If you're an American dreaming of moving to France, you've probably realized the path isn't always straightforward. Can you actually work remotely on a visitor visa? Do you get access to French healthcare? And how does the US‑France tax treaty treat your Roth IRA?

In this episode, French immigration attorney Daniel Tostado joins host Arielle Tucker, CFP®, EA to walk through the legal pathways that actually work. We cover the visitor visa, the student route, entrepreneurship, family-based residency, and the surprising timeline that can get you to France in as little as a few weeks.

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WHAT THIS EPISODE COVERS
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0:00 – Why Daniel moved from San Diego to France and stayed
2:18 – French master's degree pathway: student visa to 1-year buffer to job. Why French employers rarely hire non-EU applicants directly
5:21 – Four legal pathways to France: visitor visa, student, family, work
6:20 – Visitor visa: 1 year, renewable, 10-year card after 5 years. Remote work for US employer (legal gray area explained)
9:00 – French tax residency and the US-France tax treaty. Why Roth IRAs and retirees benefit
13:34 – French healthcare for newcomers: carte vitale, 70% coverage, mutuelle, PUMA
15:57 – Entrepreneur visa: business plan requirements and €22,000 minimum income
18:26 – Family visa (VPF): spouse of French national, work authorization, naturalization timeline
20:11 – Realistic move timeline: visa approval in 2–3 weeks, prefecture processing in 3–4 months
21:57 – Building a life in France: making French friends, the Paris expat community, running a refugee shelter
25:57 – First step for serious applicants. The start of your "lifecation" and weekend travel in Paris as a resident

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ABOUT THE GUEST
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Daniel Tostado is a naturalized French citizen, a dual‑qualified attorney (US and France), and the founder Tostado Avocats, an immigration law firm focused on French visas, residency permits, and citizenship pathways. He's also the founder of a winter homeless shelter for refugees in Paris.

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ABOUT THE HOST
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Arielle Tucker, CFP®, EA is the founder of Passport to Wealth™ and a cross-border financial planner who has lived abroad since 2011. She specializes in helping globally mobile Americans navigate the intersection of US investments, international tax compliance, and expat life.

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ABOUT PASSPORT TO WEALTH™
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Passport to Wealth™ is the platform for current and aspiring US expats. We connect globally mobile Americans with vetted, licensed cross-border financial advisors, tax professionals, and relocation experts who understand the financial and legal complexities of life abroad.

Our podcast, directory, courses, and newsletter give you the trusted tools and connections to make informed decisions, wherever you live.

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RESOURCES & LINKS
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Find a vetted expat financial advisor or tax professional:
https://www.passporttowealth.com/directory

Subscribe for weekly US expat finance & relocation tips:
https://www.youtube.com/@PassportToWealthOfficial?sub_confirmation=1

Free resources and guides for US expats:
https://www.passporttowealth.com/

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STAY CONNECTED
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/connectedfp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passporttowealthofficial/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/passport-to-wealth/
Website: https://www.passporttowealth.com/

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