Leaving France for London: what nobody tells you (7 years later)

Summary: what you need to know before leaving France for London

Leaving France to live in London is achievable, but the administrative, cultural, and financial differences run far deeper than a simple move. After 7 years in London — including Brexit, COVID, and a complete career change — here’s what I wish someone had told me before I left.

Who am I to talk about this?

My name is Alexandre Auger. In 2016, I created francejetequitte.com — the first French-language blog about « leaving France » — while already living abroad. In 2019, I settled in London. I’m still here in 2026.

I’m not an expatriation consultant. I’m an entrepreneur who has lived every step: the post-Brexit settled status, the British banking system, pub culture, COVID in a Southbank apartment, and building a tech company from the UK.

What follows isn’t an administrative guide copied from an insurance website. It’s a raw experience report, with the real shocks that nobody mentions.

The credit score: shock number one when you arrive from France

In France, the credit score doesn’t exist. French banks assess your « solvabilité » by looking at payslips and your debt-to-income ratio (capped at 35%). If you’ve never had an incident, you’re invisible — and that’s fine.

In the UK, it’s the opposite. Everything relies on a three-digit score (Experian, Equifax, TransUnion). Every bill paid, every card used, every phone contract contributes to building — or destroying — this score.

What this means in practice when you arrive:

• Your French history is worth nothing. Zero. You start from scratch in the UK.
• You can’t easily rent a flat. Landlords check your credit score. Without history, you pay 6-12 months upfront.
• You can’t get a phone contract. Pay-as-you-go for months while building a score.
• Even opening a bank account is an obstacle course. Monzo and Revolut simplified things, but traditional banks (HSBC, Barclays) ask for proof of address — which you don’t have yet.

How I built my credit score:

• Opened a Monzo account (no historical address verification needed)
• Registered on the Electoral Roll — +50 points immediately
• « Builder » credit card (Aqua, Capital One) with a £200 limit
• Full payment every month, no exceptions
• Phone contract after 6 months
• After one year: score sufficient to rent without a guarantor

Criteria	France	United Kingdom
Centralised score	No (negative system only)	Yes (positive and negative)
Primary metric	Permanent contract + 35% debt ratio	3-digit score (0-999)
Daily life impact	Low (bank + mortgage only)	Total (housing, phone, insurance, employment)
Transferable history	Not applicable	Does not transfer between countries
Credit cards	Don’t really exist (deferred debit)	Essential for building history

Pub culture: it’s not just « having a drink »

In France, after-work means an apéro — a glass of wine, some cheese, a café terrace. It’s relaxed, civilised, lasts an hour.

In London, the pub is social life. It’s not optional — it’s where everything happens:

• Business deals happen at the pub, not in meeting rooms
• Your manager judges you (also) on your pub presence on Friday evenings
• Hierarchies dissolve around a pint — juniors talk to directors
• The « round » (buying rounds of pints) is an unwritten social code you must master
• You don’t eat. Well, not necessarily. The English can chain 4 pints without touching food

Cultural differences that struck me:

• You drink standing up. Outside if it’s 5°C. No problem. Heated French terraces don’t exist here.
• You drink fast. « Let’s grab a quick pint » rarely stays at one pint.
• Pubs close early (11pm weekdays). No bars open until 2am like in Paris.
• No table service. You order at the bar, pay at the bar, go back to your seat.
• The Sunday roast replaces the French Sunday lunch. Beef, Yorkshire pudding, gravy. It’s sacred.

