As a US French citizen I can tell you that when you reapply after your first year in France you will receive a 4 year visa and apply for French health insurance.

as much as I love Paris, i have decided to move to North Carolina next year and visit Paris regularly. Life is very different when you have a Grandchild. Janice, take care of those knees!!!!

My first love passed away two years ago! And I hoped to be together to the end of our lives! So, leave nothing to future! Live now whatever you want!

You have such great common sense information. I like how you stay fluid in situations, accepting the changes as they come. I have no doubt you'll be back in France and when you do get back to France, on those hot days without air conditioning, I'm told a damp bath towel laid across yourself, while sitting or laying in front of a fan is just like air conditioning, that's a little something to remember for you to use. I will be praying for it all to work out, which I'm sure it will. Thanks for the inspiring videos, and for showing us how to keep living!

Wishing you the best of luck with sorting all this out! So complicated but if your heart is in France you’ll find a way! It took a lot of perseverance and courage to get to where you are now and you have earned my admiration! Love from California! 💕🌸🙏🏼

I have been following your story for a while, Janice. So I am wishing you well as you go through the process again. I hope that they grant you residency.

Oh, my Janice! What a process and so much to learn and know!!! Not sure good thoughts will do much good, but I'm praying for you. Also for sweet little Buster! 🙏💕

Praying for you Janice! What an inspiration you are, I’m turning 27 next week and I know one day I’ll live in France

I’m wishing you the best Janice! 💕💕💕

I'm so thankful for you Janice, I've learned so much since discovering you 2 weeks ago. I'm 52 and have started researching now for buying a small property in the south of France between 2025 and 2030. I go to France on my own for a week once a year - it's not easy but my dream just keeps on growing, esp since discovering you and all the invaluable info you share. Thank you very much. Kind regards, Helen x

THIS video is SO helpful! Thank you Janice❤

Wishing you all the best! I pray 🙏 for you and Buster.

So delightful to follow you on your journey & I hope Buster & Kitty don’t miss you too much! Good Luck on your application!

Thank you for this video on retiring to France, I've been watching other videos on moving to France, but these are younger people who will also be working. I hope that your visa issues get resolved, at least you don't have to worry about needing to find a job in France to support yourself! 🙂

Janice, you are delightful. I'm so glad I discovered your channel. I will be visiting often. Be well. Thank you for all the details about relocating to France. Looking forward to all your videos.

Life is too complicated! I'm sorry you have to go through this mess. Lots of good thoughts, and prayers. God bless you, Janice. -- Teresa

Thank you for being so thorough and answering my question about acupuncture and holistic medicine. I’m sending you good vibes regarding your residency and all the paperwork. I wish you the best!

Praying for you Janice!!!

You are so delightful, as well as highly informative! This encourages me so much on my own journey to France! 😀

VERY helpful TY Janice! Sending my most positive thoughts to you on staying in France!

This was very informative and hopefully you can come back to live in France 🇫🇷 cuz your videos are super fun to watch 😊

🙏sending prayers your way!❤

Just started listening to you and I am watching in date order...I hope all goes well...I'd love to do this toooo!

This is so thorough, thank u

Thank you for this wonderful video. Very informative and helpful. Wishing you all the best and going to pray for a positive outcome. I would love to know how the social security situation works out.

Hello Janice I have just discovered your channel..wow how brave of you to move to paris and during the pandemic too,hope to watch some more of your videos

I love the architecture in Paris. We have such high sky scrapers and the height of their buildings are not so high. I love the view from the Eiffel 🗼 Tower! I love how your pets are so precious 💞 to you as mine are to me. I have two rescue 🐶🐕 dogs❤❤ 🐾🐾

May your trip back to the U.S. be fun, and may you obtain the kind of visa you want.

