Who is aiming to stay longer than 90 days in France this season and what are your plans to do it?

A snowHead

@Weathercam, shambles

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Just out of interest, in terms of resident days, how is the limit enforced for travel by land? When we drive to Switzerland, the only record anyone makes from our passport is the UK Immigration Service, when we leave Eurotunnel Ashford, and again when we return via Eurotunnel Coquelles. I don't think I've ever had my passport scanned by the French Immigration and certainly never by the Swiss. Obviously, flying is different, with my passport being scanned on arrival at Montpellier and Geneva etc. And we regularly drive across the Swiss-French and Swiss-Italian borders without any record kept (other than CCTV of the car). Of course, the regime from 1.1.21 may be more thorough, I suppose, with French Immigration scanning all Brit passports at Eurotunnel Ashford. But with these 'no of resident days' limits, can you just hop over to Switzerland, Italy or Spain for a few days to break the stay and restart the clock?

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@LaForet, not if they are Schengen countries.

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OK, right, I can see that, and as on Page 1 travelling by air, arrivals and departures are clearly recorded. And I suppose the OP is sensibly assuming that from 1.1.21 French Immigration will scan everyone's passports when transiting by Eurotunnel or Ferry, because they're already set up to do that, even if they rarely do so currently. So they'll know you entered France, and returned to the UK, whatever the route.

I'm also not clear - is this a total of 90 days in any calendar year, or 90 contiguous days (in which case the clock could be reset by flying to the UK for 2 nights and then flying back)? In Switzerland it's 90 days in 180 days, so I wondered if this was just a standard Schengen condition.

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@rob@rar, in a rolling 180 day period. There are calculators online

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@Mjit, all in hand, we've been through it all, well my OH has, something about 4months and bloods which dogs have, though no doubt like humans it will all change Puzzled

You have to remember there are as many dogs travelling the other way as well if you've ever been to the Eurostar Pets terminal?

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@Weathercam, yes, we've sorted it for our dogs too.Talking to our vet last week and the passports probably won't be valid, and we'll have to have a certificate from UK vet on the way out as well as the usual check on the way home. THis is all of course in case of a 'no deal' when we will be a third country. If a deal is made, it should probably not change much at all.

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@cad99uk, we are planning to go out in Dec for the season and have just taken out insurance with https://heymondo.com/ they cover both covid and travel against FCO advice. They don't cover winter sports though so we'll be taking out Carre Neige for that. In terms of the 90 day rule - thinking we may pop back to the UK in Feb to avoid half term madness for a couple of weeks but will see how the land lies nearer the time.

You know it makes sense.

I went through Eurotunnel 2 weeks ago and French passport control put my (Irish) passport through the electronic reader. I’m pretty sure they will manage to scan British passports to trigger the 90 day rule starting after January.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@KathE, heymondo - will check it out, thank you.

A snowHead

Let's not forget, the French (or any of the 27 countries) did not ask for this. Whatever dog's breakfast they make of implementing Brexit, and for all the subsequent inconvenience caused, the Brits have only themselves to blame. rolling eyes

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@KathE, Thanks for that. I can not see that they cover for Covid when travelling against FCO advice, either on their website or in the AXA policy details. Did you ask them specifically or have I overlooked it somewhere.
Thanks

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@cad99uk, Coronavirus is mentioned on their homepage of the website as covered but I emailed them anyway to ask about that and also travel against FCO advice - just being overly cautious perhaps but at least i have it in writing from them now confirming both covered. Very quick response too.

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@KathE, Thanks. I also asked via their web contact form and got the same confirmation that you did. Thanks for pointing them out.
Sent the request last night and had the confirmation by this afternoon. They also confirmed that they covered snowboarding. I think you need the 'adventure sports' supplement.

Edit: Sent the question at 20:00 and had the reply by 22:30 the same evening. Impressive.

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@cad99uk, - thanks - useful to know.

After all it is free

Just read this...........

The website for Britons in France to apply for the new obligatory residency cards is on track to open as planned in one week’s time, The Connexion has been told.

The Interior Ministry has confirmed to the British Embassy in Paris it will open on Thursday October 15, in line with earlier estimates by the ministry for an opening in the middle of this month.

The opening of the website was originally delayed from July 1 to October 1 due to administrative backlogs at prefectures, linked to the confinement period.

