France’s 2026 funds features a new provision to cost American retirees in France a payment so as to entry the French healthcare system. The massive query many are asking now could be now could be “how a lot will or not it’s?” Here’s what we all know.
After an agonising journey via parliament, France’s social safety funds for 2026 has lastly been handed – together with a provision for some retirees in France to pay a payment so as to entry the healthcare system.
READ ALSO: 7 adjustments in France’s 2026 social safety funds✎
The payment was not initially a part of the funds, it was launched as an modification by an MP named François Gernigon who mentioned that he had been alerted to the state of affairs by a constituent, after which found that relocation companies within the US have been promoting France’s ‘free healthcare’ as a cause to maneuver.
His modification obtained the help of a majority of MPs in the home and survived via the funds’s numerous variations, so it turns into regulation together with the remainder of the bundle from January 1st, 2026.
The modification itself is, nevertheless, intriguingly brief on element.
Here’s what we all know
The textual content of the regulation says: “Foreign nationals of a non-member state of the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation, holding a long-stay visa legitimate as a “customer” residence allow, are required to pay a selected contribution underneath situations set by decree, as a situation for opening and sustaining their rights to protection of their healthcare prices.”
That little phrase “underneath situations set by decree” is vital – principally the French parliament has agreed to the precept that sure teams need to pay a payment, however have additionally agreed that the main points might be labored out later.
This tells us that the payment is not going to come into impact on January 1st 2026, like the opposite funds measures.
Instead a decree should be drawn up laying out the complete particulars of the payment – who it will likely be charged to, how it will likely be charged and the way a lot it will likely be.
When – It’s not possible that the decree might be accomplished and handed earlier than summer season of 2026 and it might be even longer than that.
France handed an immigration regulation in 2024 that included adjustments to language exams for foreigners, the decree with the main points of the adjustments was revealed in the summertime of 2025 and the change itself will take impact from 2026 – this stuff will be gradual.
Who – this does not have an effect on all foreigners in France. The modification specifies that it applies to non-EU/EEA residents who’re in France on a visa or carte de séjour with the ‘customer’ standing. This standing is mostly utilized by retirees, however it’s accessible to anybody who’s in France however will not be working.
A subsequent modification clarified that it additionally doesn’t have an effect on international locations which have a reciprocal healthcare cope with France – for instance Brits should not affected as a result of they’ve the S1.
It’s additionally clear that folks coated by the modification nonetheless have the appropriate to register within the French public well being system, and as soon as the payment is paid have full entry to healthcare similar to everybody else.
How – the modification would not get into specifics of precisely how this is able to be charged, solely to say that it might be for “opening and sustaining” well being cowl, suggesting that it’s a common payment, seemingly yearly.
It does counsel that it’s completely different to the present system of the cotisation subsidiaire maladie (CSM).
The CSM is a cotisation – a social cost that isn’t technically a tax however operates in a really related solution to a tax since it’s a authorities deduction out of your revenue. People who’re working pay cotisations along with revenue tax – these prices cowl a spread of issues together with healthcare, unemployment insurance coverage, pensions and many others.
The CSM will be charged on sure kinds of revenue – together with funding revenue for retirees.
The strictest studying of the foundations means that many Americans in France ought to already pay CSM, however in actuality they’re not often billed for it, regardless of appropriately declaring all of their revenue to French authorities.
One choice for the federal government can be to overtake the present CSM system in order that it’s extra extensively levied, slightly than creating a wholly new healthcare payment. However it is not clear whether or not or not they’ll select this selection.
So how a lot – on the essential query of ‘how a lot’, the textual content of the regulation can also be missing they key info.
It does, nevertheless, seek advice from a payment – suggesting that this might be a hard and fast quantity for everybody, slightly than a cotisation or tax which varies relying on the individual’s revenue.
So you don’t have any thought how a lot?
There is zero confirmed element, however we are able to make some guesses.
The far-right Rassemblement National tried so as to add one other modification specifying that the payment ought to be the equal of 5 years of cotisation contributions from an worker – however this was defeated.
Their modification was vaguely worded, but when we assume the worker was on the typical revenue for a full-time non-public sector employee (€39,800 earlier than tax), their well being cotisations over 5 years would add as much as round €900.
Another attainable information is the CMS prices – these are sophisticated and have many exemptions, however the primary price is charged at 6.5 % on passive revenue (eg rental revenue, funding revenue).
READ ALSO: How does France’s CSM healthcare cost work?✎
So for instance an individual who earns €150,000 a yr purely in passive revenue would pay simply over €8,000 in CSM. CSM can also be capped at a most of €22,000 per yr – charged solely on these making €376,800 or extra a yr, totally in passive revenue.
Needless to say we’ll replace this text as quickly as we discover out additional details about the payment. If you may have any questions please tell us within the feedback part or by way of information@thelocal.fr
