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 Tostada 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 – Meet Daniel Tostada: from San Diego to French citizen
1:30 – Why curiosity drove him to France (and why he stayed)
3:15 – The French master's degree pathway: student visa → one‑year buffer → job
5:40 – Why getting hired by a French employer is genuinely hard (and what it takes)
8:10 – The four main legal pathways to France: visitor visa, student, family, work
9:20 – Visitor visa deep dive: one year, renewable, and the 10‑year card after five years
12:05 – The gray area everyone asks about: can you work for a US employer on a visitor visa?
15:00 – French healthcare for newcomers: carte vitale, 70% coverage, mutuelle, and Puma
18:30 – The US‑France tax treaty: why France is unusually friendly to Roth IRAs and retirees
22:15 – Entrepreneur visa: what a real business plan looks like and the minimum income requirement
25:00 – Family visa (VPF): spouse of a French national, work authorization, and naturalization
27:30 – Realistic timelines: how fast can you actually move to France?
30:15 – Building a life in France: making French friends, the expat community, and running a refugee shelter
34:30 – A practical first step if you're seriously considering France
36:00 – "Lifecation": why every weekend in Paris can feel like a two‑day vacation
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ABOUT THE GUEST
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Daniel Tostada 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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