It was then postponed again because a key decree on practical aspects of Britons’ applications (eg. which documents will be needed) had not yet been approved by top administrative body the Conseil d’Etat.

This formality was completed last night, a British Embassy spokeswoman has told The Connexion today.

She added that it should be a very straightforward system that is generous with its decision-making.

It is expected that the website will have clear sections depending on whether people have been in France for longer than five years or less than five years. It is also expected that there will be a specific and simple route through the application for those with a French spouse.

@Weathercam, good!

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@Weathercam, do you have any Scottish heritage?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Alliance

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As a non EU/UK citizen I have applied for a 4 months long stay visa in France last winter season. A bit of paperwork but nothing too difficult (perhaps for those used to need visa...)

The hassle for me was
Taking a day off work and travelling to London, joining the big queues At the application center. All included (application,
Photos, travel) probably set me off £200+

In the end, with season cut short, was for nothing came back just the 90 days :-/

snow reports

France's Brexit residency card website delayed a few days, Monday October 19 is the new date for the opening.

French officials confirmed the brief delay today during an online meeting between bodies including the British Community Committee of France (BCC), accredited Brexit support organisations for Britons, and the Interior Ministry.

The site had been expected to open on Thursday this week, October 15.

BCC's Claire Godfrey, who attended the meeting, said the reasons were Covid-19-related and not political.

She added that she is pleased the ministry is going ahead with promised simplifications for Britons, including the online application, one visit to prefectures, and cards to be sent in the post.

So the site is now Live
https://contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/brexit/brexit-residence-permit-application/

And as I thought there is a Geezonaires section on the table here.

Retiree section below

So now just need to find out the necessary detail behind clause 5 of the necessary documentation required?

5 ° Proof of health insurance: a document attesting my support by an insurance company (public or private) offering the services mentioned in Articles L.160-8 and L.160-9 of the Social Security Code

Either way by applying for the residency card we'll be able to at least spend the season there as you have till the end of June if I read it right?

You know it makes sense.

@Weathercam, that's very similar to the Swiss requirements, except of course the Swiss system is all manual and you have to make multiple visits to the council offices to sort it all out.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

@Weathercam, thanks for that. I've no plans for more than 90 days this winter (I wish), although in a few previous years I've just exceeded that limit across Schengen countries. But useful to know what the process is.

A snowHead

Does a residents card come with tax implications?. I don't want to live in France, but quite keen to visit as a second home owner for 5 months.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Website for CdS applications for Brits opened today. Main prerequisites are tax residency and adequate health cover. So absolutely tax implications.

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@rob@rar, As you, That was my understanding. I have looked in detail at Schengen visas, anything beyond 90 days is a national responsibility. Shame they don't do 179, beyond that tax treaties start to be invoked so would be a national responsibility AIUI.

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Did both mine and LynnX's Carte de Séjour applications today (as will all Brits living in France after December 31st), real easy, just have to wait for an email from our local préfecture to take fingerprints, fingers crossed for straightforwardness Very Happy

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Made a dire mistake of going on to a French Ex-Pats forum and asking some questions about the "retiree option" and got slated by the holier than though hard-core Ex-Pats who knew what in effect I was trying to do Laughing

I very much got the drift that they certainly don't like second homeowners and their perceived lifestyles etc

They are convinced that even with the retard option we'll still have to do tax returns and the like, and they may well be right?

Like I replied

There is no mention of paying French taxes, and we can both show pensions and will have private health care, so we can meet all the criteria.

I'm fully expecting more than a few hurdles along the way, and if it all backfires then we'll have to make do with being third world citizens and limited to 90 days etc which isn't too bad, and or long term visa

But we'd be foolish not to explore this avenue in just the same way we've looked at long term visas.

And worse case scenario at least going down this boulevard with an application in we'll be able to stay for the whole season at least for next year, which I suspect will not sit too well with the hard-core ex-pats on here Laughing

@Weathercam, I've come across that on FB groups. I tend to just lurk on them to pick up useful info.

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If you apply for residence you'll be saying to the French authorities that your principal place of residence is France - that is different from the pre Brexit situation where you would apply the 6 months rule and if you were spending less than 6 months you were not a residence (the rules are slightly more complicated).

Yes I realize there were snowheads who were tax dodging by spending more than 6 months in France but it was less obvious to the authorities unless you actually came onto their radar.

Help!!

Who is aiming to stay longer than 90 days in France this season and what are your plans to do it?

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