Guide

Moving to France from the UK: what changed after Brexit

By Covered Abroad Research Desk · Last verified July 2026

Since Brexit, UK citizens no longer move to France freely. Staying beyond 90 days needs a long-stay visa (VLS-TS), and that visa requires private health insurance for your full stay. Your GHIC covers emergencies as a visitor — it is not residence cover, and the consulate will not accept it for the visa.

The rule in writing

“For a long-stay visa (VLS-TS), you must hold private health insurance covering your full stay in France. Travel insurance and short-stay Schengen policies are not accepted.”

Official source: France-Visas (france-visas.gouv.fr) & FrenchEntrée long-stay guide — Last verified: July 2026

What Brexit changed for UK movers

Before 2021, UK citizens moved to France as EU nationals. Since Brexit, you are a third-country national — like an American or Australian.

You can visit for up to 90 days in any 180. To live in France, you apply for a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) before you go.

Why your GHIC is not residence cover

Your GHIC — the card that replaced the EHIC — covers necessary treatment while you visit France as a tourist. It is a reciprocal visitor scheme, not residence cover.

The long-stay visa requires private health insurance covering your full stay — see the rule below. A GHIC does not meet it, and the consulate will not accept it.

The certificate the consulate reads

The certificate must show private medical and hospitalisation cover, valid in France, for the whole visa period, with no disqualifying deductible.

Travel insurance is refused for the same reason: it is built for trips, not residence. Arrange a policy structured for living in France, and check the wording before you buy.

Your paperwork order

Work in order. Apply through France-Visas, arrange the insurance certificate, then attend your appointment at the visa centre with the full file.

After you arrive, validate the visa and complete any OFII step. Public cover comes later, so keep the private policy running through the bridge months.

Get the moving-paperwork checklist

The month-by-month timeline so the insurance certificate is ready before your appointment, not after.

Get a certificate that meets the published rule

Tell us your destination, visa, and who’s moving. Our team reviews it against the current requirement and calls you with a quote — no obligation.

Before you request a quote: cover is worldwide but excludes treatment in the United States, and pre-existing conditions are not covered — including conditions you did not know about. We say this up front so a quote is worth your time.

Common questions

Can I still move to France with just my UK passport?

No. Since Brexit, a UK passport lets you visit for 90 days in 180. Living in France needs a long-stay visa, applied for before you travel.

Does my GHIC count as insurance for the visa?

No. A GHIC covers emergency treatment while you visit as a tourist. It is not residence cover, and the consulate requires a private policy valid in France for the full visa period.

Will my UK private health plan work?

Generally no. UK domestic plans are not structured to cover treatment while you live in France and are not accepted for the visa. You need international or French-valid cover.

What about the S1 form for pensioners?

Some UK pensioners can register in the French system with an S1 later, but it is not a visa document. The long-stay visa still requires private cover for your full stay.