Living in France

Stay up to date

The UK is leaving the EU. This page tells you how to prepare for Brexit and will be updated if anything changes. You should:

• sign up to email alerts
• follow the British Embassy in France on Facebook and Twitter

Attend a citizen outreach meeting

The British Embassy regularly holds events across France for UK nationals. Attend one of our citizen outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in France after BrexitFrance.

You can also:

• read the French government’s guidance on theyour UKrights leavingin theFrance EU
• sign up for the Embassy’s newsletter, Voisins Voices. Read previous newsletter editions
• read living in the EU: prepare for Brexit

Visas

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Passports and travel

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Passports

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or renew your British passport from France.

Check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. Your passport should be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this.stay.

You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

The rules on travel will stay the same until the end of the implementation period on 31 December 2020. During this time you can continue to travel to countries in the Schengen area or elsewhere in the EU with your UK passport.

We will update these pages with details of any changes to the rules as soon as information is available. You should sign up for updates to this guidance.

Read the French government’s guidance on travel after Brexittravel..

Healthcare

There will be no changes to your healthcare access before 31 December 2020. You can also continue to use your EHIC, as you did before, during this time.

You must register for healthcare as a resident in France, and in addition, you can sign up for top-up health insurance (mutuelle).

If you are legally resident in France, you can get a French social security card for healthcare (carte vitale). To get a French social security card, you will need to register with your local Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM). They can tell you which documents they need for your registration. Top-up insurance cover (mutuelle) also exists to cover the cost of healthcare not covered by a Carte Vitale.

If you have been resident in France for more than 3 months you can apply to be covered by the French healthcare system (PUMA).

Read our guidance on who can access healthcare in France and how to register.

Read the guidance on how to register for healthcare if you are a student.

State healthcare - S1

If you live in France and receive an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit, you may currently be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK. You will need to apply for a certificate of entitlement known as an S1 certificate.

You can apply for an S1 certificate through the Business Services Authority.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are resident in France, you must not use an EHIC from the UK for healthcare in France.

When you travel from France for a temporary stay in another European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, you can use an EHIC to access state-provided healthcare in that country. During that short stay:

• EHIC covers treatment that is medically necessary until your planned return home
• an EHIC is not a replacement for comprehensive travel insurance
• for more information read our travel advice page and advice on foreign travel insurance

State healthcare - S1

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• checkchecking your prescriptions are legal in France.

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• mental health in France.

Healthcare

Working afterand Brexit

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Working and studying in France

Read our guidance on working in anotheran EU countrycountry..

To apply for a job you may need to provide a:

• UK police certificate
• UK equivalent of a casier judiciare
• International Child Protection Certificate (ICPC) criminal records check from the ACRO Criminal Records Office to work with children

Working in France after Brexit

You maintain your right to work as long as you remain resident in France.

Read the French government’s guidance on working in France after Brexit.

Studying in France after Brexit

AfterUniversity Brexit, university tuition fees in France may increase due to the French government reforms to public university tuition fees for all non-EU students. Increased fees will not apply to UK students already enrolled on a course of study when the reforms were announced (September 2019) for the duration of that course.

Check with your grant provider for any continued eligibility for student support (in French) and read the guidance on the French government’s reforms on tuition fees. (in French)

Money and tax

The UK has a double-taxationdouble taxation agreement with France to ensure peopleyou do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

Existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in France have not changed.

Read the guidance about:

• tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
• tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• paying income tax in France by the European Union

You should get professional advice on paying tax in France. Find an English-speaking lawyer in France.

Declaration of assets

All residents must declare any assets held outside France, including bank accounts, securities, rights, insurance, annuities and property. This declaration is separate to the annual tax return.

National Insurance

Find out if you can pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

If you are employed or self-employed in the EU or EEA and you have a UK-issued A1/E101 form, you will remain subject to UK legislation until the end date on the form.

Money and tax after Brexit

Brexit will not change existing double-taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in France. You should direct individual taxpayer questions about double taxation to the relevant tax authority.

Pensions

You will need to tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

If you retire in France, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Please contact the International Pension Centre to claim
• your French pension if you worked in France, by contacting your local pensions office (Caisse d’Assurance Retraite et Santé au Travail or CARSAT) – see CLEISS and Sécurité Sociale (in French)
• pensions from abroad, if you’ve worked in other EU countries

You can read the French government’s guidance on French social security including pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible - your payments may be suspended if you don’t. Or you can ask your local town hall (mairie) to fill in a French life certificate (certificat de vie) (in French) instead.

Pensions after Brexit31 January 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming the UK State Pension in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

You can continue to receive your UK State Pension if you live in the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you can still claim your UK State Pension.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020 you will get your UK State Pension uprated every year for as long as you continue to live there. This will happen even if you start claiming your pension on or after 1 January 2021, as long as you meet the qualifying conditions.conditions explained in the new State Pension guidance.