Thanks for this video. As you're probably aware, I have also been thoroughly researching the topic of acquiring a long stay visa for my husband and I to retire in France in 1 1/2 yrs Everything I have read, says that even if WE are retiring in France, and don't want to return to the USA each year to renew, we will only be able to get a 1 year "temporary" long stay visas for the first few years. And then, in our case, we'll be able to renew each1 year temp visa, every year until year 5 when we can make application for a permanent long stay visa or at 10 years if we want to apply for citizenship. I recently read somewhere that we may be able to get a 3 year long stay visa either the first time or when we go to renew it after 1 year, and then we won't have to renew it for 3 years and then only once (on the next renewal we can apply for the permanent residence card, like our US "green card") I am looking forward to hearing how you make out when you come back to the USA to make sure you get the visa you can renew in Fontanbleau. As I have discovered (and you found out the hard way), it's all about ticking that right box on the application for the particular long stay visa that applies to retiring in France. I am following a forum on Facebook, called "Applying for a French CdS (Carte de Séjour) and/or visa". It seems to be a great resource for making sure you get your questions answered in advance and can help make sure they apply for the correct long stay visa. Here's a link to that forum for you and any of your followers who may be starting on their own path facebook.com/groups/248686685795058/ Also, I found a link someone posted for an English speaking email address at the French Embassy, that will answer questions on filing a long stay visa application And the person who originally posted it (I have to find it for you and your viewers) said she had used it several times when working on her application and received very prompt responses to each question she asked. So if there's no phone number you can call and get an English speaker, this is just as good. I will see if I can find that email address and do a follow up here. Also, this website has some good info too. www.welcometofrance.com/

Thank you, Janice!!! This is very helpful. It seems that we will need to apply in Seattle. It's good to know that each consulate responds differently. And I have read that Spain is similar. Thanks again! Beautiful video! Thank you. We are visiting Europe after helping a new school open in Lviv. Slava Ukraine! We're in Krakow, also amazing. We will stay in Tallinn for February, hopefully longer after my Digital Nomad Visa application interview on Feb 1st...

I found your information very helpful. Thank you, Janice.

Best wishes for happy travels and for technical things to go your way !

Cross my fingers for your wish Janice! 🙏❤️

Thanks for your positive video. I’ll keep your process in my prayers.

Janice, you’re so sweet and likable! I’m sure France will give you residency! ❤❤

Great info Janice, thank you. I believe things will go fine for you for your future adventures

Janice I’m keeping you in my prayers that all goes well for you xo 😘 and your babies xo love you 😍

That was so splendid ! All very helpful and clear. I love France too. About twenty years ago we bought a little house in the Limousin. We spend as much time as we can there. One horrid snag, one time, was when we tried to fly from New York to Paris. We had planned to go to Madeira and fly back from there. Because we ostensibly only had one way tickets they insisted (I hate New York!) that we intended to stay in France. It was late in the evening and we had two absolute yahoos from the Port Authority who refused to allow us on the plane. We said they could phone family, employers etc to ascertain that we were returning within a month. No go. We were stranded, late at night in the airport, the homeless were already settling down for the night. Our family back in Texas (with the internet and charged phones!) found us a hotel and Delta got us the last two seats back to Texas next day. It was a horrid experience .We make sure that we travel to and from the Schengen area, but not returning from another country outside the area. We try not to travel from New York now and make sure we have a return ticket. We lost a lot of money because two nasty men wielded some power over us. They pretended to telephone France (really ! they were not the type who could cope with calling France or the language), they were simply enjoying being nasty. It was not an America airline so be aware of that as well. Our hotels , rail fares and the air fares were all forfeit. I am still angry about it. Their reasoning was that we were intending to stay for six months or a year and then our passports would be out of date. (One can only stay for three months in France so their reasoning was wonky !). Do note that although your passport is meant to be valid to the end date on it, in fact, the last six months is not considered valid!

Janice , This was perfect you respond to all my questions that I wrote in another video comment’s section. Please ignore it. I just subscribed and I didn’t see previous videos. I am like you living in Us and senior and thinking to retire in Europe,Yet French consult is very clear about minimum monetary requirements. Yet as you said is flexibility and Who knows. I wish you easy visa approval 🙏😇😇😇 You look like a nice french lady . Hope you get a sweet and kind consular 🙏 I still don’t know why is issue with your SS check? Maybe is in another video is it? Good luck 🍀🍀🍀🙏😇😇😇

Wishing you love & luck for your upcoming to & fro! Love you & your channel, your cool, calm & collected delivery is inspiring!

Great info--- and those expat forums are really helpful-- thanks for mentioning. Best wishes on your future plans-- I enjoy following your adventures 😊!

Great video, Janice! I will start praying for you now. How many miles from Fontainbleau to Paris (e.g. 5th arrondissement)? Do you take the RER?

