The transition phase of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union ended on the 31st of December 2020. New measures took place starting on January 1st 2021 and has made it more complicated for British citizens to purchase a property in France and to live here.
In this article, you will find the information you need if you are planning on buying a home in France post-Brexit.
Visa Requirements
One of the major changes due to Brexit are the visa requirements for British citizens. Legally, British citizens can stay for up to 90 days with just their passport. If you want to stay longer, you will have to apply for either a long-stay visa or a temporary long-stay visa.
If you were living in France before January 1st 2021, then you benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement if you did apply for the residence permit. This residency permit can last from 5-10 years, depending on how long you were living in France.
If you moved after January 1st 2021 then you need to obtain a long-stay visa. This is if you want to be in the country for more than 6 months.
There is also the option for the temporary long stay visa. This is if you only want to stay in France for 3-6 months in a year. If you apply for a temporary long stay visa, then you will not be considered a French resident and do not have to file an income tax return.
Purchasing a Property
France is a popular choice in the EU for British citizens to move to. In 2016, it was recorded that 148,000 Britons were living in France. 55,000 of these Britons were employed in France. Moreover 86,000 of the holiday homes in France are owned by British citizens.
If you are a UK citizen, and you want to buy a home in France, Brexit has not affected this process. Legally, you are still able to purchase, sell or rent out a property in France. You will be treated as a EU citizen. Fees for the Notaries remain unchanged at 7-8%.
The taxe foncière and the taxe d’habitation remain the same as pre-Brexit. The Capital Gain tax is 19% plus the additional 17.2% for social charges, for non-EU citizens. Social charges for EU citizens is just 7.5%.
If you are interested in selling your own property in France and you want to know about the process, take a look at our page about the sales process.
As you can see, Brexit has not made buying a home in France significantly more complicated. It has only put in place more restrictive measures for UK citizens to legally remain in the country.
If you are from the UK and are looking to purchasing a holiday home in the South of France or want to move here permanently, take a look at our properties for sale in the South of France.
