Moving to France from the UK: A Post-Brexit Guide

Why consider moving to France from the UK

For most people weighing it up, the reassuring answer comes first: moving to France from the UK is entirely achievable. Thousands of British families, couples and retirees organise the move successfully every year. They do it not by being braver than everyone else, but by matching their plans to the correct legal route and preparing the paperwork before the removal van is booked, rather than after.

This is the flagship guide for anyone thinking seriously about a life in south-west France. It sets out the whole journey honestly, from the first honest question about eligibility to the small practical wins of your first weeks, and it is candid about one thing from the outset. There is a great deal to fall in love with here, but relocating to France is still a real move. Getting the details right is not the dull part of the dream. It is what allows the dream to last.

The life on offer

High above the Côtes de Duras vineyards, the 12th-century Château de Duras looks out over vine-covered slopes, fields of sunflowers and honey-coloured villages gathered around old market squares. This is a corner of France where the seasons still shape daily life and the pace is gentler, quieter and more human than the one most people leave behind.

The area is unusually appealing because three of France's loveliest départements meet here. Lot-et-Garonne brings orchards, bastide towns and working rural communities. The Dordogne is known for its rivers, its food and its beautiful stone architecture. The Gironde opens westwards towards Saint-Émilion, Sauternes and Bordeaux with some of the world's most celebrated wine country. Around Duras their best qualities overlap: the beauty and food culture of the Dordogne, the wine heritage of the Gironde, and the space, authenticity and comparative value of Lot-et-Garonne.

You may be planning retirement among the vines, hunting for a family home with room to breathe, or looking for somewhere peaceful from which to work remotely. Whatever stage you have reached, the goal of moving to France from the UK is the same: to move from imagining the lifestyle to understanding what it actually involves.

Two separate questions: property and residency

Here is the single most important point for anyone making this move. Buying a house and earning the right to live in France are separate questions.

British nationals remain completely free to purchase property in France. You can buy a cottage, farmhouse, village house or even a small château without being resident. But owning that property does not automatically grant the right to live in it permanently. A French house is not a residency permit, and buying one creates no entitlement to remain beyond the time allowed to a non-EU visitor.

That distinction is why this guide treats the buying property in France process as its own project, with its own timeline, running alongside the residency question rather than bundled into it. Line the two up as parallel tracks and the whole move becomes calmer.

Who can move: post-Brexit eligibility and visa routes

Moving to France is achievable, but the route depends first and foremost on nationality, and this is where Brexit genuinely changed the picture for British citizens.

The Brexit dividing line

EU and EEA citizens — Dutch, Belgian, German and others — still benefit from freedom of movement. They do not need a visa to move to France, establish a main home or take work, though they still have tax, healthcare and registration matters to organise once they arrive.

British citizens are now classed as non-EU nationals. Unless you are protected by an existing status — for example a British national already lawfully resident in France before the end of the Brexit transition period, holding rights under the Withdrawal Agreement — or you qualify through another nationality or arrangement, you now follow the rules that apply to non-EU nationals. In practice that means securing the correct long-stay visa before you relocate.

The 90/180-day rule for visitors

If you are not yet moving permanently, the short-stay allowance matters. British visitors can generally spend up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period within the Schengen area without a long-stay visa.

This works well for a holiday home: extended visits, long summers and regular trips. But the calculation is not simply three months in France followed by three months away. It operates over a rolling reference period, so every proposed day must be checked against the preceding 180 days. Crucially, the allowance covers the whole Schengen area, so time in Spain, Italy, the Netherlands or Belgium counts towards the same total, and travelling from France to a neighbouring Schengen country does not reset the clock. For occasional visits this is comfortable; for anyone hoping to live near Duras full-time or oversee a lengthy renovation, it quickly becomes restrictive, and a long-stay visa is usually the answer.

The main route: the long-stay visitor visa

The route used by most retirees, financially independent movers and people wanting to spend extended periods at a French home is the long-stay visitor visa, the VLS-TS "visiteur". It is intended for people who want to reside in France without taking paid employment there, and once issued and correctly validated after arrival it generally acts as both a long-stay visa and an initial residence permit for up to a year.

