Living in France as a UK Expat: The Complete Guide

The removal van has gone, the boxes are mostly unpacked and the shutters open onto a view you spent years imagining. The move is done. What starts now is the part this guide is about: actually living in France as a British national, with a residence card to keep valid, a health system to join and a tax return in a language you may still be learning.

Since Brexit, UK nationals are treated as non-EU citizens in France. That one change sits underneath almost everything else in this guide. Your right to stay, your access to state healthcare and even how long you can spend elsewhere in Europe all depend on holding the right status and keeping it current.

This guide covers life once you're here. If you're still planning the move itself, start with our guide to moving to France from the UK and the phase-by-phase moving checklist. Every rule below is taken from official UK or French government guidance, and the sources are listed at the end.

Your residence status comes first

UK nationals in France fall into two groups, and the rules are different for each.

If you were living in France before 1 January 2021, you're covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and should hold a Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit, often called a WARP. The initial WARP is a five-year card, and that matters now. GOV.UK guidance (last updated 2 October 2026) says you must renew your initial five-year WARP before it expires, applying in the two months before the expiry date. The renewal is free. If you meet the conditions for permanent residence, the new card is valid for 10 years. Depending on your area you may apply online, by post or in person at the prefecture, and GOV.UK specifically warns not to use the general ANEF renewal service.

If you arrived after that date, you'll most likely have come in on a long-stay visa that acts as a residence permit for its first year, known as a VLS-TS. France-Visas states that holders must validate it online within three months of arriving in France. Miss that step and the visa doesn't do its job.

Two more points from GOV.UK are worth knowing. Time spent in France on a residence permit or long-stay visa does not count towards the 90-days-in-180 limit for visa-free visits to the Schengen area. And France recognises dual citizenship with the UK, so becoming French later does not mean giving up your British passport. Until then, you can't vote in French elections.

Healthcare: getting into the system and staying covered

You must have health insurance to live in France. GOV.UK is clear on this, and some visa and residence applications ask for proof of cover.

Once you've been resident for at least three months, you can register for France's state health cover, known as PUMa, through your local CPAM office. GOV.UK says a temporary social security number usually arrives by post after one to three months, followed by your attestation of rights. The carte Vitale, the card you hand over at the doctor's, "can take 6 months or longer". Until it arrives, you claim refunds using your social security number and a paper feuille de soins.

If you receive a UK State Pension, you may be entitled to an S1 form, which means the UK funds your French state healthcare. You register the S1 with your local CPAM.

State healthcare is not free. A standard GP consultation with a sector 1 doctor costs €30. According to service-public.fr, the Assurance Maladie reimburses €19 of that when you've declared a regular GP, your médecin traitant. The rest is yours to pay, which is where a mutuelle comes in: GOV.UK describes it as top-up insurance that covers all or part of the costs the state does not. We cover the options in our guide to moving to France and health insurance.

Tax: one calendar year, worldwide income

This is where the UK and French systems differ most, because they run on different calendars.

The French tax year follows the calendar year, January to December. As FrenchEntrée explains, you declare income the year after you earn it, so someone who moved in 2026 files a first French return in 2027. You are liable for French tax from the date your residence begins, though, not from the date of your first return.

Once you're tax resident, France expects you to declare your worldwide income, and GOV.UK adds a detail that is easy to miss: you must also declare assets held outside France, such as bank accounts and property, in a declaration that is separate from the annual return.

The good news is that the UK and France have a double taxation agreement, so you don't pay tax on the same income in both countries. Under that treaty, the UK State Pension and most private pensions of French residents are taxed in France. UK government service pensions, such as civil service pensions, are taxed in the UK. HMRC's France Individual form is how you ask for UK tax to stop being deducted at source. For the full picture, read our guide to the tax implications of moving to France, alongside our guide to property tax in France.

Driving on a UK licence

GOV.UK sets out the rules. A UK licence issued before 1 January 2021 can be used in France until it expires. If yours was issued after that date, you must exchange it for a French licence within 12 months of arriving. You'll also need to exchange an older licence that has expired or will expire within 12 months, and you can't renew a UK licence while living in France.

