Moving to Cyprus from France

Why French movers pick Cyprus

For French entrepreneurs and investors, Cyprus offers the sharpest legal contrast in the EU: from one of Europe's heaviest personal tax and social-charge systems to a regime where investment income reaches you at 0%. The move is EU-internal, so there's no visa question, and a French-speaking professional scene exists in Limassol and Nicosia.

The tax comparison in plain numbers

France taxes dividends and capital gains under the 30% flat PFU (12.8% tax plus 17.2% social charges), with the CEHR surcharge adding up to 4% for high earners. A Cyprus non-dom pays 0% on dividends and interest for 17 years, plus the capped 2.65% GHS contribution. French top marginal income tax reaches 45% plus surcharges, against Cyprus's 35% top rate with a €22,000 tax-free band.

The full mechanics of the Cyprus side, including the 60-day residency rule and the GHS cap, are in the non-dom guide, and the running costs of the company most people pair with it are in the company cost guide.

Leaving France: what to check before you go

France applies an exit tax on unrealised gains for taxpayers holding shareholdings above €800,000 or 50% of a company, with deferral mechanisms and a sunset if you hold the assets long enough abroad. Departure formalities and the transfer of your foyer fiscal need documenting carefully, because the French administration audits departures of high earners as a matter of routine.

The practical side

As an EU citizen, you arrive and register for the yellow slip within four months. Direct flights connect Larnaca with Paris and, seasonally, other French cities. An EU car imports free of duty and VAT. French levels of paperwork will feel familiar in Cyprus; the difference is that here it usually ends with a yes.

Choosing where to land matters as much as the tax: see where to live in Cyprus, and if wheels are part of the plan, buying or importing a car.