With new French travel restrictions coming into force this week, we’ve had many enquiries from people who have applied for a Withdrawal Agreement Residency Permit but have not yet received it and have in the meantime popped back to the UK.
If you are worried about not being able to get back to France, the good news is that you can travel with your residency application number (you will find this on the confirmation email that you were sent) along with the usual proof of residence such as utility bills, tax return, taxe d’habitation etc. You will also need to follow very specific Covid test requirements and quarantine for an obligatory 7 days when you arrive.
❌ What happens if you still haven’t put in your residency application?
If you are currently in France and arrived here before the Brexit deadline of December 31, you are still entitled to apply for the Withdrawal Agreement Residency Permit – but you will have to be quick. The final deadline for residency applications is midnight on June 30th.
➡️ What happens if you already held a Carte de Séjour before December 31 2020?
All British citizens living in France now need the new Withdrawal Agreement Residency permit.
Even if you already had a Carte de Séjour, you still need to apply for the new card otherwise you risk losing your rights in France.
📅 Does it matter if you miss the June 30 deadline?
If you don’t apply for the new card, you will not be legally allowed to stay in France for more than 90 days out of any 180. The problem is that you cannot apply for French residency if you are not in France, but you cannot enter France without a visa. So first you will need to apply for a relevant visa at the French Consulate in London.
⚕️ Healthcare is another important factor.
Between arriving in France and successfully applying for Social Security, you are responsible for covering your own health care costs and you must show proof of this on any application. You will need your own health insurance for the duration of your visa.
🏚️ If you want to live in France, what should you do next?
If you arrived in France before December 31, you still have time to submit your residency application before the deadline. We can help you do that quickly and efficiently if you contact us now. (Depending on your situation, you may also need to submit a tax return for 2020, but we can help with that too.)
If you haven’t arrived in France yet, you can still move here but there’s an extra step of applying for an initial visa that will allow you to apply for residency at a later stage. A good way to start the ball rolling is to click on this link to book a free 15 minute consultation to talk about your situation and make a plan that’s best for you.
Sources: The French Connections HCB Team
Dedicated to helping the english community in France
French Connections HCB
Tel: +33 1 85 65 74 98
Email: info@frenchconnectionshcb.com
Website: www.frenchconnectionshcb.com
