In summary…
A French firm can remotely manage your life insurance and investments remaining in France if three points are verified in writing: it is registered with the’ORIAS In the right categories, the insurer or institution accepts a client who lives in the Emirates, and the firm knows how to work with your local advisors (lawyer, accountant).
Balmont Conseil is a firm not independent In regulatory terms: he receives commissions on the contracts signed. We state this from the very first exchange, and you should receive the same answer from every firm.
Let's take the example of a Lyon-based executive living in Dubai who has left behind in France a life insurance policy, a PEA (equity savings plan), a securities account, and a rented apartment. The best approach is to start by understanding what happens to each investment when you no longer live in France, and then choose a firm that can explain it.
1. What you can keep in France when you live in Dubai
Four supports, four different answers
| Support | What official sources are saying | To be confirmed in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Assurance-vie | The official information sheet on the taxation of gains (verified on April 15, 2026) gives 12.8% of the % tax rate for a contract of less than 8 years and 7.5% for contracts exceeding that age, subject to certain conditions (assessed with regard to a threshold of €150,000 in premiums), with an annual allowance of €4,600 (€9,200 for a couple). It does not address the case of non-residents, which the tax authorities discuss in a separate document. | The levy that will apply to your purchase from the Emirates, along with the text that justifies it. |
| PEA | Transferring tax residence outside of France no longer results in the closure of the plan, except in the case of a move to a non-cooperative state or territory (NCST). Gains realized as a non-resident are exempt from income tax, just as for a resident (BOFiP, version of July 30, 2024). | That your country of residence is not on the list of non-cooperative countries in effect on the date of departure. |
| Securities account | The internal rate of withholding tax on French dividends paid to a non-resident individual is 12.8%. For a resident of the Emirates, the treaty may exclude this, but for dividends paid since January 1, 2026, the withholding tax is levied at the time of payment and the exemption is then claimed: this is the subject of Part 2. | Who prepares the exemption request after the withholding (forms 5000-FR-SD and 5001-FR), and by what date. |
| Real estate | Rental income from unfurnished properties in France is subject to 17.2% social security contributions for non-residents not affiliated with the social security system of an EEA country or Switzerland. The French wealth tax (IFI) applies to assets exceeding €1.3 million, solely on real estate located in France (service-public.fr, 2026). | Calculating the IFI (French wealth tax) and the property income regime, with your accountant. |
Specifically. Financial investments are not all treated the same: for non-residents, dividends and capital gains on securities are not subject to social security contributions, whereas rental income and capital gains on real estate are (service-public.fr, page verified on June 30, 2026). Have this table completed for your own contracts before any payment or withdrawal, line by line.
2. The France-UAE convention: what the cabinet needs to be able to explain
Two texts to be aware of: the 1989 amendment and the 1993 amendment.
The convention was signed on July 19, 1989, and entered into force on July 1, 1990. An amendment, signed on December 6, 1993, has been in effect since June 1, 1995 (BOFiP). According to the Senate report on this amendment, it eliminates withholding taxes on dividends and interest: these revenues, like royalties, are taxed only in the beneficiary's country of residence, unless they are attributable to a permanent establishment in the other country.
For an individual residing in the UAE, dividends from a French company are not subject to taxation in France, but the tax authorities do not automatically apply it. For dividends paid since January 1, 2026, to a resident of the UAE, the payer first withholds the internal rate of 12.8% (%). The exemption provided for by the tax treaty is then granted by the Non-Resident Tax Authority, upon request, using form 5000-FR-SD, which bears the stamp of the UAE tax authorities, and form 5001-FR (BOFiP, version of March 16, 2026).
Your tax residence first
All of this assumes that France considers you a non-resident. Tax residence in France applies if you have your home or main residence, your main professional activity, or the center of your economic interests in France: a single criterion is sufficient (BOFiP, version of July 28, 2016). The center of economic interests refers in particular to the location of your main investments and the management of your assets: see our page on the Dubai tax residence and the details of the France-Emirates convention.
For the technician. General Tax Code, Article 4 B (tax domicile), the three criteria of which are outlined in BOI-IR-CHAMP-10; Article 238-0 A (list of non-cooperative tax jurisdictions, established by the decree of February 12, 2010, most recently amended by the decree of April 15, 2026, according to the BOFiP of August 26, 2026); Article 125-0 A (proceeds from life insurance contracts taken out with an insurer established in France, with reference to the case of non-residents in BOI-RPPM-RCM-30-10-20-10). Convention of July 19, 1989: amendment of December 6, 1993, Articles 7 to 9 of which replace Articles 8 to 10 of the Convention. Procedure for applying the treaty rates: BOI-INT-DG-20-20-20-20. Dividends paid since January 1, 2026 to residents of the United Arab Emirates and eight other States: BOI-INT-DG-20-20-20-30 (version of March 16, 2026).