Unfortunately, moving to France is not so easy. Your visa needs to be sorted BEFORE you leave the US, and there's a slew of paperwork and supporting document that need to be provided. Simply going there as a tourist and then hoping you'll figure it all out while you're there won't work. Part of the process all involves filling in questionnaires and application forms, a letter of explanation as to what you intend to do in France, letters promising that you won’t work in France (not even working remotely for an employer back in the US), proof that you can support yourself in France, proof of earnings, proof of medical insurance, proof of accommodation in France, among other things. Opening a bank account as an American there can be a bit of a horror as well, thanks to Draconian US tax laws. Once you do manage to open a bank account, you might be required to deposit a certain amount of money to demonstrate that you have the "means" to support yourself. I wish you all the best.

So glad buster is doing well xoxo 😘

Hello Janice! You must come back! You WILL come back! ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Good luck

Good, insightful and informative video. Of note for those thinking of coming here long term, further outside of Paris and the rent goes way down. Our village, with all amenities, you could easily spend half of what you are mentioning. A very very nice 1 bedroom 2 floor apartment, with little garden next door to us is 495 euros. The best prices and good places are offered by the Mairie (Town Hall). If you are moving or wish to move into a village, it is worth visiting the Mairie and seeing what they have.

Just 2 thoughts. When I applied for my VLS-TS, I also included a letter describing why I wanted to live and retire in France. It is not mandatory, but had read that it may be helpful. My bff google translate assisted me with the French. I wrote it in English also. Second thought, have your photos taken before you leave France. They will be the correct size. Use a Photomaton booth or a photographer. I live in Bordeaux and the photographer was €15 well spent. Bon courage!

I just stumbled upon your channel and it’s been amazing 😻

Janice, when it comes to paperwork, I feel you. I trust that all goes well and you will be blessed with the good fortune to get back into France to live your best life. I am taking a chance to share with you that I have found relief from knee pains by practicing yoga, targeting my knees. My yoga instructor is a young man residing in Italy, and twice a week I have a personal one hour yoga session via Skype and it has helped to strengthen my knees that I no longer feel any more knee pains. It was very important for me to find relief for my knees for I live in a two levels townhouse with 26 stairs that I climb all day. And if that wasn’t bad, I have another 30 stairs to climb to put out the garbage. I am now embracing the stairs climbing as extra exercises, no more pain in my knees. You may want to consider some exercises to strengthen your knees for maintaining your balance specifically to avoid falls. I have tried acupuncture and it didn’t make a difference. My Yoga instructor was once my ballroom dance instructor and he is very easy on the eyes🤣

Quick tip... If you're feeling the heat take a thin shawl drench it with water and put it over your shoulders. It's especially good if you're sitting in front of the fan. Wonderful video with very useful advice. Is there a way to find out the Irish insurance company? Thank you for your advice ✨💕🤗

Rent in Paris is similar to California SF. Even a bit cheaper. A nice decent one bedroom in the silicon valley is somewhere from 3k to 4k. A nice studio at least 1800/,,month

Very helpful, Janice. My wife Cindy has MS, so we avoid, heat, stairs, and congested living spaces. I imagine that when we return to Oregon in July/August, we will prepare our NLV application appointment for Oct/Nov. I'll be 67, Cindy 66. Thanks again!!

Moving to France has always been my dream. I pray that you will be able to live in France permanently very soon.🥰

Always a chore! I went to the UK on a student visa. There were lots of restrictions! I had to show that I could support myself without working.

Are you from Texas? Love your bravery and class!

Janice, I don’t know if you want to drive when you come back to France. But I wonder if you y have thought of living in a state with license reciprocity with France, so you don’t need to spend about $2000 for driving school and then have to take the difficult French test ? Not all states have this agreement, but Florida is one that does. This way you can create an advantage out of your temporary exile!

JANICE, YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION. THANK YOU.

I got a long stay visa and had to report to the OPI and had to get a physical also needed a police report and didn’t have to go back in order to stay

You're just awesome, Janice! What a plethora of info! I didn't know you were a GA girl. Well obviously you got to come back and since I haven't watched your folliwup video, are you a permanent resident now with bennies?

