What does it take to retire in France ?
The first thing you need to know before moving to another country to live is the requirements for getting a visa. France does not have any kind of specific “retirement visa” per se, rather you need to apply for a series of one-year renewable visas. What qualifies one for a visa ? Basically, you need to should the following:
That you have a place to live at the start of the visa
That you can support yourself for the length of the visa
That you have private health insurance that will cover you in the EU (and morbidly, pay for your body’s repatriation back to the states should you dies in France).