3. Six criteria for choosing a firm
| Criteria | What you check | Why |
|---|---|---|
| ORIAS status | Register number and categories: insurance broker for life insurance contracts, financial investment advisor for investment advice. | The ACPR does not issue approval to intermediaries: registration with ORIAS precedes the activity. |
| Remuneration | Who pays the firm, and how much, is stated in the engagement letter. | A non-independent advisor may be remunerated by the company that manages the product (AMF). The AMF lists 81 non-independent CIFs (Financial Investment Advisors), representing 5,143 entities (2024 figures). |
| Access to contracts | What contracts does the insurer accept for a resident of the Emirates, in writing?. | Acceptance depends on each insurer; no official source consulted provides a list. Do not sign anything without this confirmation. |
| Remote monitoring | Who is following you, at what pace, and through which channel?. | Dubai is a few hours ahead of France: set regular time slots rather than ad hoc reminders. |
| Local coordination | Which lawyers and accountants does the firm work with, and how are documents circulated?. | The local declaration and the certificate of residence are prepared on site; French assets are managed here. |
| Readability | A written report after each exchange, including the texts cited. | This is the only way to control advice given remotely. |
Specifically. Balmont Conseil, established in January 2013, is a member of ANACOFI-CIF and an insurance broker (ORIAS 13003497): verify this number in the register, as you would for any other firm. Remote support is available through our network of international notaries, lawyers, and accountants. For the division of responsibilities, see [link/section]. who does what on an international case and remote monitoring of an expatriate.
4. Eight questions to ask before entrusting your case
- What is your ORIAS number, under which categories, and to which professional association do you belong?
- Are you independent or not independent in the regulatory sense, and who pays you for my case?
- Does my current insurer allow me to remain a client while living in the Emirates? Where is the written answer?
- What tax will apply to a redemption of my life insurance policy, and with what legal text?
- Does my PEA remain open, and what happens if I return to France?
- Who prepares the proof of residence certificate for my dividends, and by what date each year?
- Who in your network speaks to my lawyer and accountant on the ground?
- How do you monitor my case each year, and what are your contact hours?
To find out what to keep or take out when leaving, also read investments to keep or withdraw upon becoming a non-resident and our page wealth management in the United Arab Emirates.
Our position
A firm doesn't need to know everything about the Emirates; it should know what's happening in France regarding your documents and provide that information in writing. Choose a firm that gives you the answers to the table in Part 1 before proposing a product, and that refers you to your local lawyer or accountant for the Emirati aspects. A firm that simply tells you "no problem, everything is safe" without providing any supporting documentation isn't helping you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep my PEA if I move to Dubai?
Yes, leaving the country no longer triggers the closure of the plan, unless you relocate to a non-cooperative state or territory (BOFiP, July 30, 2024). The list is established by decree, last amended on April 15, 2026: check it on your departure date. We are not making any claims here regarding the UAE's inclusion on this list.
Are my French dividends taxed in France if I live in the Emirates?
The internal withholding tax rate for a non-resident individual is 12.8% (%). For a resident of the UAE, the convention, as amended by the 1993 addendum, reserves the taxation of dividends to the State of residence. For dividends paid since January 1, 2026, the 12.8% withholding tax is deducted at the time of payment, and the exemption is then claimed using form 5000-FR-SD, endorsed by the UAE tax authorities, and form 5001-FR.
Can a law firm in Lyon handle my case from Dubai?
Yes, provided their status is verifiable and follow-up is arranged: our initial consultation is free, either in Lyon or via videoconference, and remote follow-up is possible. The key point to verify is elsewhere: the insurer's agreement for a client residing in the Emirates, which you must obtain in writing.
You live in Dubai and you have left contracts in France?
Send us your list of contracts and accounts: the first exchange focuses on what each medium becomes for a resident of the Emirates, before any proposal.
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 — France-United Arab Emirates Tax Convention (BOI-INT-CVB-ARE: signature, entry into force, amendment)
- Senate — Report No. 509 (1993-1994) on the amendment to the France-United Arab Emirates convention
- BOFiP — Withholding tax on dividends paid to non-residents (rates, agreements)
- BOFiP — Procedure for applying conventional rates (proof of residence)
- BOFiP — Dividends paid since January 1, 2026 to residents of the United Arab Emirates and eight other states: withholding tax upon payment, exemption granted subsequently (version of March 16, 2026)
- BOFiP — PEA: transfer of tax residence outside of France (July 30, 2024)
- BOFiP — Non-cooperative states and territories (version of August 26, 2026)
- BOFiP — Taxable persons and tax domicile (July 28, 2016)
- BOFiP — Tax on fixed-income investment products and capitalisation contracts (reference to the case of non-residents)
- Service-Public.fr — Social security contributions on income from assets and investments (verified on June 30, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Income tax: income from a assurance-vie contract (verified on April 15, 2026)
- Service-Public.fr — Real Estate Wealth Tax (verified on March 6, 2026)
- ACPR — Insurance intermediaries (ORIAS, categories)
- AMF — What you need to know about financial investment advisors
- AMF — Key figures for financial investment advisors 2024
