Brits Buying and Living in French Property

Question: Are British people still allowed to buy property in France and live there full time? Colin.

Answer: Yes, indeed, we sell to British buyers every day of the week, and that has continued into this week of course!

The process of 'BREXIT' will potentially take a number of years to negotiate, and in the meantime nothing changes, British people are still moving to France to live.

So the consensus of opinion is that for now not much will change. The process of withdrawing from the EU will not be a speedy one, and the residency of those ex-pats living in France and elsewhere in the EU will no doubt form a part of that negotiation process.

And of course we have a large number of French nationals who live and work in London (it is France’s 6th biggest city in terms of the French population).

So there are people living on both sides of the channel whose lives will need to be accommodated. When I moved to France a residency permit known as the ‘Carte De Sejour’ was required; it was a relatively straightforward application process (or at least as straightforward as a French bureaucratic process can be!) Perhaps this could be re-introduced for British residents in the future.

Clearly there are remain many questions to be answered, and fine details to be ironed out. But what is becoming apparent is that this will be a long process, possibly years in the making, and we will of course bring further news as and when it becomes available during the coming months.

But in the meantime life continues much as it always has done: the British have always lived, worked and retired to sunnier climes, and that will doubtless continue, even if some administrative aspects of live abroad may change.

I hope that helps reassure you somewhat.