Retiring in Kyrgyzstan as a French National: Stay, Pension Taxation and Health

France Diplomatie specifies that French nationals stay without a visa for up to 30 days, that the passport must be valid for at least six months after the end of the stay, and that a visa-free return requires waiting 30 days after a 30-day stay. The type B visa, valid for up to 90 days and requested on the e-visa portal, covers specific purposes (negotiations, conferences, sporting events, care) and allows no gainful activity. The portal also describes the “digital nomad” visa (type DN, up to one year) for information technology specialists, and a temporary residence permit that confirms the right of long-term stay.

Neither the e-visa portal nor the France Diplomatie pages present a “retiree” category or financial residence criteria for retirees. A retiree who wishes to settle therefore asks the State Migration Service and the Kyrgyz consular services for the permit corresponding to their situation, its duration and its conditions. Beyond 30 days, paid registration at a declared address is compulsory, as is registration of the phone; overstaying requires an L-type exit visa. The page living in Kyrgyzstan details these formalities.

The BOFiP (the French tax administration’s official doctrine) indicates that the Franco-Soviet tax treaty signed in Paris on 4 October 1985, in force since 28 March 1987, continues to have effect with Kyrgyzstan, which has not wished to denounce it. According to this doctrine, social security pensions and public pensions are taxable only in the state of source when the beneficiary is a national of that state, and all other pensions only in the state of residence. Residence is determined under article 1: in the event of dual residence, the permanent home, then the centre of vital interests, then the habitual place of stay, then nationality, and finally agreement between the competent authorities.

For a French retiree living in Kyrgyzstan, a pension from a French basic scheme, of a “social security” nature, therefore remains in principle taxable in France, whereas a private pension comes under the state of residence; the classification of each pension is requested from the paying fund. Double taxation is eliminated by article 15, and the tax administration reminds that pensions paid by a body established in France are French-source income. The resident proves their tax residence by any means, for example a certificate from the tax authorities. The tax office for non-resident individuals confirms the situation before departure.

According to Assurance retraite (the French pension insurance fund), when tax residence is no longer in France, the CSG, CRDS and Casa (French social levies) are no longer withheld; a health insurance contribution of 3.20% can still apply if the retiree comes under a French health scheme or, for a foreigner, if they have at least 15 years of old-age insurance in France. The retiree informs their fund of their change of address, can receive their pension in a French or foreign account and returns each year the proof-of-life certificate completed by a local authority. Benefits conditional on residence in France (Aspa, ASI) cease on departure.

Form S1, which gives retirees living in the European Union care at France’s expense, does not apply in Kyrgyzstan, and the country does not appear in the CLEISS list (CLEISS is the French Centre for European and International Social Security Liaison). Primary healthcare is free for all patients under the Guaranteed Benefit Package (European Observatory on Health Systems); for the rest, France Diplomatie describes facilities of uneven quality and recommends private clinics, in particular those with foreign capital.

The CFE offers its retirees’ offer, reserved for holders of a pension from a French basic scheme, without professional activity: no health questionnaire, immediate cover if membership takes place before departure or within three months of settling in, and no waiting period on return to France. The contribution is calculated on the simulator at cfe.fr according to age, family situation and country of residence. International insurance with evacuation and mountain rescue complements this foundation. See the guide health insurance for retirees abroad, the page retirement insurance abroad, the guide healthcare reimbursement in Kyrgyzstan and the page Kyrgyzstan’s healthcare system.

The National Statistical Committee gives an average monthly salary of around 37,000 soms, a benchmark for comparing local prices; no official rent statistics were used for this page. Dollars are changed in the banks and exchange offices of Bishkek, where the euro is harder to change; cash machines are rarer outside the capital, and France Diplomatie advises a Visa card. The exchange and inflation benchmarks appear in the “Economic indicators” block of this page. In a retiree’s budget, health (private clinics, insurance with evacuation) takes up an important place.

Bishkek brings together private health services, the banks, the French embassy and the Alliance française. Lake Issyk-Kul and the mountains attract retirees who love nature, but the Issyk-Kul region and the Fergana valley are among the most exposed seismic areas, and the south of the country is more conservative. France Diplomatie places the whole country at heightened vigilance while stressing limited risks: natural hazards, health, street crime. The road is the main daily danger, with 900 to 1,000 deaths a year, and the French licence must be accompanied by an international licence or a certified translation.

For the return to France, a three-month period with stable residence precedes the opening of Social Security rights, with exceptions; the CFE retirees’ offer applies no waiting period on return (see return-to-France insurance). The page health insurance in Kyrgyzstan complements this guide.

• Have the Kyrgyz authorities specify the long-stay residence permit applicable to a retiree.
• Ask each fund for the nature of the pension (social security, public or other) in order to apply the 1985 treaty.
• Have the tax office confirm tax residence and the regime for non-residents.
• Inform the pension fund of the change of address and organise the proof-of-life certificate.
• Simulate the CFE retirees’ offer and compare international insurance with evacuation and mountain rescue.
• Register on Ariane and read the France Diplomatie Safety page.