Retiring in Papua New Guinea as a French National: Stay, Taxation and Healthcare

France Diplomatie indicates that a stay of less than three months requires a short-stay visa, to be requested online on the e-Visa portal of the Immigration and Citizenship Authority (60-day tourist visa) or from an accredited embassy, in Brussels for France, with a passport valid at least six months. The pages read describe no retiree visa, no age or income condition, and do not specify the rules applicable to stays of three months or more. The authority’s website could not be reached at the time of consultation: these points should be confirmed directly with the Immigration and Citizenship Authority or the country’s embassy in Brussels before any plan to sell property or move.

Proof of valid polio vaccination is required on entry, and on exit for a stay of more than four weeks. Fruit, vegetables and products of animal origin cannot be imported, and bringing in a pet is strongly discouraged, as it entails a six-month quarantine. The guide to living in Papua New Guinea details safety by area and housing conditions.

The Assurance retraite (the French pension insurance) pays the French pension in more than 180 countries, to an account in France or abroad; changes of address and bank details are reported to the regional fund. A life certificate must be completed every year by an authorised local authority and returned on time; in a country where administrative services are remote, plan the circuit ahead. The allowance for elderly people (ASPA) and the supplementary disability allowance require residence in France: they stop on departure and can be reapplied for on return. See the guide receiving your pension abroad.

A retiree whose tax domicile is outside France bears no CSG, CRDS or CASA on their pension; a health contribution of 3.20% may apply when they remain attached to a French compulsory scheme or have at least 15 years of old-age insurance in France (Assurance retraite). French and local rights are not aggregated: see quarters worked abroad.

No tax treaty between France and Papua New Guinea could be confirmed in the sources read. Without a treaty, each state’s domestic rules apply: a pension of French source remains in principle subject to French tax under the non-resident regime, with withholding tax of 0% up to €17,122, 12% up to €49,667 and 20% above, after a 10% allowance (scale revised each year, impots.gouv.fr). The first two bands are final, the 20% band is credited against the tax; with several pension funds, an adjustment may be necessary.

On the Papua New Guinea side, the Internal Revenue Commission sets the taxation rules; its website could not be reached at the time of consultation and no official source read confirms the taxation of a pension of foreign source. Ask the local administration and the tax office for non-resident individuals before fixing your tax residence.

The S1 form and the European Health Insurance Card are valid only in the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Assurance Maladie, the French national health insurance). The country does not appear in the CLEISS list of agreements (CLEISS is the French centre for international social security liaison): healthcare costs are no longer covered by the French Assurance Maladie after departure. Three routes are available:

• Papua New Guinea public sector: regular medicine shortages, few specialists and overcrowded emergency rooms even in Port Moresby according to France Diplomatie; the conditions of access for a foreign resident should be confirmed with the Ministry of Health.
• CFE, retiree offer: quarterly contribution published on cfe.fr, for holders of a pension from the French basic scheme, with no medical questionnaire; no waiting period if joining takes place before departure or within three months of settling in, then 3 or 6 months depending on age.
• International insurance: direct access to the private sector and evacuation; age, pre-existing medical conditions and ceilings are decisive, because evacuations, notably to Cairns, are frequent and very costly.

For stays in France, a pensioner of the general scheme with at least 15 years of contributions may be covered after registering with the Cnarefe; their spouse joins the CFE and takes out a private contract covering France. See health insurance for retirees abroad, healthcare reimbursement in Papua New Guinea and CFE or private insurance.

No administration consulted publishes a typical retiree budget. The economy rests on industry (about 36% of value added), services (about 42%) and agriculture (about 17%) according to the World Bank; the National Statistical Office publishes price indices. Build a prudent budget from quotes for rent, home security, organised transport, energy and insurance, allowing a margin for exchange: the pension is received in euros, and the “Economic benchmarks” block gives the day’s rate.

France Diplomatie describes high crime, recommends very high vigilance in the large urban centres, strongly advises against the Highlands and Sepik provinces unless for an imperative reason, reports risks of piracy in Milne Bay and of clashes at the Indonesian border, and indicates that power cuts are frequent. Earthquakes, eruptions and tsunamis are possible: solid housing, secure accommodation, organised transport and a reserve of water and energy are prerequisites. These elements call for careful thought before fixing your residence, and for favouring trial stays.

Inform your health insurance fund and your pension fund of your change of residence: the Assurance Maladie indicates that a residence transfer form is available on ameli.fr. Choose cover that includes medical costs and medical repatriation, appoint a contact person in France for administrative matters, open an ameli account, which can be used from abroad, and register with the Fil d’Ariane service (the French foreign ministry’s traveller alert registration). The return to France is prepared by keeping your rights: the CFE applies no waiting period on return. A retiree who wishes to compare options can use Expavy’s online assessment.

Port Moresby concentrates the French embassy, the administration, the Port Moresby General Hospital and the international airport: it is the logical anchor point for a retiree who prioritises care and evacuations. Lae and Madang are regional hubs, but France Diplomatie cites particular points of vigilance there, including a cholera risk. The Highlands and Sepik provinces are strongly advised against unless for an imperative reason. Visit the country several times, rent for a few months first and check the safety level of the neighbourhood. See also the country page and the page working in Papua New Guinea if a business project accompanies retirement. In all cases, a retiree relies on reliable local contacts, secure housing and insurance including evacuation before committing for the long term; in the event of a serious health problem, the return goes through an evacuation organised by the insurer, whose arrangements must be known in advance.