Living in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha as a French National: Advantages, Cost of Living and Settling In

Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha are British overseas territories with their own laws, and the FCDO (the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) specifies that no British embassy is based there. The distances are considerable: the Ascension government places its island about 1,300 km from Saint Helena, and the Tristan da Cunha government gives 2,437 km as the crow flies between Tristan and Saint Helena. The Governor lives on Saint Helena; Tristan da Cunha is governed from Saint Helena with a local Administrator and an Island Council, and an Administrator appointed by the Governor heads the Ascension government.

The administrations publish their documents in English. The Saint Helena pound is at par with the pound sterling; it is legal tender on Saint Helena and Ascension, while local notes and coins are not accepted elsewhere, according to France Diplomatie. On Tristan da Cunha, payments are made mainly in cash, in pounds, euros, dollars or rand. Saint Helena keeps Greenwich Mean Time all year round, with no change of clock. The available economic indicators are shown in the “Economic benchmarks” block above.

For a French national, the France Diplomatie page on Saint Helena mentions an honorary consul and names no competent embassy; in the event of a lost or stolen passport, it refers to the French consulates in Cape Town or Johannesburg, the local authorities being able to issue a temporary travel document valid until arrival in South Africa. Registration on the roll of French nationals living abroad, valid for five years, is done online on service-public.

On the advantages side, France Diplomatie and the FCDO describe low crime on all three islands. The Saint Helena government highlights about 25 maintained hiking trails, diving and an annual marathon. The Ascension government highlights the balance between working life and outdoor leisure (fishing, diving, hiking) and notes that housing and allowances are often provided by the employer, so that many employees save more than in the United Kingdom. Tristan da Cunha offers an island community life based on farming and fishing.

On the constraints side, isolation sets the rhythm of daily life: on Saint Helena, France Diplomatie points out that the weather often causes delays of several days or flight cancellations; on Tristan da Cunha, boat departures can be brought forward or delayed. There are no cash machines on the islands, cards are accepted in only a few shops, and international communications are expensive according to France Diplomatie. Healthcare is suited to a small population, with evacuations for serious cases (see the page healthcare system in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha). Insurance with medical evacuation is required on entry, and the guide expat health insurance helps you compare the options.

On Saint Helena, Jamestown, the capital, concentrates the general hospital and its dental service, the social security service and the tax service, housed in the post office building. Local consultations are spread across the clinics of Half Tree Hollow, Longwood, Levelwood and St Johns Villa, with a mobile pharmacy that follows the medical surgeries. A public bus service links the island, with a timetable that includes the airport; taxis and rental cars are offered by private companies. Driving is on the left, most roads are single-lane, and speed is expressed in miles per hour.

On Ascension, housing depends on the employer and may be in Georgetown, Two Boats, on the American base or at Travellers Hill. Georgetown is home to the hospital; Two Boats, about 6 km away, is home to the school. A few shops offer much of the food and household products found in the United Kingdom. On Tristan da Cunha, the population lives in a single settlement; the island has no hotel, restaurant or tour operator, and all land belongs to the community.

The Saint Helena statistics office publishes a consumer price index every quarter, the earnings from full-time jobs every year, and a household expenditure survey: these series can be consulted on its website. The minimum wage is reviewed regularly by the government after consulting employers and employees (see the page working in Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha). On Ascension, the government puts the extra cost of food at about 30% compared with the United Kingdom, while some products, including alcohol, cost the same or less; the allowances and accommodation provided often make it possible to save.

Rents and property prices are not published in the official sources read: the immigration service and employers give information on housing solutions. To acquire land on Saint Helena, the government specifies that an immigrant and their relatives may together hold up to two acres without a licence; beyond that, a landholding licence is issued by the Immigration Control Board. On Tristan da Cunha, outsiders cannot buy land. For payments, none of the islands has a cash machine: cash is obtained at the local bank counter or, on Ascension, by cash handed over at one or two traders with a British card.

Saint Helena: according to France Diplomatie, an entry permit is issued on arrival for a stay of under 183 days, with a return ticket, insurance whose certificate, in English, covers at least £175,000 of medical costs and repatriation, and sufficient resources; it can be extended to six months. Beyond that, the government provides for a long-term entry permit, valid for up to five years, applied for from the immigration service with proof of resources, insurance and criminal record. Saint Helenian status, which opens entry as of right, can be obtained by application after a period of presence of five years, reduced to three years for the spouse of a holder.

Ascension: everyone needs an electronic visa, to be applied for at least 14 days before departure, except for professional exemptions. A visitor stays three months at most; employees obtain a visa tied to their contract, and their relatives a dependant visa. The Ascension government writes that there is no right of residence: anyone over 18 must hold a fixed-term employment contract or be the partner of a holder, and only “accompanied” contracts allow you to come with your family.

Tristan da Cunha: prior authorisation from the Administrator and the Island Council is applied for by email, stating the purpose, dates, nationality and age. A police certificate may be required, and the time to obtain it can reach 40 days. Outsiders cannot settle on the island. Formalities specific to employees and the self-employed are detailed on the page working.

On Saint Helena, four schools provide compulsory schooling from 5 to 16: two primary schools (Pilling and St Paul’s, from 4 to 11, with a nursery section from age 3) and Saint Helena secondary school (from 11 to 18, with a sixth form class). The Community College offers training from age 16, and a scholarship programme funds higher education. Enrolment goes through the government’s school admissions service. On Ascension, Two Boats school takes children who live on the island free of charge from 3 to 16; employers offer limited training for 16-18 year olds. On Tristan da Cunha, St Mary’s school takes pupils up to GCSE level, and those who continue their studies leave for South Africa or England.

The official sources read mention no accredited French school: teaching follows the British model, in English. Families registered with the consular roll should ask the competent French post about distance-learning solutions and scholarships. The language of formalities and everyday life is English.

France Diplomatie recommends not leaving belongings unattended, avoiding large sums of cash and keeping your passport in a safe place. The FCDO reminds travellers that the three islands have their own laws: possessing or importing narcotics, even in small quantities, is heavily penalised; drinking alcohol in public is prohibited in the Jamestown area; certain areas of Ascension are off limits; on Tristan da Cunha, hikes to certain sites require a guide and camping is prohibited. Land crabs are protected on Ascension. Fresh produce, plants, honey and animals imported to Saint Helena require a permit.

The climate of Saint Helena is subtropical, with temperatures mostly between 20 and 27 °C, the hottest months running from January to March and two rainy seasons, from late March to early May and then from July to September, according to the government. On Ascension, the government mentions a climate that can be very hot and dry. The FCDO reports strong currents and sharks in the shallow waters of some beaches on Ascension, a volcano dormant for about 600 years, and a last eruption on Tristan da Cunha in 1961.

On health, France Diplomatie recommends updating the vaccines of the French schedule and considering, depending on the length of stay, yellow fever, hepatitis A and B, typhoid, rabies or tuberculosis in children. Emergency numbers, the organisation of care and the cover rules are detailed in the pages healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement. Expavy lets you set insurance offers against your situation.