The Côte d’Azur and the British have nurtured a love story dating back to the 19th century. It was the English aristocracy who first invented the French Riviera as a winter holiday destination — in Nice, Cannes and Menton — long before the rest of the world discovered its charms. The Belle Époque villas along the Promenade des Anglais, whose very name bears the imprint of this historic presence, the palaces of the Croisette, and the estates of Cap d’Antibes all testify to a culture of residential luxury deeply rooted in the region’s British history. In 2025–2026, this centuries‑old relationship is being reinvented: British buyers account for between 25 and 40% of foreign owners and purchasers on the French Riviera, navigating with intelligence through a complex post‑Brexit landscape to settle in one of the world’s most coveted lifestyle destinations. Carlton International has been supporting them in this ambition for thirty years.
A shared history: the British, inventors of the Riviera
Before the Côte d’Azur became the playground of the global jet‑set, it was the British aristocracy that turned it into a prestigious destination. From the 1830s onwards, English winter visitors flocked to Nice, Cannes — whose tourism development is directly linked to Lord Brougham’s visit in 1834 — and Menton, escaping London’s grey skies for the golden light of the Mediterranean. Queen Victoria herself regularly stayed on the Riviera, helping to confer upon it an incomparable social prestige. The Promenade des Anglais in Nice, whose name says it all, was financed in 1820 by the local British community to facilitate their seaside walks.
This founding heritage has profoundly shaped the region’s architecture, culture and social fabric. The neo‑Gothic villas of Cannes, the botanical gardens of Beaulieu, and the cricket and tennis clubs founded in Nice in the 19th century all bear the imprint of this formative British presence. For today’s English buyers, it is therefore not a matter of discovering the Côte d’Azur — but of rediscovering a territory that belongs to them in part, historically and culturally.
This historical depth is one of the factors that distinguishes the British attachment to the Riviera from that of other nationalities. The British do not come to the Côte d’Azur because of a trend: they return, generation after generation, carried by an emotional familiarity with these landscapes, this light and this art of living that no other Mediterranean destination can replicate identically.
A lifestyle the United Kingdom cannot offer
What British buyers find on the Côte d’Azur — and cannot find in the United Kingdom — can be summed up in a few essential realities. First, the sun: more than 300 days of sunshine a year compared with an average of 150 in London, and a mild winter climate that makes gardening, terraces and outdoor living possible ten months out of twelve. Then, the sea: a turquoise, calm Mediterranean with preserved waters, accessible within minutes from most Riviera properties. And finally, a gastronomy of such diversity and quality that it places the region among Europe’s most coveted culinary destinations, with colourful Provençal markets, Michelin‑starred restaurants and a culture of long, convivial meals that contrasts sharply with British eating habits.
France’s safety and stability represent another major attraction for British buyers. French property law is solid, transparent and protective. The healthcare system, one of the best in the world according to international rankings, reassures buyers considering year‑round or semi‑permanent residence. Transport infrastructure — the Paris–Nice TGV line, Nice International Airport with direct flights to London, Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh — ensures access to the UK in under two hours.
The region’s cultural richness is often underestimated in market analyses. The British, culturally close to the art world, particularly appreciate the Riviera’s dense museum offering: the Fondation Maeght in Saint‑Paul‑de‑Vence, the Matisse and Chagall Museums in Nice, the Picasso Museum in Antibes, and the International Perfume Museum in Grasse form a cultural landscape that very few French regions can match.
Post‑Brexit: navigating intelligently within the new framework
Brexit has complicated the administrative situation of British buyers in France, without calling into question their property rights. Since 1 January 2021, British nationals have become third‑country citizens with respect to the European Union, subject to the 90‑day rule within the Schengen Area per 180‑day period. In practical terms, a British owner of a second home on the Côte d’Azur may stay for up to three consecutive months without any particular procedure — which remains sufficient for typical seasonal use.
For longer stays — which many retired or semi‑retired Britons desire — several solutions exist. The temporary long‑stay visa, valid for up to six months and renewable annually, allows them to exceed the 90‑day limit. The residence permit, for those wishing to settle permanently in France, offers the same residency rights as before Brexit. Around 177,000 British nationals already live full‑time in France with a residence permit, representing roughly 24% of all foreign residents in the country.
Furthermore, the abolition of the UK’s non‑dom tax status in April 2025 has prompted a growing number of affluent British residents to reconsider their fiscal base. France, with its well‑established bilateral tax treaty with the UK and its clearly documented tax regimes, has emerged as a natural alternative for many of them. Carlton International supports its British clients in understanding these administrative and fiscal aspects, connecting them with the best Franco‑British legal and tax experts in the region.
What British buyers need to know before purchasing
Notary fees in France amount to 7–8% for a resale property — a cost that must be anticipated in the acquisition budget. As nationals of a third country, non‑resident British owners are subject to a 25% tax rate on rental income (compared with 19% for EU residents), unless they opt for an adapted tax regime. Capital gains on property are taxed in France according to a specific scale for non‑residents, with progressive deductions based on length of ownership that fully exempt the property after 30 years. Carlton International systematically directs its clients to Franco‑British tax specialists to ensure optimal structuring of their acquisition.
The preferred sectors for British buyers on the Riviera
British buyers on the Côte d’Azur focus their searches on areas that combine quality of life, accessibility and prestige. Nice and its surroundings — particularly the residential districts of Mont‑Boron, Cimiez and the Carré d’Or — attract British clients seeking a rich urban and cultural environment, with direct connections to the United Kingdom via the international airport. The Promenade des Anglais, whose renovation completed in 2025 restored an incomparable brilliance to Nice’s seafront, remains one of the most sought‑after addresses.
