Buying a house in France after Brexit

The good news is that the ability of Brits to buy a house in France is unaffected by Brexit. The buying process remains the same and Brits are still freely able to buy French property just like other non-EU citizens, such as Australians and Americans.

Mortgages
Brexit also does not affect your ability to get a French mortgage although the maximum loan-to-value ratio is lower for non-EU nationals at a maximum of 60%.

You can find more information about the options for financing your property in this free guide from France Property Guides. 

Property taxes
The double tax treaty between France and the UK is still in place that means you will only be taxed on income in your country of residence. Your UK Will and French inheritance laws also remain the same.

More detail can be found here from the UK Government and on the French Government’s tax website.

Selling a property
There are some changes when it comes to selling your property. If you are a permanent resident of France when you sell, the capital gains tax will remain the same as before Brexit. However, British second home owners will no longer benefit from the EU discounted social charges when they sell their French property. They will also be obliged to use a French fiscal representative for the sale.

The official French Notaires website has more information about capital gains tax and the Connexion also has this useful article about the changes for second home owners.   

Time spent in France
Brexit has meant changes to the free movement of Brits within the EU. If you plan to use your property for long periods of the year you may need to get a long stay visa or become a permanent resident. 

The Connexion have more information about the 90/180 day rule and for longer stays you can use this French Government website to work out what visa you will need.