded by employer and employee contributions. The government announces in its budget address an increase in the pensions paid to retirees and the plan for a contributory pension scheme. The scheme's age and contribution-period conditions could not be read (the body's website was not accessible at the time of consultation): they should be requested from the Social Security Board through the government customer service (284-468-3701). Without an agreement, France does not aggregate local periods with French periods, according to CLEISS.

The official sources consulted publish neither a typical retiree budget nor up-to-date rents or property prices. The US dollar is the territory's official currency. The “Economic benchmarks” block above gives updated inflation and exchange rate figures. The conversions on this page are based on the ECB reference rate.

For a retiree, two expenses should be anticipated: health insurance, whose NHI contribution is proportional to income, and preparation for the hurricane season, with the review of insurance contracts that the Department of Disaster Management recommends.

No official source consulted ranks the islands by their appeal for retirees. A decisive criterion is proximity to care: the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital in Road Town (120 beds, emergency services 24 hours a day) is the public hospital of Tortola, and the Iris O'Neal Health Center provides urgent care in Virgin Gorda; Jost Van Dyke and Anegada have community clinics. The medical emergency number is 911. The BVIHSA also has a seniors' clinic. People with mobility or chronic health problems are asked by the Department of Disaster Management to arrange their support with their carers, family and neighbours before the hurricane season.

A retiree who remains registered on the roll of French nationals living abroad comes under the French embassy in Saint Lucia (Castries), which is competent for the territory; registration is valid for five years. The guide on living in the British Virgin Islands details the formalities and the hurricanes.

Service-public states that, for a return from a country outside the European Economic Area, a CFE member may keep their expatriate benefits for three months after their return, subject to conditions. A retiree not covered by a social security agreement, which is the case for this territory, can apply for universal health protection with form S1106 if they meet the stable and regular residence conditions. According to the CFE retiree offer page, no waiting period applies on return to France and the retiree automatically returns to the general scheme. See the page on returning to France.