How to retire to France from the UK

There’s a moment that comes for many of us, usually around February. Christmas has been and gone. The sky has been the colour of dishwater for what feels like months. The rain is incessant. We think to ourselves, there has got to be more to life than this. We start to long for blue skies, the feel of the sun on our skin, lunch al fresco. We dream of wandering to the boulangerie for a just baked croissant and a crispy baguette that we’ll fill with fresh cheese – you can almost smell it just thinking about it.

How to retire to France from the UK

If you’re retired and wondering about moving to France, you probably have dozens of questions from ‘is it easy to buy a property’ to ‘what kind of visa do I need’ (yes you do need one now thanks to the terms of Brexit), ‘how much money do I need to live in France’,  and ‘do I need to speak French’?

And if you browse the internet you’ll find many answers – most of them contradicting each other, some of them outright wrong.

If you want real advice, from real people, experts on all aspects of moving to and living in France, then The French Property Show is for you.

Get expert advice and support at the French Property Show

BB (Before Brexit), it was a fairly simple process to move to France, but there are added processes AB (After Brexit), not least the fact that you need a long-term visa to stay in France for longer than 90 days. After a period of time – this needs to be exchanged for a residency permit, for which AB terms require you to fulfil certain criteria – such as sufficient income.

You will also need to plan your finances, for instance some savings vehicles may not be appropriate in France. You’ll need to sort out tax – even if you’re retired and have a UK pension – you need to declare this to the tax authorities in France, though it’s important to note that you won’t be taxed twice under the Double Tax Treaty terms between France and the UK. If you’re looking to buy a home, you’ll benefit from currency advisors and property agents specialist knowledge. When you move there are removals to organise. There’s healthcare to sort out (France has excellent healthcare services on the whole), plus insurance, French language courses and a raft of administration requirements.

It sounds like a lot, and it can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’re not fluent in French, but help is at hand, lots of it.

And the result – a new life in France – blue skies, the feel of the sun on your skin, lunch al fresco, wandering to the boulangerie for a just baked croissant and a crispy baguette that you’ll fill with fresh cheese…

The French Property Show

At The French Property Show – experts in every field of life in France will be on hand to offer personalised advice.

Held twice a year at Cheltenham Racecourse in the historic Hall of Fame venue, you can chat with the experts face-to-face, without all the crowds, and get all your questions answered, one-on-one sessions with immigration, tax, and real estate and French admin experts, plus seminars.

Dates:

11th and 12th April 2026

10th and 11th October 2026

This is a carefully curated event with no distractions or unnecessary crowds.

There’s free parking, no ULEZ charges, no celebrity chefs – just… as much time as you need with the experts to get your questions answered and to help to make your dream of retiring to France come true.

Find out more and book your tickets: thefrenchpropertyshow.com