Applicants are typically asked to show:

• Sufficient, dependable income or savings. The broad benchmark is the French minimum wage, the SMIC — as a guide around €1,478 net per month, roughly €17,700 a year for a single person in 2026. This figure rises each year and consulates assess it against your whole situation, so aim comfortably above the minimum.
• Comprehensive private health insurance covering your initial period in France.
• Suitable accommodation, whether owned, rented or provided by a host.
• An undertaking not to take paid employment in France.
• A valid passport and the relevant civil-status documents.

Do not assume that owning a mortgage-free French house will offset insufficient income or incomplete health cover; the assessment looks at the picture as a whole.

Other routes: workers, the self-employed and families

The word "visitor" causes confusion. It does not mean a short holiday; it describes someone who intends to live in France without entering the labour market. If you plan to earn, a different route fits:

• A work or employee visa for someone with a qualifying French contract and any required authorisation.
• A self-employed, entrepreneur or profession libérale route for freelancers, consultants, tradespeople or business founders who can demonstrate a viable activity.
• A family visa for spouses, partners, children or other qualifying relatives.

Remote workers should be especially careful. Working online from a house near Duras may feel very different from taking a French job, but immigration, employment, social-security and tax rules can overlap. This is a genuine grey area, so do not assume that a UK employer or overseas client automatically makes remote work permissible on a visitor visa. Take advice on your specific case before you choose a route, because applying as a visitor while planning to work locally can cause serious problems later. There is more in the visas and residency guide.

Applying, and the path beyond the first year

A long-stay application must normally be made from the UK before you travel for the move, through the official France-Visas service. You select the category, complete the form, gather supporting evidence, attend an appointment to give biometrics, pay the charges — the long-stay visa fee is currently €99, plus any visa-centre service fee — and wait for a decision, commonly around two to three weeks though this varies by consulate and season. Start early: appointments are not always immediately available, and an incomplete or inconsistent file causes delay. Never book a removal date on the assumption that approval will land within a set period.

Receiving the visa is not the end of the process. A VLS-TS must be validated online within three months of arriving in France, through the government's foreign-nationals service linked to the immigration office (OFII). You provide your arrival date, French address and visa details, and pay a validation tax — for the visitor visa currently €300, paid by card online, having risen from €200 in May 2026. Missing this step can affect the legality of your stay and your ability to renew, so treat it as an immediate priority.

If you intend to remain, you begin renewal before your permission expires, applying through the relevant system or your local préfecture for a carte de séjour. Early permissions are usually renewed annually, and you may later qualify for a multi-year (pluriannuelle) card. After roughly five years of continuous legal residence, some residents become eligible for a long-term carte de résident, generally valid for ten years, which now requires B1-level French (raised from A2 under the 2024 immigration law, with an exemption for applicants over 65) and a short civic exam. Keep copies of every application, receipt, tax document, insurance policy and proof of address from the day you arrive; this is a pathway, not an automatic progression.

The practical timeline and logistics

Once the route is clear, the move becomes a project with a sequence. It rarely runs in a tidy line — administration tends to arrive in waves, where you complete one task, wait weeks, then receive a request for something you thought you had already supplied — but the shape is predictable.

Build your documents folder first

Long before the removal date, create both a paper file and a secure digital folder. French authorities often request the same document in different contexts, so a well-organised folder saves hours. Include:

• Passports and visas
• Birth and marriage certificates, with certified translations where required
• Proof of your French address
• Property-purchase or rental documents
• Bank statements and proof of income
• Insurance policies
• Driving licences and vehicle papers
• Medical and vaccination records
• Children's school reports
• Pet passports, vaccination records and microchip details
• Copies of every form, receipt and official email

Removals across the Channel

Post-Brexit, an international removal from the UK to France is a customs matter as well as a logistics one. Personal belongings moved as part of a genuine transfer of residence can usually come across without the treatment applied to commercial imports, but the paperwork now matters: an inventory, evidence that the goods are your used personal effects, and proof that you are establishing residence. Reputable international removers who handle UK–France moves regularly will know the current formalities, so choose one who does this route often rather than the cheapest quote, and get everything in writing. Photograph valuable items before they are loaded, and keep your documents folder with you rather than in the van.

