According to the French-Cypriot tax convention of 18 December 1981, French pensioners are not taxed in France but in Cyprus if they decide to take up residence there
With the number of French pensioners choosing to live abroad having doubled in the last ten years to over one million, French newspaper Le Figaro reports that Cyprus and Greece along with Portugal, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco and Malta are the countries that have put in place attractive tax measures to attract foreign pensioners who wish to reduce their tax burden.
In the case of Cyprus, it is stated that according to the French-Cypriot tax convention of December 18, 1981, French pensioners are not taxed in France but in Cyprus if they decide to establish their residence there. Taxation benefits them, reports the French newspaper, noting that their pensions are exempt up to 3,420 euros per tax year and from then on they are taxed at only 5%. In addition, there is no property or inheritance tax in Cyprus, concludes Figaro.
As for Greece, it is commented that it also "makes sweet eyes" at pensioners, with a uniform tax rate of 7% offered for 15 years to those who set up their tax residence there. "The logic is very simple. We want retirees to settle here, we have a beautiful country, a very good climate, so why not? Athena Kalyva, head of tax policy at the Greek Ministry of Finance, explains to the French newspaper, pointing out that in order to benefit from this system, one does not need to acquire real estate in Greece. It is enough that he resides there 183 days a year and belongs to a country that has signed a bilateral tax treaty with Greece, as is the case with France.