Retirement in France for UK citizens

Many Brits have retired in France. The country is extremely popular with the Brits because of its close proximity to England. France is separated from England by the English Channel. Paris is the most populous city in France and also the capital. There is a large community of British expats in Paris. As a result, the Cote d’Azur is an Anglophone or English speaking area, as well as Aix en Provence with many British expats residing there. This blog will shed light on the topic of retiring to France from UK.

You will notice that many Brits in Normandy probably, due to its close proximity to the southern English coast. From Stonehenge, London you can journey down to Portsmouth and board a ferry which is about 6 hours to Caen, Normandy. Many retirees also enjoy the quality of life in Brittany, France. The area is serene and devoid of the hustle and bustle experienced in London. Many claim life in France is less stressful than that of the UK, nagging issues like: traffic, crowds, limited space etc. are rarely experienced especially at the countryside.

Many old retirees claim they feel safe at night and enjoy a close knit support with their local community in France. Having said that, the most frequent problem Brits encounter in France is usually the language. The official language and the most used language for the large majority of citizens, is French. However, there are many regional languages across France which includes: Breton, Catalan, Basque, Occitan, and on the island of Corsica, Corse (or Corsican).

The main step an individual would need to start with is work on what will be needed in terms of ones requirements to retire in France. If your language skills are not up to conversation standards yet, there are many institutions you can enroll in to learn the language, likewise you can hire an interpreter who will help you liaise with people, write and type in French etc. for a fee.

As a British citizen you do not require any visa to live and work in France, as both countries are both European Union member states, however for visits up to three months you need a passport that will be valid for the whole duration of your stay. It is important you sort out your finances before relocating to France and do your homework before leaving.

As much as you would have contributed significantly to your national insurance, you can claim your UK state pension anywhere in France. This is because France is an EEA country and your pension will increase each year in accordance with pensions paid in the UK.

How should Brits in France tend to their social pensions? If you are in receipt of any UK benefits, contact the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) and find out if it’s possible to claim them in France. It is imperative you enquire before setting off in order not be disappointed especially if your pension is your only source of income.

Also, before choosing retirement in France for UK citizens visit your choice properties in order to ascertain whether you will need to adapt them to your needs especially if you are disabled; also visit the properties in different seasons like summer and winter to have a feel of what the area is like at different times, for instance during summer some areas may be populated due to tourists.

Retire in france pros and cons

On the other hand, you could also want to look into the aspect of retire in France pros and cons. Just as much as it sounds great to live in a beautiful country like France, there also happens to be another side to it that you would need to consider when making up the decision to move to France. Starting with the cons first, you might notice that a lot of the housing there is pretty old, which means that many more modern features such as insulation or spacious rooms might not be as abundant.

To find a more modern selection might end up being slightly more expensive. Another factor to check out comes in the form of housing tax. If you’re a tenant and will be living in a property, you might have to pay an annual French residence tax which would also vary according to the area you’re living in. There is also the usual dealings with bureaucracy which tends to take up quite a lot of your time initially. Overall, cost of living and transportation is on the more expensive side as well.

However, it’s not all bad as we mentioned earlier. There’s the other factors to look forward to, such as variety when it comes to finding your ideal location and accommodation. Life is quite slow-paced and do not include the hustle and bustle of city life. So, it means that one can enjoy the gradual drifting of life daily and it feels relaxed and more chilled. Accessibility to every part of France is also quite convenient. There is more accessible urban transportation as well, making it an ideal way to travel especially if you consider yourself more of the curious traveller. And then of course, there’s the amazing food and wine to look forward to as well.

If you want to enjoy retirement in France – get a free quotation for moving to France from the UK.