France relaxes visa restrictions on British homeowners
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British second-home owners are to be able to remain in France for six months without a visa after the French parliament approved a change to the rules.
Thousands of Britons had been campaigning for the amendment of existing regulations, implemented in early 2021, which restrict them to 90 days in the country in every 180-day period.
Many argued that the post-Brexit system was unfair and non-reciprocal because French citizens were still allowed to stay in the UK for up to six months without a visa, whether they owned a property or not.
The only way second-home owners can currently visit France for more than 90 days is to apply for a long-stay visa, which they have criticised as a lengthy, complicated and expensive process that has to be undertaken anew each year.
The rule change was set out in an amendment to an immigration bill that the French parliament voted down last week. However, a new version was finally approved on Tuesday night.
Martine Berthet, the French senator for the southeastern Haute Savoie region who tabled the amendment said that France’s constitutional council still needed to rubber-stamp the change.
But Ms Berthet added that she now had “high hopes” it would be enacted soon via decree.
“I don’t think there is a risk,” she told The Telegraph.
“I will contact the interior ministry of Gérald Darmanin to ensure that it can get done as soon as possible,” she added.
“It’s an issue that has been raised in various regions around France, not just the Alps but the coast and the Dordogne.”
The development has delighted Britons involved in lobbying for the change.
Steven Jolly runs the France Visa Free Facebook group, which has been helping second-home owners write to their French MPs to ask for a change in the law.
“After two years of campaigning it’s a great achievement,” he said.
“This is a recognition that those with a home in France should be allowed to continue living in their homes in just the same way that they did before Brexit without having to make France their primary residence.”
He added: “It shows that the French are willing to address the adverse effects of Brexit.”
“At the moment all we know is that a law has been passed. The details on how this will work will come from (the) Council of State,” Mr Jolly said.
“Indeed our next phase should be to lobby ideas on how this change could work. There is a process that needs to be established. In addition, a note of caution needs to be exercised, the law could be deemed unconstitutional as it favours one group of foreigners over another.”
Ms Berthet has previously suggested British second-home owners would simply have to show French border police their property deeds when they enter the country to be waived through.
Mr Jolly is campaigning for the French government to go further and offer all Britons the same rights that the UK affords French citizens.
“France is helping us solve the 90-in-180 day problem but only for some British visitors; ultimately we would also like to see every British visitor to France treated in exactly the same way as French visitors to the UK today, and given a six month per visit visa exemption or automatically issued visa,” he said.
“For the time being let’s enjoy this moment, take a breath and have an enjoyable Christmas.”
