How you can earn extra money after retirement in France

With a pension from outsideFrance

French retirement organisation Caisse nationale d’assurance vieillesse (Cnav) said anyone receiving a full pension from a country other than France should contact their pension provider. It is up to them to decide whether you can receive additional income as a micro-entrepreneur. The UK allows people to work while claiming a state pension.

With a full French pension

You can sign up as a micro-entrepreneur. You usually can’t earn any additional pension rights, with a few exceptions – such as if you have been drawing a French pension since before 2015 and you start work where you are attached to a different pension regime.

With a partial French pension

Cnav said that if your original pension comes from the private or public sector, you can earn what you like as a micro-entrepreneur.

However, where your partial pension comes from self-employment, there are limits before the pension is reduced. This affects those with pensions from artisan, commerçant and profession libérale work. This year, the limit is €20,568.

The sum is different in rural or urban priority development areas. Any higher earnings have to be declared to the pension provider and the pension will be reduced.

This is a complex area and anyone receiving a French pension is advised to get in touch with their provider to check their personal situation.

Micro-entrepreneur combined with salaried job

A person who is not yet a pensioner can freely set up as a micro-entrepreneur alongside a salaried job as long as it is not in competition with their employer and they respect the rules for non-competition and loyalty in their contract.

Both must be declared for tax, and social charges have to be paid for both employments.

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