Residency in France

Residency in France If you’re planning to move to France after Brexit you’ll need to know about the new requirements for becoming a French resident.

UK citizens no longer have an automatic right to live or work in France. But the good news is that there are no hurdles or extra costs to buying a property there.

How to apply for French Residency

To become a resident in France you will need to obtain a visa.  You will need to apply for a visa before you leave for France - through the French consulates in the UK, and can typically take three months once the process is started. There are several options available to you depending on your reasons for moving to France, whether you intend to work and your financial situation.

Buying in France after Brexit

Unless you have a visa/French residency you can spend a maximum of 90 days in each 180 in France every year. You will need to apply for a visa before you leave for France, through the French consulates in the UK. This can typically take up to three months once the process is started.

Find out more about Long Stay Visas.

What's the difference between a visa and residency permit?

A visa is what you request from your country of origin to be able to travel to France and there are different types of visas depending on the activity of the applicant. A Residency permit is the card that is delivered by the prefecture in France. There are different categories of visas and getting the correct one can be challenging.

Are there any common reasons why a visa application may be rejected?

When completing your application, you need to provide all the necessary documents and information, as indicated along with the financial and healthcare cover. The reasons for refusal would be not meeting the criteria or not providing the necessary documentation. If the visa is refused, the applicant can send a letter to the Commission de Recours contre les Decisions de Refus de Visa, BP 83609 44036 Nantes CEDEX 1, within two months of being informed of the refusal.

For those remote work in France for a UK based company, which visa is the right choice?

This depends on the background of the individual. Generally, if a person has been sent to France as a remote worker for a UK company, then they would need to request a VLS-TS with the mention on their visa ‘salarié detaché’. This visa is valid for a minimum of one year and can be a maximum of three years and the employee should have a work contract with the employer. There are earnings levels requirements.