In summary…
Choose an advisor who treats your return as a matter of fact, not as an investment. Three things are crucial during the year following your return: the date you become a French tax resident, the declaration of each account and contract held abroad (a €1,500 fine per undeclared account, €10,000 in some countries), and the decision to keep, transfer, or repatriate each contract. Your advisor should provide you with this list from the very first meeting.
Balmont Conseil, a Lyon-based firm, is not independent In regulatory terms: he receives commissions on the contracts signed. We state this from the first meeting, in Lyon or via videoconference.
A couple from Lyon return after seven years abroad, with a local bank account, a life insurance policy taken out there, and an apartment in Lyon rented out during their absence. Together, these elements create obligations that begin on the day of their return.
1. What's at stake in the year of the comeback
Your French tax residence begins when a criterion is met.
Article 4 B of the French General Tax Code sets out three criteria for being considered domiciled in France: having one's home or principal residence there, carrying out a professional activity there, or having the center of one's economic interests there. The BOFiP (the official tax administration guidelines) clarifies that only one of these criteria needs to be met: the date of your return for tax purposes is not the date of your plane ticket, but the date the first criterion is met.
In the year of your return, according to Service-Public.fr (information verified on April 15, 2026), you must declare your French-source income received from January 1st to your return date, and then all your income, from French or foreign sources, from that date to December 31st. The 2026 income tax return will begin in April 2027.
| Subject | What the rule says | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Tax residence | Only one of the three criteria in Article 4 B is sufficient | Note the date on which the first criterion is met |
| Income for the year of return | French source before return; all income after | Separate the two periods in your statements. |
| Accounts and contracts abroad | Must be declared annually; €1,500 fine per undeclared account | List each account, each IBAN, each contract |
| Health insurance | Acquired from the first hour worked if you return to work; otherwise, 3 months of residence in France | Send form S1106 to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) in your place of residence. |
2. Accounts, life insurance and savings abroad
Declare first, decide later
A French tax resident must declare annually any accounts opened, held, used, or closed abroad: bank accounts (including IBANs that do not begin with FR), life insurance policies taken out abroad, and digital asset accounts on foreign platforms. The penalty is €1,500 per undeclared account, and €10,000 if the account is located in a country without a tax treaty with France. An additional penalty of €80 may be applied; this replaces the penalty (Service-Public.fr, information verified on July 9, 2026).
Keeping a contract abroad is still possible; failing to declare it is costly. See the accounts and contracts abroad after returning and the’foreign life insurance.
Repatriating your savings: by bank transfer, not in a suitcase
According to customs, bank transfers are not subject to the declaration requirement. The requirement applies to those personally transporting cash, checks, or gold worth €10,000 or more: they must declare it, and for amounts exceeding €50,000, they must provide documentation proving the origin of the funds (Service-Public.fr, information verified on December 11, 2024).
Specifically. Do not repatriate anything before calculating, in euros, the cost of each contract and its exit.
3. Retirement, real estate and impatriation
Retirement savings: tax-deductible contributions
Once you are a French tax resident, contributions to a retirement savings plan (PER) are tax-deductible by default if made before age 70. For an employee, the limit is 10% of their 2025 professional income, up to a maximum of €37,680, with a minimum of €4,710 (Service-Public.fr, information verified on October 12, 2026).
Real estate: the IFI (French wealth tax) changes scope
The French real estate wealth tax (IFI) applies to net taxable real estate assets exceeding €1,300,000 as of January 1, 2026. For a French tax resident, it applies to assets located both in France and abroad, including shares in real estate companies. If you lived abroad for the five calendar years preceding your move, only your assets located in France are taxed for those five years (Service-Public.fr, information verified on March 6, 2026). According to impots.gouv.fr, no employment requirement applies to this tax benefit.
Repatriation after more than five years: a narrow gateway
The tax regime for impatriates (our dedicated pageThis provision may apply to an employee recalled by their employer after more than five years spent in a company within the same group abroad. It requires having been tax resident outside France for the five calendar years preceding the start of employment, and runs until December 31st of the eighth calendar year following this start of employment: for a start of employment in September 2026, until December 31st, 2034. Individuals who came to work in France of their own volition are excluded (impots.gouv.fr, page modified on April 8, 2026).
Specifically. Ask your employer before signing, not after: the expatriation bonus is exempt if its amount is included in the contract or in an addendum established before taking up duties.
For the technician. General tax code, article 4 B (tax domicile), commented by the BOFiP BOI-IR-CHAMP-10; article 155 B, I of the CGI (expatriates), BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-20: exemption until December 31 of the eighth year following the commencement of duties for commencements of duties from July 6, 2016; liquidity: regulation (EU) 2018/1672 (third countries), article L. 152-12 of the Monetary and Financial Code (European Union).
