Retiring in Mauritania: Residence, Taxation of Your Pension, Health and Daily Life

Mauritania has no identified “retiree” visa in the official sources read for this page. Entry takes place in two steps since 5 January 2025: electronic visa authorisation on anrpts.gov.mr, then a visa issued on arrival for 30 days, single entry, at a price of 55 euros (France Diplomatie). To settle for the long term, the retiree applies for a residence card from the Mauritanian authorities; once they hold a card valid for a stay of more than three months, they are exempt from the visa on round trips, as long as their absence does not exceed six months.

The financial conditions required for a retiree’s residence (proof of pension, proof of income, insurance) do not appear in the sources consulted: enquire with the Mauritanian embassy in France or the immigration service before fixing a departure date. Keep in mind that the French embassy cannot intervene in case of failure to comply with entry or exit obligations, and that regularisation after an overstay costs the equivalent of a visa, i.e. 55 euros.

On the French consular side, registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is strongly recommended from six months of stay. The embassy also devotes a page to the certificate of existence, which some pension funds request periodically. The guide receiving your pension abroad summarises the steps.

French retirement pensions can be paid abroad into a bank account, in France or locally. The bilateral social security agreement of 22 July 1965, in force since 1 February 1967, covers in particular old age and survivors: it is used to add up insurance periods when a career was spent in both countries. For the detail of quarters, see quarters worked abroad.

In Mauritania, the old-age pension of the local scheme requires age 63 (58 in case of premature wear), at least 20 years of registration and the cessation of all salaried activity (CLEISS). A French national who has worked locally can therefore combine a small Mauritanian pension with their French pensions. The retiree cannot, however, rely on the Mauritanian CNAM simply by being a French pensioner: this fund covers employees and their dependants (see the healthcare system).

Remember to notify your pension fund, the CPAM (local health insurance office), the CAF (family allowance fund) and France Travail (the French employment agency) of your departure, as well as your new bank and postal address. The “My retirement abroad” section of the Assurance retraite (the French pension insurance) details the documents to produce.

France and Mauritania signed a tax treaty on 15 November 1967, published in the Journal officiel of 27 April 1969 and supplemented by an exchange of letters on 8 March 1994; it covers income tax, inheritance and registration duties (BOFiP list of tax treaties). The articles on pensions specify which state may tax a pension of French source paid to a resident of the other state: reading them, in the consolidated text published by the tax administration, is essential before departure.

Two notions drive the calculation: tax residence and the source of income. A person who moves their home and the centre of their economic interests to Mauritania in principle becomes a Mauritanian tax resident; the treaty settles the cases where each country considers itself competent. Income from property located in France (rents, property capital gains) follows its own rules.

A retiree who is no longer a French tax resident pays no CSG, CRDS or CASA on their pensions, but a health insurance contribution is levied when they are covered by a French scheme, for example for their temporary stays in France: 3.2% on the basic pension, 4.2% on the supplementary pension and 7.1% on pensions from self-employed schemes (CLEISS). Confirm your situation with the tax office for non-residents before departure.

Without an S1 form outside the European Union, the retiree must arrange their own cover. The CLEISS cites three options: checking with the local authorities whether the local scheme covers care, joining the CFE voluntarily, or taking out private insurance. The CFE offer for expatriate retirees is priced on quotation; it is reserved for holders of a pension from the French basic scheme with no professional activity, and requires no health questionnaire. It covers only care abroad.

The CFE waiting period is nil if enrolment takes place before departure or within three months of settling; beyond that, it is three months before age 44 and six months from age 45, which concerns almost all retirees. Enrolment must therefore be decided before departure. The guide retiree health insurance abroad and the comparison CFE or private insurance help you choose; see also retirement insurance abroad.

During a temporary stay in France, the retiree is covered if they receive a French basic or survivor’s pension, can show at least 15 years of insurance in France and do not work; only the pensioner and their minor children are concerned, the spouse having to take out travel insurance. A hospital stay of more than one month requires the prior agreement of the CPAM, after a medical examination. The CNAREFE (the French health insurance office for retirees living outside the EU), attached to the CPAM of Seine-et-Marne, handles the affiliation and reimbursements of retirees living outside the European Union.

Finally, a contract must include medical evacuation: France Diplomatie recommends evacuation abroad for serious emergencies, once the patient is stabilised, and describes insurance covering repatriation as essential (assistance and repatriation). Reimbursement details are on the reimbursement page.

The climate dictates a rhythm of life: the period from April to October is very hot, with temperatures often above 40 °C, and malaria may be reported in Nouakchott from August to November. Most French retirees who stay in the country turn to Nouakchott, where the embassy, hospitals, private clinics and shops are located, rather than to the interior, where the care offer is limited. Nouadhibou, on the coast, is an active port; its border outskirts are classified orange by France Diplomatie.

Bank cards and cheques are not accepted by shopkeepers: the daily budget is settled in cash (ouguiya, MRU), which means planning regular access to ATMs or banks. None of the official sources read publishes average rents; the embassy and French associations, whose list appears on its website, are the most reliable relays for information. To estimate the cost of health, see budgeting for health when living abroad.

France Diplomatie classifies as red zone the north of Zouérate, the border strip with Mali and the north-eastern military zone, and as orange zone Assaba, Gorgol, Guidimaka and the border area from Nouadhibou to Zouérate; the rest of the country, including Nouakchott, is in the yellow zone. It is advised to avoid travelling at night outside built-up areas, to report your movements and to register on Fil d’Ariane (the French foreign ministry’s traveller registration service). Driving is subject to frequent checks; vehicle insurance is compulsory on entry.

Before settling, put together a complete file: copies of passports and residence permits, prescriptions in INN (international nonproprietary names), insurer’s certificate, embassy contact details (+222 45 29 96 99) and emergency numbers (SAMU 101, police 17, fire brigade 18, gendarmerie 119). The page living in Mauritania complements these points.