You are moving from mainland France to Martinique, Guadeloupe or French Guiana, for a job transfer, a new life project or a post in the civil service. Good news: in these three départements you are still on French territory, with the same Social Security Code, the same CAF, the same national taxes and the same carte Vitale. So there is no expatriation paperwork to deal with. That said, settling in overseas comes with its own realities: local agencies to contact, processing times that can be longer, a tight rental market in certain municipalities, and a few tax schemes specific to the region. This guide walks you through it step by step so you can open your entitlements stress-free and settle in with peace of mind.
The French Antilles and Guiana: what changes (and what doesn’t)
The first thing to remember: Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana are overseas départements and regions (DROM). You are not leaving France. Your carte Vitale stays valid, your pension points keep accruing, your existing family benefits transfer over. This is not an expatriation, it is an internal move.
What does change is mostly a matter of local organisation:
- Agencies have dedicated regional branches: the CGSS (Caisse générale de sécurité sociale) instead of the CPAM in Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana, plus a local CAF for each territory.
- Processing times for applications can be longer than in mainland France, especially during busy periods (back-to-school, summer transfers).
- The cost of living is on average higher on many imported goods, which is partly offset, for civil servants, by a salary uplift.
- The rental property market is tight in the most sought-after areas (Fort-de-France, Schoelcher, Pointe-à-Pitre, Le Gosier, Cayenne, Rémire-Montjoly).
On the other hand, the administrative logic is identical to the mainland: same forms, same national income thresholds, same impots.gouv.fr website.
Health and social security: the CGSS, your single point of contact
In all three territories, it is the CGSS (Caisse générale de sécurité sociale) that handles health insurance, contributions and part of the pension system all at once. This is an overseas specificity: where the mainland separates CPAM, URSSAF and CARSAT, the overseas départements bring these missions together.
Transferring your health file
If you are already registered in mainland France, your carte Vitale stays active. You do, however, need to report your change of address so that your file is attached to the local CGSS (Martinique, Guadeloupe or French Guiana). This is done through your ameli account or directly with the CGSS. Remember to choose or reconfirm your regular doctor (médecin traitant) once you are there.
Top-up health insurance
Check that your mutuelle actually covers care in the overseas départements (most do, but partner care networks differ). Direct billing (tiers payant) works, and you will find pharmacies, laboratories and practices in every main municipality. The university hospitals of Fort-de-France (Martinique) and Pointe-à-Pitre (Guadeloupe), along with the Cayenne hospital centre (French Guiana), are the main hospital hubs.
As a rough guide, allow a few days to a few weeks for your file to be fully updated depending on the time of year — plan ahead if you are on regular medication.
CAF and family benefits: opening or transferring your entitlements
The CAF is present in each territory (CAF de la Martinique, CAF de la Guadeloupe, CAF de la Guyane). If you were already receiving benefits in mainland France, your file transfers over; otherwise, you create a local file.
The main benefits involved
- Family allowances (from two dependent children, under national rules).
- Housing benefits (APL, ALF, ALS): essential given the tight rental market, to be claimed as soon as you sign the lease.
- Prime d’activité (in-work benefit) and RSA, whose scales follow national regulations.
- Back-to-school allowance, paid every summer.
Points to watch overseas
Some benefits come with locally adapted rules or amounts. Housing benefits are particularly useful in the French Antilles and Guiana, where rents in popular municipalities can be high. File your housing benefit claim in the very month you move in: entitlement is generally not backdated beyond the filing date.
Checklist for your CAF file:
- Create or update your account on caf.fr with your new address
- Provide your lease certificate or proof of occupancy
- Declare your family situation and your income
- Claim housing benefit as soon as you move into the property
- Provide bank details (RIB) for an account held in France (mainland or DROM)
Tax: income tax and schemes specific to the overseas départements
You remain subject to national income tax, declared on impots.gouv.fr. But the overseas départements benefit from specific measures worth knowing about.
The income tax reduction
Taxpayers domiciled in Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana benefit from a capped income tax reduction specific to the DROM. It is applied automatically when your tax is calculated, provided your tax household is genuinely domiciled in the département. Report your change of tax residence to the tax authorities in the year you move.
VAT and octroi de mer
VAT is reduced in the French Antilles (lower rates than the mainland) and does not exist in French Guiana (nor in Mayotte). In return, a local tax called octroi de mer applies to many imported goods: this is one of the reasons some consumer products cost more.
Civil servants: the salary uplift
If you are a public-sector employee transferred overseas, your salary is subject to an uplift (often called the “cost of living” supplement), the rate of which varies by territory. Check with your host administration to find out the applicable rate and conditions (length of service, any remoteness allowance).
Investing and tax planning
The overseas départements offer property tax-relief schemes and support for rental investment. These mechanisms change regularly and depend on your situation: talk to an adviser before making any commitment. As a rough guide, rental yields vary widely depending on the municipality and the tourist season — no yield is guaranteed.
