Moving to France from the UK: 2026 Guide

Moving to France from the UK is straightforward once you know the order to do things in. Post-Brexit, British citizens are no longer EU residents, so you'll need the right visa before you go, a plan for your belongings, and a rough idea of what your move will cost and how long it will take. This guide covers the practical steps: residency basics, likely costs and timelines, what's worth shipping versus buying new, and what to expect if you're bringing a car or a pet.

This is a general guide, not legal or tax advice. For visa and residency rules, always check the official Living in France guidance or speak to an immigration adviser before you commit to a date.

Visas and Residency: What Changed After Brexit

British citizens can no longer live in France without a visa. Since Brexit, UK nationals are treated as third-country nationals under French immigration law. You can still visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, but anything longer, including relocating permanently, requires the correct permit before you travel.

The main routes UK nationals use to move to France include:

• A long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS), for those with sufficient funds who don't plan to work in France.
• A work and residence visa, sponsored by a French employer.
• A self-employment visa, for those setting up as a freelancer or business owner.
• A student visa, for long-term study.

Once you arrive, most long-stay visa holders need to validate their visa with the French authorities within three months and, depending on the permit type, apply for a residence permit (carte de séjour). Requirements differ if you moved to France before 1 January 2021, since you may hold rights under the Withdrawal Agreement instead.

Because visa categories, income thresholds and required documents change, always check current requirements on gov.uk before applying. We are removals specialists, not immigration advisers, so we won't guess at rules that affect your legal right to stay.

What Does It Cost to Move to France from the UK?

There's no single figure for the cost of moving to France, because it depends on how much you're taking, your route, and the service level you choose. Three things drive most of the cost:

• Volume - a one-bedroom flat costs less to move than a four-bedroom house.
• Service type - a dedicated vehicle for your move alone costs more than a shared, part-load service.
• Packing and storage - full export packing and any UK storage before or after your move add to the total.

Beyond the removal itself, budget for visa application fees, healthcare arrangements, and setting up a French bank account. We don't publish a fixed price list for removals to France because every move is different. Our European removals page explains the cost drivers in more detail, and we give a free, itemised quote once we know your move details.

Typical Timelines for a Move to France

Give yourself more time than you think you'll need. A realistic sequence looks like this:

Transit time for the removal itself depends on your collection point, your destination in France, and whether you choose a dedicated or shared load. Routes into southern France generally take longer than northern destinations such as Calais or Lille, simply because of the distance involved. We confirm a realistic delivery window once we know your route and service type.

What to Move and What to Buy in France

Not everything is worth shipping. Before you book a removal, it's worth deciding what makes the trip and what doesn't.

Generally worth taking:

• Furniture you're attached to or that's good quality and hard to replace.
• Electrical items that work with UK plugs and voltage, since France uses the same 220 to 240V standard.
• Sentimental items, books, and anything irreplaceable.
• Specialist or valuable items such as pianos or antiques, which are worth professional export packing.

Often better to buy locally:

• Large appliances that may not fit French kitchen layouts.
• Bulky flat-pack furniture that's inexpensive to replace and costly to ship.
• Items tied to UK broadcasting or infrastructure standards that won't be useful in France.

If you're unsure whether something is worth shipping, our team can talk through it as part of your quote for anything fragile or high-value that is making the move.

Moving with Pets to France

Bringing a pet from the UK to France since Brexit means treating the UK as a "non-listed" third country for pet travel, which adds a few extra steps compared to before. In general, your pet will need:

• A microchip that meets ISO standards.
• A rabies vaccination, given after the microchip and at least 21 days before travel.
• An Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by an official vet no more than 10 days before travel, replacing the old EU pet passport for UK-issued documents.
• Entry via an approved travel route or point of entry.

Requirements can change, so confirm the current rules with your vet and check gov.uk's guidance on taking pets abroad before you travel.

Taking a Car to France

If you're planning to take your own vehicle rather than buy one locally, there are a few things to look into early:

• Vehicle registration - importing a UK-registered car into France involves customs formalities and French registration, including a carte grise.
• Driving licence - check whether your UK licence needs exchanging for a French one, and by when.
• Insurance - UK motor insurance does not automatically cover you long-term in France, so you'll need French-compliant cover.
• Low-emission zones - several French cities, including Paris, operate Crit'Air low-emission zones that may affect older vehicles.

These rules sit with the French vehicle registration authorities and customs, not with us, so check current requirements directly before you commit to shipping a car rather than buying one in France.

How Regal Moving & Storage Handles the UK-France Route

We run UK-France removals for homes and businesses moving to destinations including Paris, Calais, Lille and the rest of France. As a BAR (British Association of Removers) member with BSI ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certification, every move is backed by the BAR Advanced Payment Guarantee, and you get a dedicated move coordinator from first enquiry through to delivery.

For the France route specifically, our team handles export packing to full export standard, prepares the customs paperwork your move needs, and can bridge the gap with secure UK storage, including self storage units, containerised wooden container storage, and mobile collect-and-deliver storage, if your France move date and your UK moving-out date don't line up.

Full detail on the route, services and destinations we cover is on our France removals page, or see our wider European removals services for other countries and routes.