Brits haven't stopped dreaming about life in France since Brexit — they've just got a lot more paperwork to think about. A Q&A from Calum Harkiss of The French Property Show, run twice a year at Cheltenham Racecourse with free tickets and parking, tackles the five questions would-be expats ask most. Here's what anyone weighing up a move (or even just a long holiday home search) needs to know.

First, the big one: yes, you can still move to France. But there's no automatic right to live there anymore. Non-EU citizens get up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen Area without a visa. Beyond that, you need a long-stay visa or residence status matched to what you're actually doing — retiring, working remotely, or running a gîte all require different applications. Visitor visas also demand proof you can support yourself financially without working.

On money: there's no fixed figure, because rural Normandy and central Paris are different universes price-wise. You'll need to cover removals, insurance, travel and housing costs, plus a buffer for surprises — and a financial adviser who knows both the British and French systems is worth the fee.

Property is still open to British buyers, whether for a permanent home, holiday base or investment, and no residency is required. Village houses, farmhouses, seaside flats and châteaux are all in play. The catch: French buying works differently to the UK. A notaire — a legally qualified public official — handles conveyancing, and you'll need to get to grips with preliminary contracts, diagnostics, taxes and fees. Note that owning a house doesn't grant you the right to live there full-time.

Bringing your life with you has extra hurdles now the UK sits outside the EU customs union. Furniture moves involve customs paperwork, though relief from duties may apply when transferring your residence. Cars need French registration and insurance, and you may need to swap your UK driving licence depending on when it was issued. Pets can come too — dogs, cats and ferrets need identification, rabies vaccination and usually an Animal Health Certificate.

As for where to live, it's all about lifestyle. Provence and Occitanie for sun; the Dordogne and Charente for stone houses and markets; Brittany and Normandy for an easy hop back to the UK; Burgundy and the Loire Valley for food, countryside and architecture. Prices swing wildly between regions — sometimes even between neighbouring villages — and it pays to visit in January as well as August before committing.

Finally, remote workers beware: just because your employer or clients are British doesn't mean French tax, employment and social security rules don't apply. Sort your visa and working arrangements before the move, not after.

If this all sounds like a lot, that's the point of The French Property Show — property agents, notaires, visa, tax and removals specialists all under one roof, twice a year, free to attend. For anyone serious about a French home, an afternoon of face-to-face answers beats months of conflicting online advice.

Via The Good Life France