French pension, spent in China: purchasing power and peace of mind

The French system has two layers: the base pension (regime general) plus the mandatory supplementary pension (Agirc-Arrco). In 2026 the base pension is 50% of your average salary over your best 25 years, capped at EUR 2,002.50 a month; the minimum contributory pension is EUR 756.29-903.93 a month. Combined, the average direct pension is roughly EUR 1,540 gross per month (about EUR 1,820 for men and EUR 1,290 for women, split by career interruptions). The legal retirement age is rising from 62 to 64, with automatic full rate at 67.

One fact makes the whole plan possible: French pensions can be paid to foreign bank accounts. Living in China does not stop payment, and both CNAV and Agirc-Arrco support international transfers with periodic life certificates (certificat de vie). That is the institutional premise of "French pension, spent in China".

At roughly CNY 7.8 to the euro in 2026, EUR 1,540 is about CNY 12,000 a month. In a big Chinese city that covers Guangzhou's one-person budget - rent CNY 3,000-5,500, food CNY 1,500-2,200, transport and miscellaneous about CNY 1,000, commercial insurance about CNY 1,000 - for a total of CNY 6,000-8,500, leaving a surplus of CNY 3,500-6,000.

The structural difference matters more than the total: a carer in France costs EUR 25-35 an hour; in China it is CNY 30-45 - about EUR 4-6. The same pension buys three to five times more hours of care in China. That is the most concrete line in cross-border retirement: income earned at European prices, spent at Chinese prices.

Common 2026 market prices at roughly CNY 7.8 per euro; Paris figures from public cost-of-living surveys, single person cooking at home.

For a retiree, safety is concrete: can you walk home alone at ten in the evening, whether a lost wallet draws a crowd, whether anyone runs scams outside the hospital gate. Chinese cities score consistently well on these dimensions - low street violence, dense camera coverage, fast police response; walking at night in the core districts of big cities is normal, not an adventure. For many French retirees this is one of the most direct motivations for considering China, in contrast with parts of the Paris suburbs after dark.

The honest risks sit alongside: language is the first wall - booking, payment and admission signatures are all in Chinese; loneliness is the second - retiree communities and expatriate circles are thin outside the first-tier cities; policy is the third - visa and insurance rules can change, and a long-term plan needs room to manoeuvre.

China has no "retirement visa". The realistic paths for a French retiree are the same as for Britons and Canadians: a Q1 family reunion visa (with a Chinese spouse or close relative, for long-term residence) or a Q2 extended visit; some cases use work-based residence. Once resident, employee insurance requires a job and resident insurance requires a hukou - foreign retirees are generally excluded, so care is fully self-funded plus commercial insurance.

The budget needs a fixed line for insurance: international commercial medical cover for over-60s commonly runs CNY 10,000-30,000 a year in China, or about CNY 800-2,500 a month amortised. That is the largest fixed cost in the ledger, and the premise on which any "pension spent in China" plan stands.

• Visa: Q1 family reunion or Q2 extended visit; no retirement visa exists.
• Insurance: foreign retirees are generally excluded from public schemes; self-fund plus commercial cover.
• Budget: commercial insurance for over-60s commonly CNY 10,000-30,000 a year - a fixed line item.

It suits people with a stable pension of EUR 1,300 or more and no heavy mortgage; those with a Chinese spouse or long-term partner; those willing to learn basic Mandarin; and those whose medical needs are mainly chronic management. It does not suit pensions below EUR 900 without savings as a buffer, people who need the French health system frequently (chronic complex care is safer back in France), or anyone unable to adapt to a Chinese-language environment.

Work in three steps: first, trial the life for three to six months on a Q2 visa; second, sort out insurance and banking - exchange, international transfers, submitting life certificates; third, only then consider Q1 long-term residence. Do not give up the flat in France at step one.

• Trial first: Q2 visa for three to six months to test the rhythm and the care.
• Then consolidate: insurance, exchange and the life-certificate routine.
• Settle last: Q1 residence plus a home hospital with your records.