The Senate and National Assembly in Paris have voted to ease the impact of Brexit on British second-home owners after pressure from French politicians who have large numbers of UK-owned properties in their constituencies.
The plan is automatically to grant long-stay visas to British property owners. This would allow them to spend as much of the year as they wish in France – and not count towards the 90-day limit in the rest of the Schengen Area.
As the end of December approaches, many British people with second homes in France are keeping a close eye on the calendar.
After the Brexit vote, Boris Johnson’s government negotiated for British visitors to be subject to a limit of 90 days’ stay in any 180 days in the Schengen Area – comprising almost all of the European Union plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
The effect means that anyone who moved south to a residence in France in October could hit the 90-day limit before the end of the year – meaning they must stay outside French territory, and the rest of the Schengen Area, throughout January, February and March.
The rule, which applies to all “third-country nations”, means some British property owners have opted to go on long-stay holidays to Egypt because they cannot legally remain in their French homes.
The French government warns: “UK citizens will need a long-stay visa if staying in France or in a French overseas territory for more than 90 days whatever the purpose of stay.”
Visas for longer stays in France have proved slow, difficult and expensive to obtain.
Stephen Jolly, of the pressure group France Visa Free, said: “After two years of campaigning it’s a great achievement to see that France is close to lawfully granting long-stay visas automatically to those British citizens with a secondary residence in France.
“This is a huge step in the right direction for the France Visa Free campaign, and a recognition that those with a home in France should be allowed to continue living in their homes in just same way that they did before Brexit without having to make France their primary residence.
“The current visa process is time-consuming and expensive, and really not equitable or reasonable, given that French people can spend six months per visit in the UK, even if they don’t own property. This legislation recognises the problems and is a credible attempt to address the problems. “
Mr Jolly said that his group is also campaigning for all British visitors hoping to spend extended periods in France.
Earlier this month the UK government rolled back on its outright ban on French visitors using ID cards, after a near-total collapse of educational visits from the EU.
School groups from French schools will soon be able to visit Britain using identity cards rather than having to carry passports.
