What does it take to move to the Riviera hinterland?
Quick answer: EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are free to move here and register locally. Non-EU arrivals, British citizens included since 2021, need a long-stay visa first. For residents who will not work, the usual one is the VLS-TS "visiteur". It requires proof of means, medical cover and a commitment not to work, and you must validate it within three months of arrival. After three months of legal residence you are usually eligible to join French healthcare through PUMa. If you spend most of the year here, you become French tax resident on your worldwide income.
Valbonne, Mougins, Biot, Grasse and their neighbours have drawn international residents for decades. You will find bilingual schools, the Sophia Antipolis employment base, and Nice airport 30–45 minutes away. Many people have made this move before you, but the paperwork goes better with planning. This guide is current as of June 2026. Immigration and tax rules depend on your circumstances and they change, so confirm your situation with the French consulate and a cross-border adviser.
Plan the order of steps, not only the move
Visa first (from your home country, before you move), then validation on arrival, then healthcare and tax registration. The rules differ by nationality and by purpose (visitor, work, business, retirement). Use the steps below as a map. The sources that count are france-visas.gouv.fr, service-public.fr and your consulate.
Visas and residence permits
EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need no visa: settle and register. Non-EU citizens (UK included since 2021) apply for a long-stay visa from their home country before moving. The VLS-TS "visiteur" suits residents who will not work. Other categories cover work, business and study. Validate the VLS-TS online within three months of arrival to keep your stay legal.
- EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. Free movement applies. You move, live and work here without a visa, and register locally for healthcare and tax when needed.
- British and other non-EU citizens. Since 1 January 2021 the UK has been a third country, and new arrivals fall outside the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. You apply for a long-stay visa through the French consulate before you move (france-visas.gouv.fr).
- VLS-TS "visiteur". The usual route for retirees and residents who will not work. It doubles as a residence permit. You need proof of sufficient resources, medical cover for the stay, and a signed undertaking not to engage in professional activity. You must validate it online within three months of arrival. Validation is what keeps your stay legal and lets you cross the Schengen border again.
- Other categories. Separate visas exist for salaried work, company creation/“talent” and study. If you are joining a Sophia Antipolis employer, the employer usually sponsors the work route.
- Renewals. You renew a long-stay visa as a carte de séjour at the préfecture. After five years of continuous legal residence, longer-term and permanent options open up.
Healthcare: PUMa, private cover and S1
Non-EU residents who are not working are entitled to apply for French public healthcare (PUMa) after three months of legal residence. Until then you need private cover, or an EHIC/GHIC for short trips. Retirees on a state pension from some countries (the UK, for example) use an S1 form, so their home country funds their French cover. Most residents add a mutuelle top-up.
PUMa (protection universelle maladie). If you are not working and are not an EU citizen relying on other rights, you usually apply to PUMa once you have three months of stable, legal residence in France. Until then you must hold private health insurance or rely on an EHIC/GHIC for temporary stays. That is also why the VLS-TS asks for proof of medical cover.
S1 for state pensioners. If you receive a state pension from a country with the right arrangement (the UK among them), you are entitled to register an S1. Your home country then funds your French healthcare entitlement, and you do not pay into PUMa on your income.
Carte vitale and mutuelle. Once enrolled, you receive a carte vitale. The public system reimburses most costs but not all of them, so the great majority of residents take out a private mutuelle to cover the balance. Register with a local médecin traitant (GP) to get the best reimbursement rates.
Tax residency
As a rule, you become French tax resident if France is your main home, if you spend more than 183 days a year here, or if your main professional or economic activity is here. France taxes its residents on worldwide income, and double-tax treaties stop the same income being taxed twice. Plan the year of your move with care, because residency is sometimes split within that year.
French tax residence depends on where your home and your life are centred, not on a day count alone. Spending more than 183 days in France in a year is still a strong indicator. Once resident, you declare worldwide income in France. The relevant double-tax treaty allocates taxing rights and relief so that you are not taxed twice on the same income.
Two points matter most to international movers. The first is the year of arrival: residency sometimes starts mid-year, and the split is worth planning with an adviser. The second is how residence interacts with French property and wealth taxes. The IFI impôt sur la fortune immobilière applies to substantial property holdings, and capital gains on a future sale follow French rules. Read this with our guides to taxe foncière and taxe d’habitation, capital gains and French succession. Together they set the cost of owning a home here and, later, passing it on.
Take advice before you move, not after
Model your residency, the treaty position and the timing of any asset sales or pension drawdowns before you arrive. A cross-border tax adviser who gets the order right often saves you far more than the fee.
Schools, daily life and getting set up
The hinterland serves international families well: bilingual and international schools, a large expatriate community, and Nice airport 30–45 minutes away. Your first practical steps are a French bank account, a médecin traitant, and exchanging or validating your driving licence.
- Schools. The area has international and bilingual options, including the Campus International de Valbonne (CIV), a public school in Sophia Antipolis. Access is easiest from Valbonne, Biot and Mougins. See our schools overview and each town hub.
- Connections. Nice Côte d’Azur airport is 30–45 minutes away, with a wide range of European and intercontinental routes. The A8 runs east–west along the coast.
- Practical setup. Open a French bank account, register with a médecin traitant, arrange home and health insurance, and check the licence-exchange rules for your nationality.
- Community. The villages have large international communities that go back decades.
Buying as part of the move? Start with the complete guide to buying in France as a foreigner, compare villages in best villages near Sophia Antipolis, and use the online estimate tool or talk to our team when you are ready.