Bringing pets

Since Brexit, the old EU pet passport issued in the UK is no longer used for outbound travel; pets typically travel on an animal health certificate arranged shortly before departure, alongside an up-to-date microchip and rabies vaccination. Rules and timings change and vary by species, so confirm the current requirements with your vet well ahead of the move. Once in France, register with a local veterinary practice, keep vaccination and microchip records current, and check whether your pet's details must be added to a French register.

Opening a French bank account

A French account is not strictly compulsory, but it makes everyday life far easier, because utility direct debits, insurance, local taxes and government services are simpler to manage with one. Banks will usually ask for identification, proof of address and information about your income and tax residency. The key document to obtain early is your RIB, the slip carrying your French bank details, which utility companies, insurers and government services request constantly.

Importing a car and exchanging your licence

If you bring a UK vehicle permanently, you generally need to register it in France in due course, which can involve roadworthiness checks and documents from the issuing country. Confirm whether and for how long an overseas vehicle can continue to be driven while you complete registration, and remember that motor insurance is compulsory in France — do not assume a UK policy remains valid once you are resident or have imported the vehicle.

Your driving licence is a separate question. A UK licence can often be used for a period after you become resident, but an exchange may become necessary, particularly when it expires or after certain offences. The rules and timing change, so check your own position early and gather any supporting documents from the UK before you move, because obtaining them afterwards is far harder from abroad.

Utilities, insurance and the keys

On the day you receive the keys, transfer electricity, water and other utilities into your name and photograph every meter reading as a clean record of when your responsibility began. Arrange home insurance so cover is active from the day you become responsible for the property. Set up broadband and mobile early, because installation can take time, especially if you work remotely, and check the first bills carefully for wrong addresses, estimated readings or unsuitable contract levels.

Money, tax and currency

France is not necessarily an expensive place to live, especially when you compare Duras-area property and lifestyle value with much of Britain. Its tax system, though, is detailed, and becoming resident changes far more than the address on your bank statements. This is the part of the move where professional advice is genuinely worth paying for.

When do you become French tax-resident?

Tax residency is not decided solely by counting days. France weighs several connecting factors: where your main home or household (your foyer) is, where you spend most of your time, where your main professional activity takes place, and where the centre of your economic interests lies. Meeting any one can be enough, so spending fewer days in France does not necessarily keep you out of French tax residence if your home and economic life are centred here.

Once you are French tax-resident you generally declare your worldwide income in France — pensions, employment income, investment returns and rental income included. Declaring income is not the same as France taxing all of it, because a double-tax treaty may allocate taxing rights elsewhere or require a credit, but the income may still need to appear on the French return.

Income tax, social charges and the treaty

French income tax uses progressive bands applied per part of the household under the quotient familial system. For 2025 income the bands per part are broadly 0% up to about €11,500, 11% to about €29,300, 30% to about €83,800, 41% to about €180,300, and 45% above, with thresholds uprated slightly each year.

Newcomers also need to understand prélèvements sociaux, the social charges — currently 17.2% on rental income and property capital gains — which can apply to certain investment income, rental income and gains in addition to income tax. A reduced rate of 7.5% applies to people covered by another EU, EEA or UK health system rather than the French one, for example holders of an S1, because they are exempt from the CSG and CRDS elements. Social charges are one of the most common surprises for British residents: an income source that looks like it attracts a familiar rate can carry a higher overall liability once they are added.

The UK–France double-tax treaty prevents the same income being taxed twice, but it does not let you simply pick the lower rate. As a broad guide, government-service pensions generally remain taxable in the UK, UK state and private pensions generally become taxable in France once you are resident, and rental income from a UK property generally stays taxable in the UK while still being reportable in France with treaty relief applied. Check the precise articles for your situation.

