Deal or no deal: How Britons in France will be affected by Brexit

The French Interior Ministry has published information for Britons living in and visiting France after Brexit. Here’s what you need to know about residency. driving licences and more should a withdrawal deal be agreed, and what will happen in the event of a no-deal Brexit

The French Interior Ministry has created new information pages (in French) for Britons living in and visiting France after Brexit. The information is broken down into the following six sections: Residency rights, French nationality, Integration, Elections, Driving licences, Travelling. Each section provides information on what will happen in the case of the draft Brexit deal being passed, or in the case of a no-deal Brexit. Below is a summary in English of the French Interior Ministry’s information.

RESIDENCY RIGHTS

If a withdrawal deal is agreed:

• British nationals present in France before 31 December 2020 will have to apply for the new residency card which will be provided for in the withdrawal agreement. They will be able to apply for this until at least July 2021.

• British citizens who arrive in France after 1 January 2021 will have to apply for an ordinary third country (non-EU/EEA citizen) card.

• For British nationals already residing in France who would like to apply for a residency card, the official criteria will remain as they are currently. This means that British people will have to provide evidence of one of the following:

– they are in work (or have previously worked and are registered as a jobseeker)

– they have sufficient financial means to support themselves and their family, and have healthcare cover

– they are studying or doing professional training, and have healthcare cover

– they are a family member of a Briton living in France before 1 January 2021 with a right of residence (spouse, child, partner, dependent family member)

• EU residency cards obtained before March 2019 will continue to be valid during the transition period until 31 December 2020 but beyond this date will need to be replaced with the new card.

• British nationals who began working in France before 31 December 2020 will be able to continue to do so. Only those who settled in France after 1 January 2021 will be required to apply for permission to work.

If there is a no-deal Brexit:

• An application for a residency card will need to be submitted after 29 March 2019 – details will be confirmed at a later date.

• When applying, British nationals will need to provide evidence that they resided in France before 30 March 2019 in accordance with one of residence criteria listed above and demonstrate that they continue to meet these criteria. If applying on the grounds that they are a family member of a Briton with a right of residence, the family member must have been living in France before 30 March 2019.

• EU residency cards obtained before 30 March 2019 will have to be exchanged according to a timetable to be specified later.

British nationals who began working in France before 29 March 2019 will not need permission to work but they will have to apply for a residency card. Those arriving in France after 29 March 2019 or starting work after 29 March 2019 will have to apply for permission to work.

INTEGRATION

If a withdrawal deal is agreed:

British nationals who legally reside in France as European citizens before 29 March 2019 will not have to sign up to a contrat d’intégration républicain (CIR).

If there is a no-deal Brexit:

British nationals moving to France after Brexit will be required to sign the contrat d’intégration républicain (CIR).

TRAVELLING

If a withdrawal deal is agreed:

Until 31 December 2020, those travelling to the UK will need to hold a valid passport or national identity card. No visa will be needed.

If there is a no-deal Brexit:

French or British citizens travelling after 29 March 2019 will be considered as third-country nationals and will be subject to border checks. They will need a valid passport and possibly a short-stay visa, or a long-stay visa if they intend to stay for more than 90 days. The British government is yet to decide whether a visa will be required.

DRIVING LICENCES

If a withdrawal deal is agreed:

The draft deal only contains provision for a transition period, during which European rules will continue to apply in France and the UK. After this period, the following will apply depending on whether you are driving in France as a tourist or resident:

– If you are a tourist in France, you can drive for the duration of your stay with your British driving licence.

– If you intend to live in France, a British driving licence will be recognised for one year but you must apply to exchange it for a French one during this time.

– If you reside in France and hold a British driving licence, the terms of exchange will be confirmed at a later date.

If there is a no-deal Brexit:

The above will apply from 29 March 2019.

ACQUIRING FRENCH NATIONALITY

There is no specific procedure to facilitate access to French nationality for British nationals. Applications for French nationality made by British nationals after 29 March 2019 will be assessed in the same way as for other foreign nationals. Find out more about how to apply for French citizenship here and read about one expat’s experiences here.

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