Cannes and its surroundings — La Californie, Super‑Cannes, Cap d’Antibes — form the second major attraction hub for British buyers. The international renown of the Festival, the calibre of services and infrastructure, the proximity of the airport and the dynamism of the seasonal rental market — which allows owners to generate income during major events — create an environment particularly suited to buyers who combine personal use with long‑term investment strategy.
The hinterland — Saint‑Paul‑de‑Vence, Mougins, Valbonne, and the villages of the Grasse region — attracts British clients who are culturally sensitive to Provençal heritage, village life and the tranquillity of the hills. In 2025, British nationals represented, according to data from certain specialised agencies, a significant share of buyers in these areas, drawn by prices still reasonable compared with the coastline and by a particularly appealing year‑round lifestyle.
- Nice — Mont‑Boron, Cimiez, Promenade des Anglais: urban clientele, direct London–Nice connection, cultural richness
- Cannes — La Californie, Super‑Cannes: international prestige, events, event‑driven rental yields
- Cap d’Antibes: absolute privacy, ultra‑confidential market, iconic one‑of‑a‑kind properties
- Saint‑Paul‑de‑Vence, Mougins, Valbonne: Provençal hinterland, artistic heritage, year‑round village life
- Antibes Juan‑les‑Pins: accessibility, dynamism, marina, family‑friendly residential profile
The profile of British buyers: between second home and life project
In 2024, nearly 25% of real estate transactions handled by major agencies specialising in foreign clientele involved British buyers — confirming their status as the leading foreign nationality in certain parts of the region. These buyers fall into several distinct profiles, with expectations and acquisition strategies that differ significantly.
Affluent retirees and pre‑retirees form the most active segment. Freed from geographical constraints linked to professional activity, they seek to settle semi‑permanently in a superior Mediterranean living environment, often after decades of visiting the Côte d’Azur as tourists. Their average purchase budget on the Riviera is around €500,000, with significant peaks in the premium villa segment. They look for turnkey properties with character — stone, traditional style, garden — and proximity to everyday services.
Families and professionals working remotely represent a fast‑growing segment since 2020. Based in London or major British cities, they use their Riviera property as a hybrid living base — several weeks per quarter, complemented by periods of remote work from a well‑equipped villa. For these profiles, internet quality, proximity to international schools and airport accessibility are criteria as decisive as sea views or a swimming pool.
Investing and living: the dual logic of British buyers
What often distinguishes British buyers on the Côte d’Azur is their approach to acquisition, both emotional and rational. They fall in love with a place, a view, a sun‑drenched terrace — yet remain attentive to the long‑term logic of their investment. The Côte d’Azur meets this dual requirement: it is one of the few destinations in the world where the pleasure of living and the solidity of investment reinforce one another, driven by structural land scarcity and sustained international demand exceeding supply.
The possibility of partially monetising their property during periods of personal non‑occupation is frequently integrated into British buyers’ plans. A well‑managed villa in Cannes can generate between 3% and 5% gross annual rental yield — with significantly higher peaks during the Festival, MIPIM or Cannes Lions. Carlton International supports its British clients in implementing this rental strategy through the Carlton International rental service, ensuring rigorous tenant selection and service standards aligned with the property’s prestige.
The favourable evolution of interest rates in the eurozone — with average fixed rates around 3% at the end of 2025 for long durations — has made French bank financing more accessible to foreign buyers, including Britons. French banks regularly finance non‑resident British buyers for prestige properties, with deposit requirements specific to this market segment. Carlton International connects its clients with the best‑positioned banking intermediaries to structure these financings under optimal conditions.
Carlton International: your trusted partner for British buyers
Supporting British buyers in the Côte d’Azur real estate market is one of Carlton International’s founding strengths. Since 1995, the agency has built lasting relationships with this demanding clientele — who particularly appreciate the rigour of the service, the transparency of advice and the ability to operate in English with the same fluency as in French. Carlton International’s multilingual team masters the cultural nuances and specific expectations of British buyers, from the first viewing to the handover of keys.
Access to off‑market properties — homes never publicly listed, offered directly by Carlton International to qualified clients — is one of the most valuable advantages for British buyers seeking to secure the best opportunities before they reach the public market. On the Côte d’Azur, the most sought‑after properties sometimes disappear within days: the depth of Carlton’s network is an essential safeguard against missed opportunities.
Whether you are looking for a charming second home in the hinterland, a contemporary villa with sea views in Cannes, a high‑end apartment in Nice or a collector’s property in Cap d’Antibes, Carlton International offers the expertise, network and partnerships needed to bring your project to life under the best conditions. Our commitment is simple: to deliver a real estate experience worthy of the Côte d’Azur itself.
The Côte d’Azur and the British share two centuries of common history. This deep familiarity, far from being diminished by post‑Brexit complexities, now gives British buyers a real advantage in a market they have known and loved forever. The French Riviera offers what no British destination can: light, sea, gastronomy, culture and the security of a globally recognised long‑term investment. Carlton International is the natural partner for this ambition — loyal to its British clients since its origins, and as bold in its advice as it is demanding in its property selection.
Are you a British national looking to acquire property on the Côte d’Azur? Carlton International’s multilingual teams are at your disposal for a confidential and personalised consultation. Contact us at +33 (0)4 93 95 11 11 or info@carlton-group.com — and discover our exceptional properties at www.carlton-international.com
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