Hi Janice … I really hope it all goes smoothly for you. Did you have an appointment with social security before you left for France letting them know you were leaving?

Hey! Fontainebleau? I stayed in Fontainebleau for a while myself. And I did pray for you to stay even before you mentioned it. I know you will get to stay. I’m hoping to apply myself.

Thank you again for the info. Love your positive vibe.. super inspiring🎉 Currently living in U.K. and the amount of paper work we have to do in order to go to Europe is nasty! All thanks to stupid Brexit… I love FountainBlue exquisite town and gorgeous restaurants😍

You should have been given a Tourist Visa, which can be renewed each year for 5 years, after which you can apply for permanent residency. I believe you can renew this visa in France, so that you don't have to return to the US. I was given a renewable tourist visa in 2018, but because I didn't certify it within 3 months, it expired. I don't regret this, because I couldn't speak French then. When I can speak fluent French, I'll reapply for a visa and move to Toulouse. Your channel is the first I've found by a senior citizen (like myself), so you made my day.

One important thing to know about French administration: it is VERY exacting. They will usually ask you for things you won't need, and demand stuff that was not on the list of papers to get. It's good to be VERY prepared and show humility and good will. Hopefully that's enough to get your papers. However, there are times when it becomes too difficult, at which point begging/asking the government working for help is likely to be the way you will get things accomplished. Suddenly, the person will stop demanding always more papers from you and will say: "ok, let me see what I can do", and they will usually unlock the situation at that point and that's will be that. I'm not surprised you didn't get a longer visa. It's the same in the US. You'll never get a long term visa the first time around (unless you petition because of a marriage or something official like that). Otherwise, they'll let you be in the country for a while. Then with "good behavior" (so to speak) and paperwork showing that you can support yourself (and the papers you talked about), you can apply for a longer visa. Best of luck with it 🙂 Happy you like Toulouse (my hometown). Too many beautiful places in France to recommend one over the other. Considering climate change in the coming years, you probably want to stay above the Bordeaux-Lyon line. Happy home hunting!

Hi Janice! Thank you for sharing your visa process! I have a quick question: when dealing with the various offices in France, do they conduct business in French or English? Sending you positive thoughts in hopes that you will be granted residency😊

There are plenty of freestanding aircos and you can have an airco installed. Here in the a bit cooler but in summer oppresively hot Netherlands many people from richtopoortorich have airco mostly on solar as well. Nothing nothing special tbh.😊

Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with us. I don't understand what happened with your social security. Why did you lose it?

I flew first class with two dogs…from Mexico to Washington, DC…they were service animals.

Hi Janice, we have the same situation. I got a 1-year temporary visa, but I had to go back to the States next year and re apply for a long-term visa. Questions; Do I have to go through the same process like what i did in the 1st, wait for three months then I can re apply long term visa , or I can apply right away once I get back to the States? You mentioned that you had to go through again in your second time application, like fingerprints, passport pictures, etc.

Hello. You talked about loosing your social security. Is that something we need to worry about if moving to France? Thanks

Love it!! So happy to find you! My mom is in her 80's. She moved to Bali last year. She had a great year, but she concluded that Bali was not for her. She had gotten rid of her home in Santa Barbara, ca and all her possessions. So now, she is coming back to me in CA, and we are planning to relocate together with my family to France next year! You have been sooo helpful. Thank you. Praying for you, and seeing you with the residency visa you desire!!

Laws have change but my parents came in 2003 to France with visa long séjour and once in France they apply for a titre de séjour visiteur which renews every year unless you spoked French and they didn't. Once this titre de séjour visiteur they were up for the French social security health benefits and they got it. Never cost me a penny. Also as I was French already they came as a family reunification which was flowless. That is my experience but know will be different than most. The US is hell with their Fatca/Fincen rules!!!

Strasbourg was the city that stole my heart... I felt like it was a mini Paris in some respects... it has the Art, architecture, and street music... wonderful museums, food in the streets and YES it also has so many shops and gardens the waterway is so picture perfect! Take a day trip there some time, I think you would love it!

Hi Janice, I just found your channel. My husband and I plan to retire in France in a year. I thought our social security would not be impacted by moving outside of the U.S. because it is automatically deposited into our American bank account. When we open a bank account in France, then social security would make our monthly deposits to our French account. We are hoping this will not cause any glitches, as social security is our primary source of income. Any thoughts? Thank you in advance!

