Comprar imóvel em França sendo cidadão britânico

Brexit did not touch the right of a British citizen to buy French property; there is no nationality bar. The sale runs through a notaire — a public officer who is impartial, not your advocate — who handles the compromis de vente, the searches, and the acte de vente, and registers the transfer. You can appoint your own solicitor too, but the notaire is mandatory.

The dominant transaction cost is the frais de notaire: roughly 7-8% of the price on an existing home (mostly droits de mutation/transfer tax, plus the notaire's regulated fee and disbursements). New-builds are lower (~2-3%) but carry 20% VAT in the price. Budget around 8% all-in on a typical resale; buyer's-agent fees are uncommon in most French deals. Use the France notaire calculator for the exact split.

Without French residency, a British owner can spend at most 90 days in any rolling 180 across the whole Schengen area — so a French holiday home no longer lets you spend half the year there. To stay longer you apply for a long-stay visa (VLS-TS), typically the 'visitor' visa: proof of sufficient passive income and private health cover, with no work in France. It is renewable and can lead to a carte de séjour. There is no French golden visa.

Owners pay taxe foncière (the ownership tax) every year. Taxe d'habitation was abolished for main homes but still applies to second homes (résidences secondaires) — and many popular communes now levy a surcharge (majoration) of up to 60% on top for second homes in high-demand zones. For a British buyer whose French property is by definition a second home, budget for both.

France applies réserve héréditaire (forced heirship): children are entitled to a reserved share of the estate regardless of what your will says. Under the EU Succession Regulation you can elect the law of your nationality (English law) to govern your succession — but it must be done expressly (in the will or deed) and dovetailed with UK estate planning. Take cross-border advice before buying, especially for blended families or higher-value estates.

UK residents are taxed on worldwide income, so French rental income is reported in both countries; the UK-France double-tax treaty and foreign tax credits prevent it being taxed twice (France, where the property sits, taxes first). On resale, France levies capital-gains tax plus social levies, with taper relief that reduces the bill the longer you hold — UK residents may qualify for a reduced social levy, so confirm the current treatment. For the purchase, a specialist FX broker usually beats a UK bank wire on a €300-700k transfer; fix the GBP→EUR rate with a forward once the compromis is signed.