Following Brexit, property buyers in the UK may be worried about extra bureaucracy when looking to purchase a property in Europe. But is it more difficult now than it was before? We take a look.
UK citizens are now considered to be ‘third country nationals’, meaning that the same rules need to be followed as those from the US, Australia and elsewhere.
Buying a holiday home
The good news is if you’re looking to buy a holiday home in France, Italy, or another European country, not much has changed.
The actual process of buying a property is the same as it was before. The time between your offer being accepted on a property to getting the keys should be around 3 months. You will still require the services of a lawyer, notary, a currency specialist and of course, an estate agent to help you through.
The only difference is that once you purchase the property, you will need to think about how long you wish to stay. If you’re buying a holiday home, you can stay in Europe for up to 90 days in every 180 days.
So, once you make your first trip to France, you have 90 days to spend there within the next 180. After those 180 days is up, you can, once again, start another 90 days’ worth of visits. However, it is worth saying that the 90 days covers time spent in the whole of the EU – so if you spend time in France and then go to Italy, for example, those 90 days won’t refresh.
Looking to buy a ski home in Europe? Download one of Property Guides’ Buying Guides
Buying a ‘forever’ home
You may be looking to purchase a property in Europe in order to live there permanently. As mentioned above, the actual process of buying a property is still the same as it was before – once you decide where to buy and what you want to use your home for, you are likely to take a trip over to your country of choice to view properties, engage the services of moving professionals, as well as get your finances and currency exchange requirements in order.
However, aside from the property buying process, there are other elements of moving that you will need to consider if you wish to live in Europe permanently.
If you have not been resident in Europe before and are not joining a close family member covered by the Withdrawal Agreement, you will need to apply for a visa. There are many different types of visas available depending on where you choose to move to. The visa you should choose is likely to depend on your working situation, financial status and who you are moving with.
You will also need to consider healthcare if moving to Europe permanently. In France, for example, you need to have been resident for at least 3 months to access the healthcare system. However, if you are employed in France, you can apply for access as soon as you start work. If you are a retiree with a UK pension, you can apply for healthcare via an S1 form.
Start looking for your ski property today
In short, the actual property buying process is the pretty much the same for third country nationals as it is for EU residents. So, to get the process of buying your ski property underway, why not take a look at our handy ski property buying guides? They lay out the buying journey step by step to make the process as smooth and hassle-free as possible.
Feb 26, 2024