Living through Brexit from the inside: from EU citizen to « migrant »

I was in London when Boris Johnson formalised Brexit on 31 January 2020. Overnight, my status changed. I went from « EU citizen with freedom of movement » to « foreigner who must prove their right to stay. »

The Settled Status — what they don’t tell you:

• 278,887 French citizens applied for settled status since 2015
• 38,168 French citizens outright took British nationality since 2016
• The process is « free » but the anxiety is real: you scan your passport on an app, wait, and hope an algorithm validates your life

What actually changed:

• Your French ID card no longer works to enter the UK — passport mandatory
• Your parents visiting must go through the « All Passports » queue at Heathrow
• If you leave the UK for more than 2 years, you lose your settled status
• New French arrivals need a points-based visa (minimum salary £38,700/year in 2026)
• The emotional atmosphere: a latent feeling of rejection. You’ve lived here for years, you pay your taxes, and you’re asked to « prove » you deserve to stay.

COVID in London — moving opposite the London Eye during lockdown

March 2020. The world stops. And I’m moving.

Not to just any neighbourhood. To Southbank Place, One Casson Square — a 36-storey tower facing the Thames, in SE1. The London Eye to the left. Big Ben and Parliament across the river. A 25-metre swimming pool in the basement. Gym. 24/7 concierge.

And nobody in the streets.

What COVID in London taught me:

• The NHS works. Not perfect, but the vaccine was free, fast, accessible. The British vaccinated faster than any European country.
• The English follow rules… then explode. Strict lockdown → reopening → everyone at the pub the same day.
• The furlough scheme was generous — 80% of salary covered by the state. Faster and simpler than French schemes.
• Living in a luxury building during lockdown is surreal. Pool closed. Gym closed. View of a ghost city from the 20th floor.
• Boris Johnson was partying while the country was locked down. « Partygate » was a political earthquake. Unthinkable in France — or rather, nobody would have found out.

The 300,000 French in London — France’s 6th biggest city?

Boris Johnson liked to say London was « the 6th largest French city. » The consulate estimates 300,000 French people in Greater London. On the official register: 134,723 enrolled as of January 2026.

But note: it’s no longer the South Kensington of 20 years ago. The French have dispersed:

• Kentish Town, Camden, Hampstead — bilingual schools, neighbourhood life
• Southbank, Bermondsey, Borough — young professionals, startups, finance
• Canary Wharf, Greenwich — banks, tech, families
• Clapham, Battersea — the « Frog Valley » of the south

Six years after Brexit, the French haven’t fled. They’ve adapted. Like me.

London, increasingly reserved for millionaires — who are leaving anyway

My building, Southbank Place, is a good barometer. In the same complex, there are coworking offices (Regus/WeWork type) with Thames views. I had applied for one — it was approved. But I didn’t take it. Too expensive. Since COVID, rents have jumped +30% minimum in this area.

A 2-bed at One Casson Square now rents for £3,000–4,500/month. In 2019, it was £2,200–3,000. The increase is brutal and shows no signs of stopping.

The millionaire exodus since April 2025

And here’s the paradox: while London becomes increasingly expensive, the ultra-wealthy are leaving.

Since the Labour Party came to power (July 2024) and especially since April 2025 — when the non-dom tax status was abolished — the UK has been losing millionaires at a record pace:

• 10,800 millionaires left the UK in 2024 — a +157% increase from 2023
• Since Labour, one millionaire leaves the country every 45 minutes
• 78 centi-millionaires (wealth > £100M) and 12 billionaires have departed
• Destinations: UAE, Switzerland, Italy, United States
• Estimated total: £66 billion in investable assets leaving the territory

The reason? The new tax regime requires any resident of more than 4 years to pay British tax on their worldwide income. And inheritance is taxed at 40% — one of the highest rates in the world. Rachel Reeves (the Chancellor) already had to soften some rules at Davos in January 2025.

The result: luxury buildings are emptying of their foreign owners. They remain owners but no longer live there. Flats are rented out or left empty. The city is becoming a vault for absent investors.

For an entrepreneur like me who lives and works here daily, it’s both an opportunity (less local competition) and a warning: London remains attractive for those who create value. But it’s no longer the tax haven it once was.

