Moving to France isn’t just about buying a house. It’s about building a life – understanding healthcare, mastering paperwork, planning finances, and stepping confidently into a new culture. Finding all the information you need isn’t easy. Outdated or just plani wrong information on the internet doesn’t help but there is a one stop shop for buying a French property and moving to France.
The French Property Show is held twice a year in Cheltenham – and gathers the puzzle pieces in one place. Here you can ask all the questions you want, gather the guidance, and take the first tangible step towards your nouvelle vie en France. Discover what’s possible – and book your place in the good life – tickets are free.
One stop shop for buying a French property and moving to France
Here’s the truth: moving to France is no longer just about falling in love with a stone farmhouse (though that part is still wonderfully intoxicating). These days it’s about visas, healthcare, tax planning, currency exchange and all sorts of things that don’t feature in glossy photos of lavender fields. And that’s exactly why an event like the French Property Show is so valuable — it gathers everything you need to make a new life in France – in one place.
From daydream to doorstep
The obvious starting place is property. At the show, you can wander, metaphorically at least, right across France – from Normandy’s half-timbered cottages to sun-warmed villas in Occitanie, without leaving the building. Estate agents from across France are there, ready to talk you through regional prices, hidden gems and the practicalities of buying property in France.
It’s very different from endlessly scrolling online listings at midnight while your other half mutters, “We’re just looking…”
Here, you can ask the practical questions:
What are the notaire’s fees?
How long does the buying process take?
Are there restrictions on renovations?
Being face-to-face with experts can really help to fine tune what you really want when you’re searching for a property – the where, the why and wherefore. The landcscape and property opportuinites in France are incredibly diverse, local experts can help you know the areas better, and sometimes the region you hadn’t considered is the one that quietly steals your heart.
An event full of possibility
But it’s not just finding ‘the one’ that’s important. At the show you’ll see how it all joins up:
The house.
The visa.
The healthcare.
The finances.
The practicalities.
It stops being a jumble of worries and becomes a series of manageable steps.
Tax, pensions and the numbers we can’t ignore
Though we said property is the obvious starting point, less obvious but equally important – is the financial side of your move.
Cross-border tax can sound about as inviting as a damp February afternoon in Calais, but it’s absolutely essential to understand. France and the UK have double taxation agreements, but how your pension is treated, whether you’ll be liable for wealth tax on property assets, and how inheritance laws differ — these are not small matters.
Specialist advisers at the show can walk you through:
- Structuring pensions efficiently
- Understanding French succession rules
- Managing your investments in a way that suits you best
- Planning property ownership wisely
- Avoiding costly mistakes
Then there’s currency exchange — something many overlook until the pound wobbles and suddenly your dream kitchen renovation costs rather more than expected. Currency experts can explain how to protect your budget when transferring large sums, potentially saving thousands.
Think of it as building the foundations before you choose the colour of the shutters.
The practical bits
Beyond the headline topics, the French Property Show offers guidance on the everyday mechanics of relocation:
- Shipping furniture (or deciding what not to ship — a surprisingly emotional process)
- Opening a French bank account
- Setting up utilities
- Schooling options for families
- Starting a business in France
It’s these quieter details that transform a dream into a functioning, contented life. Having someone tell you “here’s what to do next” rather than finding out by trial and error makes the whole experience so much easier.
Healthcare
At the show, healthcare advisers explain how to register under France’s state system (PUMA), when you might need an S1 form if you’re a UK pensioner, and how a mutuelle — top-up insurance — fits into the picture.
It’s the sort of information that transforms vague anxiety into practical clarity.
Visas without the headache
Of course, since Brexit, the path to France requires a little more paperwork than it once did. Gone are the days of simply hopping across the Channel with hope in your heart, the dog in the car and a trailer with your belongings. grin and a suitcase.
But here’s the comforting part: at the French Property Show, visa specialists sit down with you and calmly unravel what can feel like a bureaucratic knot.
Retiree? Remote worker? Planning to start a small business or B&B? Each situation has its own visa route. Experts explain income requirements, documentation, timelines and what happens once you’re in France and applying for your carte de séjour – residency permit. Having someone knowledgeable map everything out for you in plain English is worth its weight in Camembert.
Whether you’re buying a holiday home in France, relocating permanently or just thinking about making the move and want to find out more, at the French Property Show – you’ll be able to get expert support and all the inspiration you need.
Tickets for the French Property Show
The Cheltenham Racecourse venue for the French Property Show 2026 has free parking available, and – located on the outskirts of the historic spa town, it is easily accessed from the M5. No ULEZ charges to worry about. No parking charges.
All attendees will receive a FREE buyers guide, currency guide, and a goodie bag.
The French property exhibition will help you make your dreams of the good life in France come true.
Find out more at: thefrenchpropertyshow.com
And get your free ticket from the Good Life France at: frenchpropertyshowticket