If you are living in France by 31 December 2020, you will be able to count future social security contributions towards meeting the qualifying conditions for your UK State Pension.

If you work and pay social security contributions in France, you will still be able to add your UK social security contributions towards your French pension. This will happen even if you claim your pension after the31 endDecember of2020.

Read theour implementationguidance period.on benefits and pensions in the EU.

Benefits

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You may still be able to claim some UK benefits like child and disability benefits if you live in France. You can:

• read our guidance on which benefits you can claim if you live, move or travel abroad
• use our tool to check which benefits you can claim while abroad and how to claim them

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit cannot be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You can request proof of the time you’ve worked in the UK from HMRC, if you are asked for this.

French unemployment benefit

For French unemployment benefits, you should:

• check if you’re eligible on the French government’s website
• contact Pôle Emploi (in French) to claim

French disability benefit

Contact the Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH) (in French) about disability allowance – there are several disability allowances so it’s best to seek advice from them before applying.

French family allowance

To apply for child allowance, family income support, single-parent allowance or housing allowance, contact the CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales) (in French) if you need help applying, request an appointment with the social worker at your local town hall (mairie).

Benefits after Brexit31 January 2020

There will be no changes before 31 December 2020 to the rules on claiming UK benefits in the EU, EEA or Switzerland as a result of the UK leaving the EU.

If you are living in the EU, EEA or Switzerland by 31 December 2020, you will continue to receive any UK benefits you already receive. This will continue for as long as you live there and meet all other eligibility requirements.

If you work and pay social security contributions in France, your UK social security contributions will be taken into account when applying for French contributions-based benefits. This will happen even if you claim contributions-based benefits after the31 endDecember of2020.

Read theour implementationguidance period.on benefits and pensions in the EU.

Driving in France

Driving licence rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

Currently, because of considerable delays in processing requests to exchange overseas driving licences for French ones, we recommend you do not seek to exchange your British driving licence for a French one. However you should proceed with your request if your licence:

• has been lost or stolen
• is expiring shortly (within the next 6 months). This includes the expiry of your entitlement or photo card
• needs to be amended to include a/several new driving categories, such as to be able to drive different vehicles
• needs to be exchanged because you committed an infraction to the French Highway Code resulting in point deductions, a suspension of your right to drive or a cancellation of your driving licence

Centre d’Expertise et de Ressources des Titres (CERT) is being reorganised to deal with the backlog with delays which is currently at 8 to 12 months.

If you are in the process of exchanging your UK licence via CERT, do not try to renew in parallel with DVLA because this will invalidate your CERT application. Applications in the UK with a French address cannot be processed.

For information on driving in France, read the guidance on:

• driving licence exchanges and renewals (in French)
• what you need to drive abroad
• driving rules in France

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to France

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Read the European Union’s guidance on car registration and taxes in France. You may be exempt from some of these taxes. If so, you will need certificates of exemption.

Please contact your local prefecture or read the French government’s guidance on driving in France with a foreign licence (in French).

Driving after Brexit

Voting

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Voting

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter to vote

Voting after Brexit

After Brexit, you will no longer be eligible to vote in local and European elections.

The French Ministry of the Interior have a website to help UK nationals living and working in France (in French) which covers voting.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in France, you will need to register the birth abroad.

If someone dies in France you can:

• read our guidance on what to do after someone dies abroad
• read our guidance on deaths in France

Find out how you can get married abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services in France

You may also need:

• an English-speaking lawyer in France
• an English-speaking translator in France

Accommodation and buying property

Read our guidance on:

• what to consider when buying a property abroad
• legal requirements and advice on buying a property in France

Pets

Current pet travel rules will stay the same until 31 December 2020.

If you’re travelling with your pet for the first time you must visit your vet to get a pet passport.

Read guidance on bringing your pet travel.to the UK.

Emergencies

You can dial the European emergency number 112 in France, or dial:

• 17 for police
• 18 for fire brigade
• 15 for medical

Find the full list of emergency number in France.

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault, you can find guidance on rape and sexual assault in France.

If you’re the victim of a crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisis abroad, contact the British embassy in Paris.

Returning to the UK

You should tell the French and UK authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

You should tell your local French tax office (in French) that you are changing address and the date you will leave.

You’ll need to tell your local social security office (in French) and benefit office you’re leaving if you’ve been getting unemployment benefit (in French) or child and housing benefit (in French).

If you get a UK State Pension, you must tell the International Pension Centre. If you get a French pension, contact your pension provider.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, tax, access to services and bringing family members.

If you return to the UK permanently and meet the ordinarily resident test, you’ll be able to access NHS care without charge.

Disclaimer

This information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the French authorities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.