For decades a British couple could buy a house in the Dordogne with nothing more than a passport and a dream. Since 1 January 2021 that is no longer the case. Moving to France from the UK now means visas, permits and deadlines. If you want to live in France for good, you are now a third-country national, with visas, permits and deadlines like anyone arriving from outside Europe. The good news is that the rules are clear once you know them.
Do you need a visa for moving to France from the UK?
Yes, if you intend to stay for more than three months. Service-Public states that to stay in France over three months, a foreigner who is not from the EEA or Switzerland must hold a long-stay visa or a residence permit. The French government visa wizard on the France-Visas site tells you which category fits your situation: employee, student, visitor, self-employed or family. You apply from the UK, before you leave: GOV.UK says to apply for the French visa in the UK.
On arrival, GOV.UK reminds you that you must "apply for a residence permit or validate your long stay visa". Many long-stay visas work as a residence permit once validated online (VLS-TS), but you have to do the validation within the deadline printed on the visa. Do not let it lapse.
What changed when moving to France from the UK before and after 2021?
Those who were living legally in France before 1 January 2021 are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. They hold a specific residence card, and GOV.UK says they can renew it in the two months before it expires, with a ten-year version if they meet the conditions for permanent residence. This article is aimed at the other group: people who are moving now. For them the Withdrawal Agreement card is not an option, and the ordinary routes apply.
Which residence permit should you aim for?
The right one depends on what you will do in France. The list on Service-Public includes, among others, the temporary or multi-year card for private and family life, employee, student, visitor, self-employed and liberal professions, the talent multi-year card, the carte de résident and a retirement card. Retirees and people with independent means usually look at the visitor category, where you are asked to prove resources and health insurance. Workers need a route that includes the right to work.
Rules and income thresholds for each category change, and the consulate in London is the authority to confirm them. We recommend that you check the criteria on the official visa site the week you apply, not the week you decide.
Can you work in France as a British citizen?
GOV.UK says you will generally need a work permit or work visa, and the exemption for people living in France legally before 2021 does not apply to you. Your qualifications may have to be recognised in France, which is compulsory for regulated professions such as medicine, law or teaching. If you plan to work for yourself, the status of micro-entrepreneur depends first on the residence permit you hold, so ask the prefecture or the consulate before you plan around it. Our guide to working in France covers contracts and the minimum wage.
How does healthcare work for British residents in France?
Three situations exist:
- You work in France. Your employer registers you with the Assurance Maladie, and you get a French social security number, a carte Vitale and the same rights as a French employee.
- You receive a UK State Pension. Under the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, you can ask the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team for an S1 form, which you register with your local CPAM. The Cleiss note says UK pensioners who only have a British pension are covered at the UK's expense. The application is made online, and GOV.UK talks about asking some time before departure.
- You neither work nor receive a UK pension. After a stable residence of more than three months, the protection universelle maladie (PUMa) can apply if your stay in France is regular and your resources are sufficient. Until then, you need private cover.
The GHIC, the UK card that replaced the EHIC, is for temporary stays. It does not cover a person who lives in France. For the details of each route, read healthcare in France for expats.
What should you do with your driving licence and your car?
A British licence issued from 2021 onwards must be exchanged for a French one. GOV.UK says you must do it within 12 months of arriving, online through the ANTS, with a check code from the DVLA (or DVA for Northern Ireland). The fee is a €40 tax stamp. While the application is processed you can keep driving, and once the ANTS has received your original licence you download an attestation valid for four months. A British licence issued before 2021 stays usable until it expires: Service-Public says it does not have to be exchanged, but GOV.UK says it must be exchanged if it has expired or will expire within 12 months, and in the cases of loss, theft, damage or a new category.
Your car must be registered in France within a month of moving, with a customs clearance certificate (form 846 A) instead of the tax quitus that EU cars use. More in driving in France.
What about pensions, tax and money?
Your UK State Pension is paid in your country of residence, and you follow the GOV.UK guidance on retiring abroad to claim it. French tax residence applies once you settle, with its own conditions, which the French tax authority sets out on impots.gouv.fr. Between the UK and France, a tax treaty decides who taxes what. Tell HMRC when you stop being resident in the UK.
If you want to compare the cost of daily life before you decide, start with the cost of living in France.
What other practical points apply to British people in France?
Some details catch British newcomers by surprise. When you travel in the Schengen area, always carry your passport and your residence document. GOV.UK says that British nationals who are legally resident in France and hold a valid five-year, ten-year or permanent residence permit do not need to register with the EU Entry/Exit System. If you are legally resident but hold no permit yet, ask your prefecture what applies to you.
Jobs can also ask for paper from home: a UK police certificate or subject access request for some applications, and an International Child Protection Certificate if you work with children. If you plan to leave France later and the NHS funds your healthcare through an S1, tell the NHS Overseas Healthcare Team to cancel it when you return to the UK.
How long can you stay on a long-stay visa, and what comes next?
The visa or permit you obtain decides how long you can stay and how you extend. Service-Public notes that permits come in temporary and multi-year versions, and that a resident card exists for those who stay long enough and meet the conditions. Once a permit expires, GOV.UK says you may be able to apply for a multi-annual or permanent residence permit. To extend or replace a permit, you contact your local prefecture or the French consulate in London, and some permits can be renewed online. Start well before the expiry date, because a late application can leave you without status.
Which order should you follow when moving to France from the UK?
A sensible order is the following. First choose the visa category and apply from the UK. Then book your move around the visa dates. On arrival, validate the visa or apply for the permit, open a bank account and sort out health cover (opening a bank account in France explains your rights). Then register your car, if you bring one, and exchange your licence within the deadline that applies to you (12 months for a British licence issued from 2021). The French tax return follows in the spring after your arrival, and your old country's tax office needs to hear that you have left.
The moving to France checklist lays out these steps for all nationalities, and you can add the visa steps on top.