Retiring in Zimbabwe: Stay, Taxation and Healthcare

French nationals need a visa for Zimbabwe, requested before departure on evisa.gov.zw (pre-registration strongly recommended) or obtained on arrival, for 30 US dollars for a single entry and 45 US dollars for a double entry, payable in cash in US dollars. The pages read do not specify the length of stay granted, nor the required validity of the passport: the Embassy of Zimbabwe and immigration confirm these points before departure.

France Diplomatie (the French foreign ministry’s travel advice service) describes no visa or permit intended for retirees. To settle, you must ask the Zimbabwean authorities in writing which residence document is open to a retired person, what resources are required and for how long. Repeated stays on a visitor visa do not constitute a right of residence.

On arrival, currency must be declared and only the sum of 2,000 US dollars (or the equivalent) may leave the country; beyond that, the sums risk being seized. This rule matters for anyone transferring savings: it is wise to use documented bank transfers.

France and Zimbabwe are bound by a convention to avoid double taxation on income tax, capital gains and wealth, signed in Paris on 15 December 1993 and in force since 5 December 1996; it comes with a protocol that forms an integral part of it (BOFiP). The administrative commentary consulted does not reproduce the article on pensions: the consolidated text can be read on impots.gouv.fr.

The general BOFiP doctrine reminds us that a private pension is in principle taxable in the beneficiary’s State of residence, that social security pensions are the subject of specific rules in some treaties, and that public pensions are generally taxable in the State that pays them. The withholding tax of Article 182 A of the French General Tax Code applies only if the treaty leaves France the right to tax: each category of pension (basic, supplementary, public) should be checked in the 1993 convention.

On the Zimbabwean side, the tax authority ZIMRA sets the rules applicable to residents; the scales should be checked on its website. Before departure, a written simulation from the tax office for non-resident individuals avoids unpleasant surprises; see receiving your pension abroad.

The pension can be paid into an account in France or, on request, abroad. Assurance retraite (the French pension fund) sends a proof-of-life certificate every year, to be completed by a competent authority in the country of residence; without proof, payment may be suspended. It is sent online or by post to the overseas pension processing centre in Tours.

For a tax domicile outside France, the CSG, CRDS and CASA are not deducted. A health insurance contribution of 3.20% may be, if the retiree falls under a French compulsory health insurance scheme, or if they are a foreign national with at least 15 years of old-age insurance in France.

See also quarters worked abroad and retirement insurance abroad.

Assurance Maladie (the French national health insurance) reserves form S1 for moves to the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, or to a country bound to France by an agreement including healthcare. Zimbabwe is bound to France by no social security agreement: cover is built with the CFE or private insurance. See a retiree’s health insurance abroad.

The CFE offer for retirees concerns holders of a pension from a French basic scheme with no professional activity, with no health questionnaire or exclusion possible; it has a contribution that depends on age and the plan chosen according to the home page, varying by country and age. Membership before departure or within three months of settling in opens immediate rights; beyond that, waiting periods of three months (under 44) or six months (45 and over) apply.

As France Diplomatie describes facilities that require a deposit in dollars on admission, a contract with direct payment and evacuation is a valuable complement. The Cnarefe (the national centre for French retirees abroad) covers temporary stays in France on condition of 15 years of contributions (10 years for those affiliated before 1 July 2019).

No average budget is put forward: prices are compared on the spot and current inflation appears in the “Economic indicators” block. With dollarisation very high, expenses are settled in US dollars as in ZiG; France Diplomatie advises not to exchange all your currency in advance. Among the major items: secure housing, health insurance, fuel (shortages are recurrent) and trips to France.

Harare and Bulawayo, on the central plateau, are not affected by malaria according to France Diplomatie, whereas the Zambezi valley is, year-round; Mutare, Gweru and Victoria Falls complete the main cities. In Harare, burglaries are rising and the city centre is discouraged on foot at night.

Consular services are provided by the French embassy in Harare. See living in Zimbabwe.

France Diplomatie describes generally low crime, with petty crime mainly at nightfall near large hotels, banks and cash machines, and burglaries rising in Harare, sometimes by armed individuals. It recommends an alarm system linked to a security company, clearly signposted, and not offering resistance. The degraded socio-economic context leads one to stay away from gatherings and to avoid any political activity or public statement.

In daily life, the road is the main subject: degraded condition, wildlife and livestock in rural areas, frequent police checks (fines of 5 to 20 US dollars), night driving discouraged, comprehensive insurance advised. For payments, withdrawals in dollars with a Visa or Mastercard card are possible at some cash machines, but it remains wise to have cash in US dollars. Running water may be contaminated: use bottled or treated water.

• Ask the Zimbabwean authorities in writing for the residence document open to retirees and its conditions.
• Have tax simulated with the 1993 convention: basic and supplementary pensions and investment income.
• Notify your pension fund, prepare the proof-of-life certificate and the bank account for payment.
• Compare the CFE and international insurance with direct payment and evacuation.
• Get vaccinated: yellow fever if needed, hepatitis, typhoid; malaria depending on the area.
• Register with Fil d’Ariane and on the register of French nationals living abroad.