By Garen Ajderhanyan · 8 July 2026 · 6 min read
In brief
A British citizen purchases property in France without any nationality condition: Brexit has altered nothing on this front. What it has changed is the stay: without a visa, a British national may only remain in the Schengen area for ninety days in any period of one hundred and eighty days. The purchase follows the French procedure: offer, compromis, authentic deed at the notaire, with acquisition costs higher than in the United Kingdom on older properties. The France-United Kingdom tax treaty avoids double taxation. Financing, pound-euro exchange and taxation are prepared with an adviser, before the offer.
Why does the Promenade bear the name of the English?
It is a story I enjoy telling, because it explains a great deal. In the 1820s, the English colony that wintered in Nice financed the construction of a path along the coast. It would be called the Promenade des Anglais. Two centuries later, the address still tells this story, and our British clients rediscover it with pleasure.
This familiarity is not merely anecdotal. It explains the presence of an established English-speaking community, known landmarks, a way of living the Riviera that speaks immediately to a buyer from London or Edinburgh.
Has Brexit changed the right to purchase?
No. A British citizen purchases in France exactly as before, and like any foreigner: nationality has never conditioned the acquisition of property. In full ownership, without prior authorisation.
What Brexit has changed is the stay. Without specific status, a British national now falls under the Schengen short-stay rule: ninety days in any period of one hundred and eighty days. Owning a residence in Nice does not lift this limit. To remain longer, the route passes through a visa, a matter distinct from the purchase, to be prepared with an adviser.
What does the purchase cost, compared to the United Kingdom?
The mechanism differs from that known to British buyers. In France, the sale is signed at the notaire, a neutral public officer who secures the transaction and collects duties for the state. On an older property, acquisition costs represent approximately seven to eight per cent of the price: this is not a commission, it is the total of duties and fees.
Regarding financing, French banks lend to non-residents, with their own conditions. Many buyers also consider the pound-euro exchange. These choices are prepared upstream, before the offer, never in the urgency of signing.
What taxation for a British owner?
Property tax is due each year. Depending on the value of property assets held in France, wealth tax on property may apply. On resale, capital gains taxation follows rules specific to non-residents.
A tax treaty binds France and the United Kingdom to avoid double taxation. Each situation is particular: I always refer to a tax adviser, upstream of the offer.
Frequently asked questions
- Can a British national still purchase in France after Brexit?
- Yes, without change. Brexit has not affected the right to purchase property: nationality does not enter into it. Only the duration of stay without a visa is now regulated.
- How long can a British national remain in their residence in Nice?
- Without a visa, the Schengen short-stay rule applies: ninety days in any period of one hundred and eighty days. Owning the property does not lift this limit; a longer stay requires a visa.
- Will a French bank lend to a British buyer?
- Certain banks lend to non-residents, with their own conditions. This is prepared early, with an adviser, taking into account the pound-euro exchange.
- Does purchasing a residence confer a right of residence?
- No. Ownership and residence fall under two distinct areas of law. The visa is dealt with separately.
References
The author
Garen AjderhanyanEditor of La Gazette de la Promenade
Editor of La Gazette de la Promenade. He writes on Riviera property and the art of living, from Nice.