Moving to Provence from the UK

Which part of Provence suits a British household?

Provence is not one place. In administrative terms it spans the Vaucluse (Avignon, the Lubéron, Mont Ventoux), the Bouches-du-Rhône (Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Arles), the Var (Toulon, the inland villages, the coast towards Saint-Tropez) and the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (Digne, Manosque, the Verdon). Choosing between them is the first and biggest decision, because it fixes your prefecture, your school options and the kind of house you will be moving into.

Aix-en-Provence and its surrounding villages suit families who want city services, international schooling options and good rail links. The Lubéron and the Vaucluse villages suit people who want the classic stone-village Provence and are comfortable driving for most errands. The inland Var offers more space for the money and quieter villages; the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is the most rural and mountainous of the four.

Spend time in the area across different seasons before committing. A village that is lively in summer can be very quiet in winter, when many second-home owners leave.

• Vaucluse — Avignon, Lubéron, Carpentras, Mont Ventoux villages
• Bouches-du-Rhône — Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, Arles, the Alpilles
• Var — Toulon, inland Var villages, the coast towards Saint-Tropez
• Alpes-de-Haute-Provence — Digne-les-Bains, Manosque, Forcalquier, the Verdon

Which prefecture handles your residence permit in Provence?

The prefecture of the département you live in. That means Avignon for the Vaucluse, Marseille for the Bouches-du-Rhône, Toulon for the Var and Digne-les-Bains for the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. British citizens moving permanently need a long-stay visa from the French consulate before leaving the UK, then validate it online through the ANEF portal once in France.

Renewals and later multi-year cards are also handled through ANEF and your prefecture. From 2026, a first multi-year residence card requires French at A2 level, and the ten-year carte de résident requires B1, so it is worth starting French lessons before you move rather than after.

Our carte de séjour guide covers the visa classes, documents and sequence in detail.

What are Provençal houses like to move into?

Older Provençal houses are beautiful and awkward to move into. A village house often sits on a lane too narrow for a full-size removal lorry, with steep internal stone staircases and small window openings. A rural mas may sit at the end of an unmade track. These details decide how a move is planned, so they matter as much as the house itself.

In hilltop villages the usual approach is a shuttle: the main vehicle parks at the edge of the village and a smaller van runs the goods to the door. Some communes require a permit to park a removal vehicle or block a street, which the mairie issues. Large furniture that came through a wide UK doorway may not fit a narrow stone staircase, so measure before you ship.

When renting first, which many households sensibly do, ask the agent about vehicle access and parking rules at the property before you sign. It saves an expensive surprise on moving day.

What should you expect from the climate and daily life?

Hot, dry summers, mild winters on the coast and sharper winters inland and at altitude. The mistral, a strong cold north wind down the Rhône valley, can blow for days at a time, especially in the Vaucluse and the Bouches-du-Rhône. Stone houses stay cool in summer but can be cold in winter, so plan for heating, not just shade.

Daily life runs on the village market, the boulangerie and the car. Outside Marseille, Aix and Avignon, public transport is limited, so most households need at least one vehicle. Summer brings crowds and traffic to the popular villages; the rest of the year is far quieter.

Wildfire risk is real in dry summers. Rural owners in many communes are legally required to clear vegetation around their property, an obligation known as débroussaillement; your mairie can tell you whether it applies.

How do schools and healthcare work in Provence?

Children are placed in local state schools through the mairie for primary and the académie for secondary, and French-language support is available for children arriving without French. Aix-en-Provence, Marseille and the Côte d'Azur side of the Var have the widest choice, including international sections and bilingual options. Rural areas have small village schools and longer journeys to collège and lycée.

Healthcare works as it does across France: register with the public system (PUMa) once eligible, choose a médecin traitant, and consider a mutuelle for top-up cover. Larger hospitals are in Marseille, Aix, Avignon and Toulon. Rural doctors can be in short supply, so look for a GP early.

Our schools and healthcare guides go into both systems in more depth.

How does a removal from the UK to Provence work?

It starts with a survey at your UK home, in person or by video, which fixes the volume and the access at both ends. We then confirm the crossing, the route south through France, and whether the Provence end needs a shuttle vehicle or a parking permit. Your goods travel either as a dedicated load or as part of a shared load heading south.

We prepare the customs paperwork: the UK export declaration and the French transfer-of-residence declaration with its dated, signed inventory, which lets household goods you have owned and used for at least six months enter France free of duty and VAT. Wine collections are an exception and are declared separately, because alcohol does not qualify for the relief.

Delivery is booked around your access, your keys and, where needed, the mairie's permit. The written quote sets out what is included and the estimated window for your route.

• Survey at your UK home, including the access at the Provence end
• Crossing and route planned for the vehicle the property can take
• UK export and French transfer-of-residence paperwork prepared for you
• Shuttle vehicle and parking permit arranged where the lane needs them