Costs, visas, healthcare & taxes for retiring to France
‘La Belle vie’ remains a popular dream and over 8,000 Britons applied for first-time residency permits last year, according to the French government.
Established expat communities, easy journeys back to the UK, plus a high quality of life are all big attractions. Traditional village life and good healthcare (which can be virtually free, read on to see how) are also key reasons why some people make the move – or maybe the dream to own a gite. That’s all tres bon but can you afford to make the move? Here we have looked into the numbers to help you decide.
Costs to buy a home
House prices in rural France do not tend to move fast. This is great news for those buying with pounds as there are charming houses in many parts of France: you can find a cute village house with pretty shutters, or even a four-bedroom house in a bastide town for just £100,000.
The average cost of a home in the UK is just under £300,000 but in the southeast it’s £380,000 to £442,000, according to the ONS, and that buys an awful lot in France.
You can find renovation or part-renovation projects – for less than £50k – in popular areas of Poitou-Charentes, or if you don’t fancy the hassle of a renovation, there’s a four-bedroom house with its own swimming pool for just over £250k in Deux-Sevres, a great area to discover. Don’t forget to factor in buying costs of 7–8% purchase costs on a resale property.
Cost to get a visa
Unless you have an EU passport - or a spouse with one – you will need to pay to get a visa. For retirees in France the usual option is a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit – or VLS-TS. This is only for those with no intention to undertake any form of work.
The cost of the visa is relatively modest compared to other countries – it’s around €150 per person for fees, but other costs push it up to around €300 (without professional help). Applications are handled by TLSContact, the service provider in the UK, details on the French government website, France-visas.gouv.fr. You need to show finance resources: a joint gross annual income of €30,000, or €22,000 for a single person.
Healthcare
You will need to factor in the cost of private healthcare cover if you under UK state pension age – this is a condition of the visa application. Those over UK state pension age can apply for an S1 Certificate and save thousands. French state healthcare is not 100% free: the S1 covers most costs but many people take out a top up private health policy (mutuelle) to cover shortfalls. This is typically €60-100 per month but increases for those over 75.
Cost of living
France is similarly priced to the UK when it comes to living costs, although housing costs are lower, as mentioned above.
According to numbeo.com, the average cost of living in the UK is the same in France though rent prices are around 45% higher in the UK, and restaurants 8.4% more. But the cost of food is 14% higher in France (beware it may be much better quality!). Expats report that the cost of running a car is generally similar in France, but utility bills can be a bit lower than the UK, and public transport such as national train services costs are generally lower.
Taxes
You will need to consider how you will be taxed in France. Once you become resident there you will be subject to their tax rates. Unlike Cyprus and Greece, for example, France doesn’t offer any special tax breaks for foreign retirees.
So you will probably pay income tax on your pension income. French standard progressive tax rates are not too dissimilar from the UK, but if you have annual income above £120,000 differences in marginal rates can mean France is more advantageous. In France your taxable income is calculated as a household rather than individually. For married couples, both incomes are summed and divided by two, meaning the possibility of bigger tax savings.
If you are an S1 Certificate holder, you do not pay certain social charges on UK pension income in France (around 9%), plus you save taxes on French healthcare.
Annual property taxes (taxe fonciere) are generally lower than UK council tax but it really depends on the locality. It is typically between €10 and €20 per square metre of the property per year, which means that the average French house (114 sq m) could be from around €1,140 (£992) per year. The average (Band D) council tax in England for 2026/27 is £2,392 is considerably higher so the chances are you may save money yet also enjoy a higher quality of life in France!
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