Reunion · Relocation guide
Moving to Reunion: permission, arrival and practical setup
Reunion is a French overseas department, but a Schengen visa does not automatically authorise entry or long stay there. Use France-Visas to test nationality, territorial validity and the French work, family or long-stay route.
Content updated 12 September 2026. Individual source-check dates are listed below.
Separate entry, residence and work permission
Reunion is a French overseas department, but a Schengen visa does not automatically authorise entry or long stay there. Use France-Visas to test nationality, territorial validity and the French work, family or long-stay route.
A visa waiver, visitor visa or business-visitor permission is not an open right to take employment or provide local services. Remote work also needs an immigration, labour and tax analysis unless the authority publishes a route that expressly covers it.
| Plan | VisaAtlas route | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| Long-stay overseas visa | Long-Stay Overseas Visa | Check nationality and Reunion-specific territorial validity. |
| Talent Passport work route | Talent Passport / Qualified Work | Use the qualifying French work category. |
| Private and family life residence | Private and Family Life Residence | Family status and work conditions must be checked. |
Complete the arrival record
Follow the validation or prefecture process stated on the long-stay visa and keep proof of Reunion address. EU free-movement cases and third-country visa cases follow different branches.
Inspect names, passport number, sponsor or purpose, permitted activity and expiry on every issued record. Keep the approval, receipt and a copy of the entry stamp outside the passport.
Make housing support the move
Choose housing around coastal or upland microclimate, cyclone and volcanic access, commute and school. Confirm property insurance, inventory and utilities before the lease.
Verify landlord authority, lease language, deposit, inventory, utilities, internet and early-exit terms. Keep the real address and payment trail for immigration, banking and employer files.
Set up banking, payroll and tax evidence
French banking, tax and social-security onboarding depends on status and residence facts. Keep French and overseas income and travel records and use official French channels.
Ask the bank and tax authority for their live identity, permit, address, tax-number and source-of-funds requirements. Immigration status alone does not determine tax residence: retain travel days, payslips, foreign income and business invoices.
Plan each family member and essential service
Apply the correct EU or French family route for each person and do not assume a Schengen family visa is territorially sufficient. Check school zoning and health coverage before arrival.
A dependant, student or family residence document should not be treated as an adult work permit without confirmation. Carry legalised civil records, prescriptions, vaccination records and prior-school reports.
Control renewal, changes and current risk
Use the prefecture or online French renewal channel named on the permit and clear employer changes. Monitor cyclone, volcanic and road closures for island movement.
Read current official travel advice for Reunion, the exact region and any overland route before travel. Confirm that insurance covers the location and planned work.
Your moving checklist
Tick off the tasks that apply to you. The timing is a planning order, not a substitute for the deadlines on your permission or an official instruction.
0 of 13 tasks completed
Sources and checks
The linked authorities set the rules. VisaAtlas explains how the steps fit together; planning suggestions are not a decision on your immigration status, tax residence or entitlement to services.
- France-Visas: official overseas France visa portalSource checked 12 September 2026
- UK government: Reunion travel adviceSource checked 12 September 2026