Property taxes and wealth tax

French owners commonly meet two annual local taxes. Taxe foncière is paid by the owner and depends on the property's assessed rental value and local rates; ask to see the latest bill before buying, because two similar homes can carry very different liabilities. Taxe d'habitation has been abolished for main residences but still applies to second homes, and communes in high-demand areas can add a surcharge of between 5% and 60% on the second-home rate. France often treats a permanent home more favourably than a holiday one, so budget accordingly. Property wealth tax, the IFI, only applies when qualifying net property assets exceed €1.3 million, so most movers fall well below it.

Currency: moving money without losing it

For pensions received in sterling but spent in euros, or a house purchase funded from the UK, the exchange rate matters as much as any fee. The visible charge is only part of the cost; the exchange-rate margin can make a real difference over a house purchase or years of pension income. Compare your bank's rate with a properly regulated currency specialist, confirm where client funds are held, and never gamble money you need for completion on a currency movement. Bilingual accountants around Duras regularly help British residents with French declarations and cross-border income.

Healthcare: getting into the system

France's healthcare system has a well-earned reputation for high standards, patient choice and good value, but it is not free at the point of use in the British sense, and it does not switch on the moment you arrive.

How the system works

For standard treatment within the French system, the state typically reimburses around 70% of an official tariff — the tariff, note, not necessarily the full amount charged, since some doctors are permitted to charge above it. Most residents therefore also hold a private top-up policy, a mutuelle or complémentaire santé, to cover part or all of the remainder. These commonly range from around €30 to over €100 a month depending on age, household and cover. A standard GP consultation is charged at a regulated tariff, currently around €30 before reimbursement.

Joining PUMA, and the S1 for pensioners

People who become legally and stably resident may join the system through PUMA (Protection universelle maladie), with applications handled by the local CPAM. For those not covered through employment, an initial period of stable residence is commonly required, often around three months. Do not assume state cover begins on arrival: processing takes time, especially if documents need translation. Once registered you receive a French social-security number and, in due course, a carte Vitale, presented to doctors and pharmacies so treatment is recorded and reimbursed automatically. You also register a médecin traitant, your primary doctor, though in rural areas finding a practice taking new patients can take persistence.

Eligible UK state pensioners have a different route: an S1 certificate lets them register for French healthcare while the UK remains responsible for the cost, and it can also reduce exposure to certain social charges. A mutuelle may still be worthwhile, because the S1 gives access on the same reimbursement basis as an insured resident rather than covering every cost in full.

The gap that catches people out

Non-EU movers on a visitor visa normally need comprehensive private cover when applying and during their early months. Keep that policy active until CPAM has confirmed your French entitlement — a submitted application is not the same as approved cover, and letting private insurance lapse too soon can leave a serious gap. Around Duras, residents draw on hospitals in Bergerac, Marmande, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Villeneuve-sur-Lot, with Bergerac's hospital roughly 35 minutes by car. For emergencies France uses 15 (SAMU) and the European number 112.

Your first 90 days

The opening months are exciting but can feel like an extended conversation with forms, passwords and missing documents. Arrive organised, keep copies of everything, and deal with each step in turn.

The early administrative wave

• Open or finalise your French bank account and obtain your RIB.
• Put home insurance in place and insure your car, since motor cover is compulsory.
• Transfer utilities into your name and photograph all meter readings.
• Arrange broadband and mobile early.
• If you arrived on a long-stay visa, complete the online OFII validation within the required window, pay the validation tax and save the confirmation permanently. Record the visa expiry date and the earliest renewal point.
• Start your CPAM/PUMA application when eligible, or lodge your S1, and keep private cover until entitlement is confirmed.

Family, pets and local services

For families, contact the mairie about school enrolment in maternelle or primary school, confirm the process for collège or lycée, register for the canteen and school transport where needed, and ask what French-language support is available. For pets, register with a local vet and keep records current. The mairie is often the best first stop for practical local questions, from waste and recycling to access to the local déchèterie and rules on bonfires, garden waste and water restrictions. If you have a pool, heating system or septic installation, schedule the necessary servicing early.

