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

France Diplomatie states that a visa is required for any stay, with an invitation letter from the State Migration Service requested by the inviting party and a lead time of three to four weeks. The passport must be valid for at least six months after the planned return. Registration within three days of arrival applies to any stay of more than three working days, is the responsibility of the inviting organisation or person, and is accompanied by deregistration on departure. The Dashoguz region and the border zones require a special authorisation.

The pages consulted present no visa or residence permit reserved for retirees: the State Migration Service, which issues residence permits, specifies the conditions applicable to each situation, and the Turkmen embassy in Paris provides information before any project. France Diplomatie recommends going through a travel agency and staying in a hotel, independent travel and homestays not being common. For a retiree, the right of stay is therefore the first question to ask, before those of housing, budget or health. The page living in Turkmenistan details the formalities.

The list of tax treaties concluded by France, published in the BOFiP (the French tax administration’s official doctrine), mentions Turkmenistan: the treaty signed in Paris on 4 October 1985 with the former USSR, in force since 28 March 1987, continues to have effect with this country, confirmed by an exchange of letters in 1994. According to the BOFiP doctrine for the treaty applied with Kyrgyzstan, which rests on the same text, 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.

For a French retiree living in Turkmenistan, a pension from a French basic scheme 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, and reading the BOFiP page for Turkmenistan (BOI-INT-CVB-TKM) checks this point. Residence is determined by the permanent home, then the centre of vital interests, then the habitual place of stay, then nationality. The tax office for non-resident individuals confirms the situation before departure.

According to Assurance retraite, 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, chooses a French or foreign account for payment 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 Turkmenistan, and the country does not appear in the CLEISS list (CLEISS is the French Centre for European and International Social Security Liaison). France Diplomatie judges health infrastructure insufficient, states that care, accommodation, linen, medicines and meals remain the foreign patient’s responsibility, that medical repatriation is necessary in the event of serious illness or accident, and that many international insurances do not cover the country.

The CFE (Caisse des Français de l’étranger, the voluntary social security fund for French nationals abroad) 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; the conditions applicable to Turkmenistan should be confirmed with it in writing. See the guide health insurance for retirees abroad, the page retirement insurance abroad, the guide healthcare reimbursement in Turkmenistan and the page Turkmenistan’s healthcare system.

No official rent or price statistics were used for this page. The official exchange rate is fixed against the dollar, according to France Diplomatie and the Central Bank. You must bring dollars in cash, preferably recent and in good condition: euros are very difficult to change, international cash machines rare, card payments very limited outside hotels and Western Union transfers possible. Hotel rooms and plane tickets are paid for in dollars, and non-residents also pay for museum entry in dollars. Payment of the pension into a French account and access to cash are prepared before departure; the exchange and inflation benchmarks appear in the “Economic indicators” block of this page.

France Diplomatie places the whole country at heightened vigilance, except for the Afghan border zone, which is formally advised against. It reports seismic risk, poorly maintained roads, frequent checks and pickpocketing. The local laws, detailed on the page living in Turkmenistan, concern narcotics, tobacco (prohibited in all public places), the photography of strategic buildings, remarks directed at the president and gatherings. The French embassy in Ashgabat, a diplomatic presence post with limited means, answers on +993 12 36 35 50; the consular section is in Baku.

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 Turkmenistan complements this guide.

• Have the State Migration Service and the Turkmen embassy in Paris specify the 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.
• Obtain written confirmation from the CFE and the insurer that Turkmenistan is covered, with repatriation.
• Read the France Diplomatie Safety page and register on Ariane.