Retiring in Vanuatu as a French National: Stay, Taxation and Healthcare

A French national obtains a three-month visitor visa on arrival, on presentation of a passport valid six months beyond the stay, a return ticket and proof of accommodation (France Diplomatie, the French foreign ministry’s travel advice service). To stay more than twelve months, the immigration service offers residence visas. The ‘self-funded’ category concerns people who live on their own resources: certified monthly income of 250,000 VT, or 500,000 VT for a couple, with no dependants included. The ‘leasehold’ category requires a lease on a property of at least 10 million VT and 250,000 VT of certified income per person. Validity is generally 1, 3, 5 or 10 years; an adult’s fees range from 57,600 VT for one year to 511,200 VT for ten years, and 2,880 VT for a minor. The pages read do not describe a specific retiree visa, nor an age condition, nor compulsory health insurance: these points should be confirmed on (+678) 22354.

The service warns against fake permanent residence cards and unauthorised intermediaries: submit your file on the official portal and check that addresses end in ‘.gov.vu’. The guide to living in Vanuatu details entry, safety and housing.

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. 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). The local savings scheme is not aggregated with French rights: see quarters worked abroad.

No tax treaty between France and Vanuatu 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%, 12% or 20% depending on income bands revised each year, after a 10% allowance (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 Vanuatu side, the administration’s tax pages could not be reached at the time of consultation: no official source read confirms the taxation of a pension of foreign source nor the rate of value added tax. Ask the local tax 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). Vanuatu 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:

• Vanuatu public sector: the Vila Central hospital in Port-Vila and the Northern Provincial Hospital in Luganville; infrastructure is limited, and 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 almost any serious procedure requires evacuation to New Caledonia or Australia (France Diplomatie).

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 Vanuatu and CFE or private insurance.

No administration consulted publishes a typical retiree budget. The economy rests on agriculture (about a quarter of value added), services (more than half) and tourism, which accounts for nearly half of exports (World Bank). Build a prudent budget from quotes for rent, energy, food and insurance, allowing a margin for exchange: the pension is received in euros, and the “Economic benchmarks” block gives the day’s rate. The minimum income required for ‘self-funded’ residence (250,000 VT a month) gives a benchmark for calibrating your resources.

France Diplomatie places the country under heightened vigilance and recommends closing doors and windows at night, avoiding night-time journeys and watching your luggage. The cyclone season runs from November to the end of April; active volcanoes, including Manaro Vui on Ambae (level 3), and a risk of earthquake and tsunami call for choosing solid housing, away from riverbanks and seafronts, and following VMGD bulletins.

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, gather the documents for the residence visa, including certified proof of income, appoint a contact person in France for administrative matters and open an ameli account, which can be used from abroad. 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-Vila, on the island of Efate, brings together the French embassy, the Vila Central hospital, the international airport and the widest range of services: it is the most coherent choice for a retiree who prioritises care. Luganville, on Espiritu Santo, offers a provincial hospital but more limited services. The other islands require checking access to care and air links before committing. Visit several neighbourhoods outside the cyclone season, rent for a few months first and have any lease reviewed. Also check the distance to the hospital, access to drinking water, which France Diplomatie presents as safe in Port-Vila and Luganville, and the availability of an airstrip in case of evacuation. See also the Vanuatu page and the page working in Vanuatu if a business project complements retirement.