4. The checklist for the first 12 months
| When | What you do |
|---|---|
| Before returning | List your accounts, contracts, and annual statements; ask your employer if the expatriate tax regime applies before signing. |
| Return Month | Note the date of the first criterion of Article 4 B; send form S1106 to the CPAM (French Health Insurance Fund) with your employment contract; declare to customs any transport of cash exceeding €10,000. |
| Months 1 to 3 | Submit your statements to calculate the fees for each contract in euros. |
| Months 3 to 6 | Decide, contract by contract: keep, transfer, or buy back, with the tax cost clearly stated. |
| January 1st following | Evaluate your real estate assets, in France and abroad, for the French Wealth Tax (IFI). |
| The following April | Declare the year of return in two periods, and each account opened abroad |
Regarding healthcare, a contributor to the French Social Security Fund for Expatriates (Caisse des Français de l'étranger) can, under certain conditions, receive benefits for 3 months after returning home (Service-Public.fr, information sheet verified on October 2, 2025). See the...’health insurance upon return.
5. What an advisor does for you upon your return
- He takes inventory of your accounts, contracts and assets, in France and abroad.
- He calculates the cost of each contract in euros per year.
- He prepares the information for your account statement; the statement itself remains yours.
- He tells you, contract by contract, what he keeps, transfers or buys back, along with the tax cost.
- He coordinates with your accountant, notary, or lawyer.
- He sees you every year.
Still abroad when it comes time to decide? See the remote monitoring and what happens to your assets upon your return.
6. How to choose in Lyon: five checks
- Its registration on the official ORIAS register, which you consult yourself.
- Its status in the regulatory sense, and where its remuneration comes from: fees, commissions, or both.
- A letter of engagement, which the financial investment advisor must give you before providing any advice.
- The cost in euros per year of each product it offers.
- Who is preparing what, and by what date: inventory, declarations, decisions.
At Balmont Conseil: what we do for a return
Balmont Conseil is a simplified joint-stock company (SASU) established in January 2013: we have been supporting families for almost 14 years. We are financial investment advisors, members of ANACOFI-CIF, and insurance brokers, registered with ORIAS under number 13003497. We work with 23 partner companies and asset management firms, with no capital ties to any bank or insurer, and with a network of international notaries, lawyers, and accountants. X-ray of your contracts The initial consultation is free; the assessment is at a fixed price; a customized assignment costs €500 including VAT per hour; annual follow-up, which can be done remotely, is free. We receive commissions on contracts signed.
Our position
A successful return can be summed up in one page: the date of your tax residency, a list of your foreign accounts and contracts, and a written decision for each. An advisor who proposes a product before having this page is starting off on the wrong foot.
Frequently asked questions
On what date will I be considered a French tax resident after my return?
As soon as one of the three criteria of Article 4 B is met: home or principal place of residence, professional activity, center of economic interests. The year of return is declared in two periods.
Do I need to declare a life insurance policy taken out abroad?
Yes, every year, just like a foreign account. Failure to declare is punishable by a fine of €1,500 per account, or €10,000 in a country without a treaty with France; an additional 80% surcharge may replace the fine.
Is the expatriate tax regime open to all French citizens returning home?
No. It requires a recall or recruitment by a company, and excludes those who return of their own accord. The IFI, limited to assets located in France for five years, does not require any employment status.
Are you preparing for your return? Send us your statements: the X-ray is free and they calculate their costs in euros even before an appointment.
Book an appointment
The initial consultation is to establish your exact situation and determine if there is anything that can be done—sometimes there is nothing, and we will say so as well. Thirty minutes, with no obligation.
Book an exchange with Balmont Conseil
Alexis Sagnier, financial and real estate investment advisor, insurance broker, AMF certified. ORIAS 13003497. Updated on 24/10/2026.
Official sources consulted
- BOFiP — Tax domicile (BOI-IR-CHAMP-10, article 4 B of the CGI)
- Service-Public.fr — Income tax: returning from expatriation (verified on April 15, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Do I need to declare accounts opened abroad? (verified on July 9, 2026)
- Customs — Obligation to declare cash
- Service-Public.fr — Transferring money or funds to France from abroad (verified on December 11, 2024)
- Service-Public.fr — Individual PER (verified on October 12, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — IFI: persons and assets concerned (verified on March 6, 2026)
- impots.gouv.fr — The regime for impatriates (modified on April 8, 2026)
- BOFiP — Inpatriate employees (BOI-RSA-GEO-40-10-20)
- Service-Public.fr — What health insurance do I need upon returning to France? (verified on October 2, 2025)
- ORIAS — Official register of intermediaries in insurance, banking and finance
- AMF — Guide «Financial Investment Advisors (FIAs)»
