Foreign residents in France on visitor visas (retirees and early-retirees) need only show an income equivalent to the ‘net’ Smic minimum wage, not the brut (gross) Smic, to convert their cards to a 10-year carte de résident after five years in France.
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An official website refers to the Smic brut for this purpose, which is €20,147 and is usually an amount before employee’s social charges.
The net, after the charges, is €15,949.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said the brut would only be relevant to foreign workers.
Retirees only need to show the same as when they first apply to come, ie. an amount based on the net Smic.
It is the amount actually received, in their case, that counts.
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