For a GB licence you'll need a DVLA check code. Once your exchange application is accepted, you receive a secured deposit receipt, the attestation de dépôt sécurisée, which lets you keep driving until the French licence arrives.

Money, banking and running a French household

A French bank account soon stops being optional. FrenchEntrée's legal checklist for movers notes you'll need one for SEPA payments, tax bills and healthcare reimbursements, and banks will usually ask for your passport, proof of address and your visa or residence card.

Household taxes look different too. Taxe d'habitation was abolished for all main homes from 2023, according to the French tax authority, impots.gouv.fr, though it still applies to second homes. Owners still pay taxe foncière, the annual property tax, whether the house is a main home or not.

If your income is in sterling and your bills are in euros, exchange rate movements will affect your budget month to month. That's worth planning for before you commit to a purchase price.

Still deciding where to settle? You can browse property for sale in France across every region, or start with buyer favourites such as the Dordogne, Normandy and Brittany.

Paperwork, language and local life

French administration still runs largely in French. FrenchEn
trée's guide for retirees points out that while some official documents are available in English, this is not the norm, and you'll need to understand French to file your tax return, register for healthcare and deal with insurance claims. If your French isn't there yet, a translator or legal representative for official tasks is worth the cost.

Paper still matters. Keep copies of your passport, birth and marriage certificates and every form you submit. One FrenchEntrée reader who retired to France stresses the value of good relations with the mairie, your town hall, where the secretary has been their first stop for local questions.

When you hire tradespeople, check their SIRET business registration number and get a written quote, a devis, before work starts. FrenchEntrée notes that building work often comes with a ten-year insurance-backed guarantee.

Buying your home as a resident

Whether you rent first or buy straight away, GOV.UK's advice is to contact an English-speaking lawyer before buying property or land. The French process has its own stages, deadlines and protections, so read our guide to how to buy a property in France and our guide to the pitfalls of buying property in France before you make an offer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I live in France if I own a house there?
Owning a French home doesn't give you the right to live in France. Without a long-stay visa or residence permit, UK nationals can stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and GOV.UK says visits in the previous 180 days count towards that limit. Second-home owners may be asked to prove they own or rent the property, for example with a tax or utility bill. To live in your French home for longer, you'll need the right long-stay visa, applied for before you travel through France-Visas.

Do UK expats get free healthcare in France?
No. Residents access state healthcare on the same basis as French citizens, but GOV.UK states plainly that it is not free. Costs are shared between the state and the patient, and you may pay upfront before part of the cost is refunded. You can join PUMa after three months of residence, or register a UK-issued S1 if you receive a UK State Pension. A mutuelle top-up policy covers some or all of the remaining costs.

Do I pay tax in both the UK and France?
You shouldn't pay tax twice on the same income. The UK and France have a double taxation agreement that decides which country taxes each type of income. Once you're French tax resident, you declare your worldwide income in France. Most pensions, including the UK State Pension, are then taxed in France, while UK government service pensions stay taxable in the UK. Your first year may involve returns in both countries because the tax years differ, so take specialist advice for your own circumstances.

Can I drive in France on a UK licence if I live there?
It depends on when your licence was issued. According to GOV.UK, a UK licence issued before 1 January 2021 remains valid in France until it expires, but must be exchanged if it has expired or will expire within 12 months. A licence issued after 1 January 2021 must be exchanged within 12 months of arriving in France. You'll need a DVLA check code for a GB licence, and you can keep driving on the secured deposit receipt while your application is processed.

Making France home

Living in France as a UK expat comes down to keeping four things current: your residence status, your health cover, your tax affairs and your driving licence. Each has clear rules and dated official guidance, and checking them once a year saves a great deal of stress. The rest, from the mairie to the morning boulangerie run, becomes easier with time and a little more French.

Finding the right home and the right area makes everything else simpler. Set up a free property alert on propertyinfrance.com and we'll send you new listings that match what you're looking for, or browse more than 5,000 properties for sale in France today.