Investing in property
in France from the United Kingdom

In practice, it is a French bank that finances your property in France, under the HCSF standard: a 35% debt ratio, insurance included, and 25 years at most. It looks at your income in pounds with caution because of exchange rate risk, and not all banks accept British residents; some brokers ask for half the price as a down payment. The choice of banks and the presentation of the application make the difference. A mortgage in pounds from a French bank is only possible if you mainly earn your income, or hold your assets, in that currency; most applications are financed in euros.

Also read: which banks lend to expats and how much down payment to plan for.

The treaty only opens the British credit to French income tax: the 7.5% solidarity levy remains in principle a cost. The British tax authority may also reduce this credit if opting for the average rate would have lowered your French tax: do the calculation before declaring. The €150,000 exemption on the capital gain remains available to French people living in the United Kingdom, subject to conditions; for a British national, it is not confirmed by any text. The exemption for the former main residence, sold no later than 31 December of the year following departure, applies for a departure to the United Kingdom.

Also read: how the rents of a non-resident are taxed.

Note, in the United Kingdom: the British tax authority treats the French SCI as a company. Rents and capital gain may then be taxed differently from France, and the credit for French tax becomes difficult to obtain: to be studied with a British adviser before buying through a company.

The right choice depends on your project and your country: compare with the rental income tax calculator.

Your French rents are declared in your British return (Self Assessment), on the foreign income pages (SA106), converted into pounds and net of actual expenses: the French 50% allowance does not exist across the Channel. The interest on your loan is not deducted from the rents: it entitles you to a 20% tax reduction (2026-2027 tax year). It is on these same pages that you claim the credit for French tax; keep your French tax notice to justify it. The British tax year runs from 6 April to 5 April: French rents, declared in France by calendar year, are spread over two British years. The online return must be filed by 31 January following the end of the tax year (31 January 2027 for the 2025-2026 year).

Since 6 April 2025, the former “non-dom” regime has been abolished. If you were not a UK resident in the previous ten years, you can claim a favourable regime (known as FIG) during your first 4 tax years of residence: your foreign income and gains, including your French rents, are then not taxed in the United Kingdom. In return, you lose your personal allowance and the annual allowance on capital gains. The claim is made each year in your return: do the calculation before ticking the box.

The steps of the ImmoPourExpat method, from the first call to letting →