Settling in, not just arriving

Administration creates residence; participation creates belonging. Start French lessons as early as you can — few investments repay the effort more quickly, because French improves every appointment, neighbourly exchange and unexpected problem. Join a walking group, choir, gardening association or village committee; local associations are central to French community life and a natural way to meet people beyond paperwork. Introduce yourself to neighbours, say bonjour before asking for help in a shop, learn the market rhythm, and accept that lunchtime and Sunday closures require planning. Around Duras and Eymet, the established international network is a genuine asset — use that support without living entirely inside it, and the most rewarding life here combines international friendships with real participation in the French community.

Common mistakes when moving to France from the UK

Most difficulties in this move are avoidable once you know where they hide. These are the ones that most often catch British movers.

• Confusing property with residency. Buying a house is not a route to living in France; sort the visa route as its own project, ideally before you commit to a moving date.
• Misreading the 90/180-day rule. It is a rolling calculation across the whole Schengen area, not a simple three-months-on, three-months-off, and neighbouring countries count towards the same total.
• Choosing the wrong visa for what you'll actually do. Applying as a visitor while intending to work locally, including some remote work, can create serious problems later. Match the route to reality and take advice on grey areas.
• Booking the removal before the visa is approved. Consular appointments and decisions take time; never assume approval will arrive by a particular date.
• Forgetting the OFII validation. A visa that looks valid in your passport still needs online validation within three months of arrival, or your legal residence and renewal can be affected.
• Assuming healthcare starts on day one. Keep private cover active until CPAM confirms your entitlement, because a submitted PUMA application is not approved cover.
• Underestimating social charges and tax residency. French tax residence can arise from where your home and economic life sit, not only from days counted, and social charges can lift a familiar-looking tax bill.
• Losing money on currency. The exchange-rate margin, not just the visible fee, is where large sums quietly disappear on transfers and purchases.
• Neglecting the car and licence rules. Motor insurance is compulsory, imported vehicles need registering, and a licence exchange may become necessary — gather UK documents before you leave.
• Leaving French until later. Every part of this move goes more smoothly with even modest French, and the sooner you start the faster the rest becomes.

Why Duras and its surrounding areas suit UK movers

After all the cautions, it is worth coming back to why so many people from the UK choose this particular corner of south-west France to land in. The reassuring truth is that you will not be a pioneer. The Duras area already has a deep, established British and Dutch community, alongside neighbours from Belgium and beyond, and with them a valuable network of advisers and bilingual professionals who remember their own first months. New arrivals here are following a well-worn path, not cutting one.

The practical advantages matter as much as the scenery. Because the international community is already here, the professional support a British mover needs already exists too: bilingual notaires who can explain ownership and succession options in plain English before you sign, bilingual accountants who handle cross-border pensions and declarations, and estate agents used to guiding foreign buyers. Bergerac gives the area an airport, a hospital, large supermarkets and a railway station; Sainte-Foy-la-Grande and Marmande add markets and mainline stations; Villeréal and Lauzun bring bastide beauty and village quiet. Local property taxes tend to compare favourably with British council-tax expectations, adding to the area's attractive running costs.

Then there is the life itself: the landmark château above the vines, the Côtes de Duras vineyards, year-round markets and services, and the rare balance of somewhere connected but never crowded. It is peaceful without being cut off, authentic without feeling staged, beautiful and genuinely liveable — and central to three distinct départements, so you can enjoy all of them without committing to the compromises of any one.

The decisive advantage, though, is having someone local who has watched this exact move go well many times. Tina lives in the Duras area, knows its villages, properties and people, and helps English-speaking movers through every unfamiliar step in their own language — from the first honest conversation about whether the plan holds together, to the trusted notaire, accountant or agent you will need along the way.

If you are moving to France from the UK, the honest path is to prepare properly and let the paperwork protect the dream rather than spoil it. Browse the properties currently available around Duras to see what your budget might buy, read on through the buying property and visas and residency guides to fill in the detail, and talk to Tina when you are ready to turn a broad idea into a practical plan for your move to south-west France.