Intex

This years trip to France was just under 3 months long, so there was no problem with the stay using the entry stamp given upon entry from the U.S.

If we were interested in staying from 3-6 months in France, how would you go about this, if you do not plan on enrolling in any school there? How do U.S. citizens stay in France for extended periods, if they are not studying or working??

nytraveler

You have to contact the nearest French consulate and get info on a long-term visa. It will be fairly, complicated, involve a fair amount of paperwork and you will probably have to demonstrate your financial resources, medical insurance coverge (NOT medicare, which is invalid outside the US) etc.

Michael

<i>NOT medicare, which is invalid outside the US</i>

Not quite true, as my wife's emergency visits to the doctor in France were covered to the same extent that they would be covered in the States, but we use Kaiser.

ira

Hey M,

It was your Kaiser MediGAP, not your Medicare, that covered that visit.

hetismij

Also, if you are intending to visit other European countries during your stay, make sure you get a visa that covers all of Schengen, not just France.

sueciv

How would this effect my husband and I? He's still a German citizen and I'm American. I wonder...

We talk about this as well. He could even work there with medical benefits for both of us. He thinks, hypothetical, at the moment.

It would be weird though, he's over 60, and he says most German's have retired by 55.

hetismij

Your husband as a German citizen could live or work anywhere within the EU. That does not mean however that he automatically is entitled to benefits in any EU country.
At 60 he would find it hard, but not impossible to get a job in Europe. Nowadays most people work until they are at least 60, and are encouraged to work until they are 65. They are only entitled to a state pension if they have made sufficient contributions or have lived in the country for long enough (they then get a pro rata pension), and that is from 65 in most, if not all EU countries. This is not enough to live on, and a private pension is needed.
You would need a visa as his spouse in order to live in the EU.

gracejoan3

Yes, MediGAP and Medicare are not at all the same.

Medicare is NOT eliglible for out of the country!!

Cathinjoetown

I am not an expert on any of this and while I can't speak for the other posters, it would be a good idea to take all our &quot;advice&quot; as potentially incomplete or out of date.

As an example, I am a US citizen, married to a UK citizen. When we permanently move to France in March of 2009 I will NOT be required to have a visa prior to entry. This contradicts hetismij's post but I believe I am correct as of today's date.

Within 3 months after our move, I must register locally as a resident with documentation of birth, marriage,etc. This is France only, I can't speak for other EU countries. I/we will also have to show proof we are self-supporting and that we have private healthcare.

Regarding assumptions about healthcare, be very, very careful. France recently changed its requirements for EU citizens and residents moving there, and those requirements are being further refined.

Effectively, as both my spouse and I are under retirement age and because he is an EU (UK) citizen but has not been a resident of the UK for the past two years, we must have private cover.

See what I mean?

And, by the way, I am not sure you have to go through all of this if you are only holidaying for under six months and not taking up residency. Best advice given, check now with your nearest French consulate.

Christina

I am a consultant in the health insurance field and have done work for Medicare, in fact, and it is not true that Medicare never covers care outside the US. Also, it isn't true that if one had emergency care outside the US, that is must have been a Medigap policy.

Medicare does cover emergency care outside the US in certain conditions, usually near a border such as Canada or Mexico, or a US territory (like Guam). However, the big issue is that there are many Medicare Advantage plans (HMO/PPO) that many people have instead of traditional FFS Medicare (this is NOT Medigap) and that those plans may cover care outside the US for emergencies. I believe certain Kaiser Permanent Medicare Advantage plans do indeed cover emergency care worldwide. This is NOT Medigap.

This wouldn't satisfy someone staying long-term, of course.

kerouac

Assuming you get a long stay visa for France, there is no problem going in and out to other Schengen countries, as the usual Schengen rules will apply without regard to your stay in France (covered by a separate visa).

sueciv

Michael is a consultant for a particular German software company.
He speaks German, English, French and Spanish and some Indonesian...he can work as an independent consultant over seas if he continues with the German parent company of the US company for which he works. Even the German consultants refer to him as Gandulf.

Mmmmmm...that place in France...oh where to go?
Probably Paris...mai oui!

nametaken

Sorry, Christina. I find your post very confusing. I have been told over and over that medicare does not cover outside the USA.Why is this different. Thanks for helping many of us understand this issue.

Cathinjoetown

Sueciv,

If your husband plans to work, you both should be fine--our problem is we won't be working and therefore won't be paying into the healthcare system.

And, I honestly don't think the French should have to pay for early retirees like us. Certainly, if the situation were reversed, a French person would not get any support in the US!

What you will of course need to research and I'm sure you know this are all the tax implications of working and residing in France.

grapes

To ensure no one is misinformed, Medicare does not pay for medical care outside the U.S.A. Medicare
Replacement/advantage(or what ever you choose to call such plans) may provide medical coverage in other countries. To clarify, Medicare Replacement policies Are Not Medicare.