France’s National Assembly slipped a surprise amendment into the 2026 Social-Security Financing Bill late on 25 November that would compel all non-EU nationals on a long-stay “visitor” visa (VLS-TS) to pay a flat annual contribution to the state healthcare system. The amendment, tabled by centrist MP François Gernigon, follows complaints that some foreign retirees cancelled private insurance three months after arrival and shifted the full cost of their care to France’s already-strained Protection universelle maladie (Puma).
Under current rules, VLS-TS holders who can prove sufficient income become eligible for Puma once they have spent 90 days in France, paying nothing unless a supplementary levy is triggered on investment income. The new text would require payment of an as-yet-unspecified “minimal fee” when the visa tax is settled—most likely through the ANEF online immigration portal—before a carte Vitale is issued. Government sources say the Health and Interior ministries will draft the implementing decree in early 2026, defining the amount, exemptions linked to bilateral social-security treaties, and collection logistics.
![France Plans Annual Healthcare Levy for Long-Stay ‘Visitor’ Visa Holders]()
For mobility teams, the proposal is more than a budget nuisance. Many companies use the visitor-visa route for accompanying spouses, gap-year interns or consultants who are paid abroad. From 2026 they will have to factor the contribution—expected to land in the €300-€600 range—into relocation costs and salary-split calculations. Business-immigration lawyers also warn that renewal applications filed after launch could be rejected if the levy is unpaid, creating unplanned exits from French territory.
Politically, proponents frame the measure as fairness: “French expatriates rarely enjoy free healthcare abroad,” Gernigon noted. Critics counter that it undermines France’s attractiveness for affluent retirees and ‘silver-economy’ investors, a demographic Paris has courted since scrapping the wealth-tax on financial assets in 2018. The Senate will examine the bill in December; if passed, the levy could appear on visa invoices from 1 January 2026. Practical guidance for HR teams is to keep proof of payment on file for audits and to clarify whether the fee is reimbursable under company health plans.
Under current rules, VLS-TS holders who can prove sufficient income become eligible for Puma once they have spent 90 days in France, paying nothing unless a supplementary levy is triggered on investment income. The new text would require payment of an as-yet-unspecified “minimal fee” when the visa tax is settled—most likely through the ANEF online immigration portal—before a carte Vitale is issued. Government sources say the Health and Interior ministries will draft the implementing decree in early 2026, defining the amount, exemptions linked to bilateral social-security treaties, and collection logistics.
For mobility teams, the proposal is more than a budget nuisance. Many companies use the visitor-visa route for accompanying spouses, gap-year interns or consultants who are paid abroad. From 2026 they will have to factor the contribution—expected to land in the €300-€600 range—into relocation costs and salary-split calculations. Business-immigration lawyers also warn that renewal applications filed after launch could be rejected if the levy is unpaid, creating unplanned exits from French territory.
Politically, proponents frame the measure as fairness: “French expatriates rarely enjoy free healthcare abroad,” Gernigon noted. Critics counter that it undermines France’s attractiveness for affluent retirees and ‘silver-economy’ investors, a demographic Paris has courted since scrapping the wealth-tax on financial assets in 2018. The Senate will examine the bill in December; if passed, the levy could appear on visa invoices from 1 January 2026. Practical guidance for HR teams is to keep proof of payment on file for audits and to clarify whether the fee is reimbursable under company health plans.