Real differences between France and UK in daily life

Aspect	France	United Kingdom
Salary	Net after deductions (simple)	Gross → PAYE → National Insurance → Net (complex)
Taxes	Annual declaration, deferred payment	Deducted at source in real time (PAYE)
Healthcare	Carte Vitale + top-up insurance	NHS free, no paperwork, all digital
Housing	Guarantor or permanent contract suffices	Credit check + references + 6 weeks deposit
Transport	Pass Navigo ~€86/month	Oyster/Contactless ~£180/month (zone 1-2)
Food	Markets, bakeries, small shops	Supermarkets (Tesco, Sainsbury’s, M&S), meal deals
Holiday	5 weeks minimum + RTT	28 days (including bank holidays) — that’s it
Dismissal	CDI nearly impossible to break	« At-will » in first 2 years
Retirement	Complex public system	Workplace pension mandatory + State Pension at 67
Social life	Terrace, dinner at people’s homes, apéro	Pub. Pub. Pub.

Why I stayed despite everything

London isn’t easy. It’s expensive (a 2-bed flat in zone 1 costs £2,500–4,000/month). It’s grey. The English are polite but not warm. The healthcare system is overloaded. Trains strike every three months.

But here’s why I’m still here in 2026:

• The entrepreneurial ecosystem. Starting a company in the UK takes 24 hours. Not 3 months of paperwork like in France. Companies House, one form, £12, done.
• English as a global lever. From London, I speak to the entire world. My clients, investors, partners — everything is in English, the language of business.
• No social judgment. In France, when you say « I have a startup, » people roll their eyes. In London, they ask what you’re building.
• Diversity. 300 languages spoken in London. Everyone comes from elsewhere. You’re never « the foreigner » here.
• Pragmatism. The English don’t bother with theory. « Does it work? Ship it. » That suits me.

FAQ — Frequently asked questions about leaving France for London

How much money do you need to move to London?

Budget minimum £5,000–8,000 for the first months: housing deposit (6 weeks’ rent), first month, basic furniture, transport. Without guaranteed employment, double this budget.

Do you need to speak English fluently?

To work in tech, finance, or startups: yes. For daily life: functional English suffices. London is so international you’ll always find someone who speaks French.

Is the NHS really free?

Yes, but… Wait times can be long for specialists (3–6 months). A&E works well. Prescriptions are £9.90 each (free in some cases). Many people get private insurance (BUPA, Vitality) to skip the queue.

Can you still move to London after Brexit?

Yes, but you need a visa. The most common: Skilled Worker Visa (minimum salary £38,700/year in 2026). There’s also the Global Talent Visa (tech, arts, sciences), Scale-up Visa, and the Innovator Founder visa for entrepreneurs.

Which neighbourhood should a French person choose?

Depends on your budget and lifestyle. South Kensington to stay in the French bubble. Shoreditch/Hackney for tech and creativity. Southbank for prestige and centrality. Clapham/Battersea for good value. Angel/Islington for a compromise between everything.

Are taxes lower than in France?

For salaries under £50,000: similar. Above that: yes, significantly lower. No insane employer charges, no staggering social contributions. The marginal rate hits 40% at £50,270 (vs 30% at ~€28,000 in France, then 41% at ~€82,000). The UK advantage shows most for entrepreneurs and high earners.

What I wish someone had told me

• Your French financial history is worth nothing here. Prepare to start from zero.
• Brexit made moving harder but not impossible. You just need a visa.
• The culture is more different than you think. It’s not « Paris but in English. » It’s another world.
• The pub is not optional. That’s where professional and personal relationships are built.
• London rewards those who dare. Entrepreneurial boldness is valued here in a way that doesn’t exist in France.

Alexandre Auger has lived in London (SE1) since 2019. He created francejetequitte.com in 2016 — the first blog about « leaving France. » Now a tech entrepreneur and founder of Komby (SaaS for businesses), he documents his journey from expat to CEO.

Last updated: June 2026.