I think the amount of money you need is based on the French minimum wage. Which is $11 something. They don’t look at savings accounts, trust funds or investments. (Because it’s not regular and you could spend it all and become a financial burden.)

Hiya! Would you recommend the Irish insurance company you used? Cheers from the UK!

As someone who lives permanently in France, on a permanent residence visa for almost 10 yrs... and I organised a year visa for an elderly family friend from Hong Kong in January this year so I've got a good understanding of the process. Visa is a long process and red tape/paperwork heavy. Long story short, you do need insurance for your permit/visa to be issued to you. BUT... after three months any person who has been in France for that time period - even an illegal immigrant - is entitled to apply for a Carte Vitale.

Janice, you mentioned getting insurance for a year for $423. Was that for the whole year or per month. The online price that Cigna Global is quoting me is over $500 a month. What am I doing wrong? Are you able to tell the company that you used?

Love your content, but you say, 2 bedroom, but it's a three bedroom, which they don't charge for, so you could store, suitcases and othet storage items, into wardrobes, witch would make the appearance of the apartment larger, and create an extra guest bedroom, so Jennifer would feel, that she had her own private bedroom, even if she can visit only once a year .

I hope your social security gets straightened out and you can get a longer visa to return to 🇫🇷 France to live.

I am moving to Provence next month from the States and got my visa a week ago. I am retired and applied for a tourist visa. It came with a piece of paper that said I had to register within three months via the website they provided me. It welcomed me saying I'd been issued a long stay visa serving as a residence permit. I will need to provide a valid email address, my visa info, my home address in France and a credit card to pay an online fee for my residence permit. It states if I do not do this, I will no longer be considered a legal resident of France. Once that is done you have to apply from France, on line , 3 months before the visa expires for a renewal. Did you ever register before the 3 month mark? You are very brave indeed!

When u talk about ur delayed social security, are u referring to the U.S. or French benefits? And if it's the U.S. soc, security, why the problem receiving it? Really enjoy ur videos and podcasts. Ur really good at this. Saying prayers for u.

OMG I'm exhausted listening to all this. I was considering moving to Spain but after this, I don't think I want to do this!

Janice, are you certain you can’t apply for a resident visa at a local prefecture office in France? If you watch International Living VISA and Residency in France, they say that you can renew at a local office in France. Your situation may be different.

To clarify, you will report your social security income to both governments but you still need to pay taxes in the US. France makes exemptions for social security and pensions.

Good Morning Janice! It’s 8 a.m. here in Indianapolis. I have a question for you. Would it be less of a hassle to get a tourist visa? I know you can only stay 9 months and then you have to come back to the U.S. for 60 days and then go back for another 9 months. Scary that the U.S. Treasury stopped your SS payments.

Sending hugs your way prayers

The grass is not always greener on the other side.

could you do a video on daily expenses and amount you spend in a year???

Can you add a link for the insurance that you purchased?

What is the longest time that the VLS-TS Visiteur Long-Term Visa lasts for?

Hi Janice I have spoken about this on My Channel in Italy for the Elective Visa for Italy. Because people listen to all kinds of ideas and opinions on Facebook that arent accurate. The passive income requirements for An Elective visa for retired person is between 32,000 and 50,000 and they will use their judgement on your finances, health insurance etc. Most European countries have a similar Elective visa for retirement. You cannot work ! Hoping it all works out for you

Janice would you mind sharing what health insurance company you used? We are getting such a variety of amounts from $1200 to $12000! A year for two of us! And the question no one seems to be able to answer is the issue of the rule of "no deductible", not allowed to have a policy with any size deductible? Did you encounter this?

Is there a previous video on Mrs. Janices Social Security issue? Because we have paid into that! Mrs. Janice should be able to draw it doesn’t matter where she is in the world! I just want to know the particulars if she has shared.

Contact your local Congress man in the states , he should help you out , their our loopholes he can direct you to . So you can get a by country visa so says you have a dull residence. I bet they can do it .

And I thought only in my country there's a mess in the mechanism!

On the French website you need €120 a day without accommodation and €65 with accommodation for a full time travel visa

🙏🙏🙏

Janice, Montenegro is a non EU Country. They joined Nato 2018.