17/05/2020
𝐄𝐔 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭: 𝐀𝐧 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
You would be forgiven for thinking that our entire focus has been on Covid-19 in the past eight weeks; however, while this has formed the core of our public work, the Embassy’s teams continue to work on citizens’ rights in the context of EU Exit and we wanted to give you a quick update on the situation.
There is no action needed now to apply for residency in France but 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫.
We will continue to share more information as it is available and, as ever, you can find further information by visiting our Living in France Guide (www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-france).
𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲
The Withdrawal Agreement secures the rights of British nationals legally resident in France by the end of this year – 31 December 2020. You will need to apply for a new type of residency permit online from July 2020 onwards, which will mention the Withdrawal Agreement. Please note that this applies whether you already have a carte de sejour, are married or PACsed to a French person, have been living here for thirty years, or are in the process of applying for a second nationality. You will have until the end of June 2021 to apply for your residency permit. The latest information we have is that, despite Covid, the system will still go live in July 2020.
Please note that until 1 July 2021, there is no obligation to have a new residency permit – so residents may travel in and out of France as normal (once Covid travel restrictions have been lifted of course – we don’t have further information when this may be).
The French Interior Ministry will set out guidance shortly on what a residency application should include, including what criteria will be assessed and what supporting documents you will need. In terms of process, we know you will be able to apply online and receive your permit by post. Once we have further guidance, we will share it here and in the Living in France guide. The Withdrawal Agreement is clear that applications should require minimal documentation, and certainly not more than is required for EU citizens applying for cartes de sejour.
Once the online system is up and running, we will be advertising it widely to British nationals living here in France. In the meantime, if you have questions about how the French government is implementing the Withdrawal Agreement, please visit www.brexit.gouv.fr. If you can’t find the answer to your question, you can also write to the Interior Ministry at this address: contact-brexit@interieur.gouv.fr
We have received a number of queries about the impact of Covid on applications for residency in France. We would expect the French authorities to take a flexible approach and show understanding given the exceptional circumstances, for example regarding any halt in business activity or the need to accept financial aid from the French government.
𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝟑𝟏 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟎
If you are planning to move to France, there is no rush to get here before the Withdrawal Agreement residency permit system goes live in July 2020. However, you will need to have made the move by 31 December 2020. As noted above, the Interior Ministry will issue formal guidance about what documents you will need to submit when making your residency permit application. In the meantime, you may want to think about setting up household bills, your Carte Vitale, a bank account, writing to your local Mayor to notify them that you have moved into the area etc to show that you were principally resident before 31 December.
𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞
It is particularly important in the current circumstances that you have made adequate provision for your healthcare. If you are legally resident in France before the end of 2020, your rights to access healthcare in France will stay the same for as long as you remain resident.
Remember that if you are resident in France, you must get a Carte Vitale. Find out more about accessing the French healthcare system, including on using the ‘S1’ form, here: www.gov.uk/guidance/healthcare-in-france-including-martinique-and-guadaloupe
𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬
We know that this is a source of frustration to many of you who want to ensure that your driving licence is valid in France.
We have not had specific details from the French authorities about what, if any, system will be in place from 1 January 2021. This is why we are not actively encouraging British nationals to exchange their licences, unless it is expiring, or has been lost, stolen or damaged. The good news is that a new online system has been in place since March 2020, which should make the process easier once it is clear what is required.
Official information for UK nationals moving to and living in France need to know, including guidance on residency, healthcare, driving and the Withdrawal Agreement.
