Moving from United Kingdom to France
Moving from United Kingdom to France: United Kingdom passport holders get visa-free (90 days) for short stays and need a residence permit to settle. France costs about $2,600/month for one person. Citizenship takes about 5 years of residence.
Last updated August 2026 · How we calculate this
Visa & entry
Visa-free (90 days) for short visits. To settle you'll need a residence route:
- Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) — For qualified professionals, researchers, founders and the highly skilled.
- Profession libérale visa — Show a viable self-employed activity and enough income to live on.
Documents & apostille
Single apostille each end. Both countries are in the Hague Apostille Convention — one apostille from United Kingdom makes your documents valid in France.
Where in United Kingdom: FCDO Legalisation Office (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office) — official source
↳ France: Authority changed 1 May 2025: apostilles moved from courts of appeal to 15 regional notary councils, with an online request platform; legalization also transferred to notaries from Sept 2025
Check each document →Cost, tax & salary
Cost of living in France: around $2,600/mo for one person.
Citizenship & residency
Carte de résident after 5yr; naturalisation 5yr (2yr if 2yr French higher-ed); French B1 (rising to B2) + civics test.
Your path to a passport →Arrival checklist
- Register your address: None (no mandatory municipal registration; proof of address "justificatif de domicile" is used ad hoc)
- Get a tax number: Numéro fiscal (SPI); numéro de sécurité sociale for healthcare
- Residence permit: Titre de séjour (VLS-TS long-stay visa or carte de séjour)
- Healthcare: Assurance Maladie / PUMa via CPAM — obtain a numéro de sécurité sociale
Validate the VLS-TS online with OFII within 3 months of arrival; classic deadlock — a bank/RIB and proof of address are needed for CPAM and many steps, while address proof often needs the account.
Your move, step by step →Driving
All EU/EEA licences valid/exchangeable; non-EU only if bilateral reciprocity agreement (incl. JP, KR, Maghreb, Senegal, Brazil; US varies — ~18 states); others must retest
Miss the 1-year window (non-reciprocal country) = full retest; exchange now costs a €40 tax stamp. Check the official simulator for your country/US state.
Exchange your licence →Pets
- Microchip: Required; ISO 11784/11785 compliant (or bring own reader). Must be implanted before or at rabies vaccination.
- Rabies: Required; valid rabies vaccination, min 21 days after primary shot before entry. Microchip must precede vaccine.
- Quarantine: None if compliant.
France — quick facts
Start your move from United Kingdom to France
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