Living in France: investing and planning as a foreign resident

The French system rewards those who use its own wrappers and punishes improvisation. Most foreign residents keep investing as if they still lived at home, and pay for it twice.

As a French tax resident you are taxed on worldwide income, and your foreign wrappers — ISAs, 401(k)s, offshore bonds, home-country funds — are read through French eyes, often unkindly. France's own toolbox, used deliberately, more than makes up for it: the assurance-vie is one of Europe's most efficient savings wrappers, with income-tax advantages after eight years (annual allowance of €4,600 for a single person, €9,200 for a couple taxed jointly on withdrawn gains) and a separate, generous treatment at death.

Estate planning deserves the same shift in thinking: French forced-heirship rules apply to residents by default and can override a will written at home. The earlier the family situation is mapped against French rules, the more options remain open — including the choice of law that Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 opens to nationals of any country, not only EU member states.

The firm's approach

We are a generalist wealth-management firm built around one specialism: lives lived across two systems. We look at both sides of every position — the French treatment and the home-country one — before recommending anything.

The assurance-vie described here is a family of contracts, not a single product: unit-linked funds carry a risk of capital loss and may have limited liquidity, and past performance does not predict future performance. The tax treatment summarised above depends on your country of residence, the applicable double-tax treaty and the date of each transaction. This page describes general mechanisms; it does not replace a review of your file.

Foreign pensions in France UK pots, Swiss pillars, the Singapore CPF and US retirement accounts, once France is home.Running a company in France Choosing a form, the annual obligations nobody is appointed to meet, and the founder's own position.Investing from France French wrappers with no equivalent at home, Luxembourg contracts, SCPI property funds and private assets.French tax and filings Residency, the first return, the foreign accounts you must report even when empty, and how to read your treaty.French succession law Forced heirship, the reserved share, and the choice of law that a foreign will has to make explicitly.US persons in France FATCA, PFIC, and the narrow set of French wrappers built to work for them.

Frequently asked questions

Is assurance-vie worth it for a foreign resident of France?

Usually yes, and often more than keeping home-country wrappers: gains compound without annual taxation, withdrawals after eight years benefit from an annual allowance, and death benefits follow a favourable regime outside the standard estate rules. US persons are the main exception and need specific contracts.

How does France tax my foreign pension?

It depends on the treaty between France and the paying country: some pensions remain taxable at source, others become taxable in France, some both with a credit. The treaty position should be established before you draw the pension, not after.

Can French law override my will?

French forced heirship reserves a share of your estate for your children and applies to French residents by default. Nationals of any country — not only EU member states — may elect the law of their nationality under Article 22 of Regulation (EU) No 650/2012 — one of several tools, each with limits, that should be weighed early.

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The group's other websites

Private Equity Valley Private equity and unlisted fund selection SCPI Valley SCPI (property fund) selection and analysis Éthique & Patrimoine Wealth advice and responsible investment

Also worth reading: the White paper — Private Equity 2026 published by Private Equity Valley — Unlisted assets: selection, risks, access.

Written by Stéphane Molère, Président d'Éthique et Patrimoine — page last reviewed on 2026-08-27 — rules quoted are those in force at that date.