I suppose they are right though, the UK didn’t sign up to the Schengen Area agreement, then Brexit, so why should we be different to any one else who comes to the EU/France.
I know the UK would like to pick and choose what does and doesn’t apply to them but that chance has gone now after Brexit.
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Latest UK government advice on travel to France
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I think I will register the house as a gite again then just pay the 80 cents per night, cheaper and easier that way.
Of course there won’t be enough civil servants to check everyone until of course the tourism levels drop as people opt for other destinations.
Hi everyone,
Apparently this document is not required…according to Connexion
Two French immigration lawyers have told The Connexion today that a formal attestation d’accueil from the host’s mairie is not required for UK nationals coming to visit friends and family in France.
Avocats Sarah Sahnoun from Cannes and Haywood Wise from Paris said this official €30 document is only required, as part of the visa process, for visitors of nationalities requiring short-term Schengen visas to visit France. This does not include UK nationals.
The Connexion also found this to be the case previously, in practice, relating to Americans and Australians and other non-EU visitors who do not require a short-term Schengen visa to visit France. Many readers reported that their visitors, of such nationalities, were not asked for an attestation d’accueil.
The problem here is that every other official channel says otherwise - in fact the site I linked is, at risk of repeating myself, very clear the documents laid out are required whether or not you need a visa.
That, surprising though it seems, does not prove that they are not needed. Just that an individual border guard did not feel the need to demand one. Maybe even the majority of border guards don’t but that would not alter the law.
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Hi Paul,
The complete Connexion article gives a good background legal explanation which I found reassuring. I didn’t copy it all on here as I’m not sure about copywrite rules etc but you can get a free trial to Connexion if you want to take a look.
Let’s all keep our fingers crossed!
One just has to hope that the borde guards have read the same article!
(Article sounds well researched, but the Connexion is not noted for being 100% accurate, and this is what the UK has published
- show proof of your accommodation, for example, a hotel booking confirmation, proof of address if visiting your own property (e.g. second home), or an invitation from your host if staying with a third party, friends or family. As detailed by the French Ministry of Interior here, you may be requested to provide an “attestation d’accueil”. French residents will need to acquire the “attestation d’accueil” and pass it on to you before you enter France.)
At this point I’d trust the word of The Connexion over the U.K. government, and that really is saying something 
Ultimately it boils down to two things - one is what the law actually says, the other is what the habitual practice of French border guards is.
Even if the law says you don’t need one then the border guards can still ruin your day by demanding one - and your protestations that they are out of order probably won’t improve things in the short term (ask those EU nationals who were trying to attend job interviews in the UK just how much a border guard can ruin your day even when they are wrong).
Or, the law could say it is a requirement yet the guards rarely bother, it could be that they are instructed to make a judgement on how likely a visitor is to overstay their welcome or burden the French state and are generally satisfied with a return ticket - Brits have not previously been subjected to the checks so it is unsurprising that those of us who normally cross the border several times in a year are slightly nervous,
The Connexion quotes a couple of immigration lawyers so I presume they are well versed not only in the relevant law but how it is applied in practice. I’m still getting a probably vibe though - it probably won’t be a problem which is not quite the reassurance I’d like.
Right - always best to go to the source
This says for a “tourist” visit one needs:
- tout document de nature à établir l’objet et les conditions de ce séjour, notamment sa durée ;
i.e return ticket should do - evidence of funds - " des espèces, des chèques de voyage, des chèques certifiés, des cartes de paiement à usage international ou des lettres de crédit"
let’s assume a credit card will do - health insurance “doit couvrir, à hauteur d’un montant minimum fixé à 30 000 euros, l’ensemble des dépenses médicales et hospitalières, y compris d’aide sociale, susceptibles d’être engagées pendant toute la durée du séjour en France”
travel insurance and/or E/GHIC - funds to cover repatriation “Les titres de transport maritime, ferroviaire, routier ou aérien valables pour revenir dans le pays de résidence habituelle et dont le porteur veille à maintenir la validité jusqu’à la date de son départ ;”
travel insurance again.
And, err, that’s it - does anyone have a cast iron reference to even the need to have a hotel booking according to the codes and articles1?
Attestation d’accueil covers visits “familial ou privé” - not quite sure what that covers, does anyone know in practice?
1] I guess it comes into the first point in terms of establishing the nature of the visit, as would proof of ownership of a property but it's clear that the big thing is evidence of how long you are going to stay.I think that this is what you are looking for Paul.
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006070158/LEGISCTA000042771172/#LEGISCTA000042777191
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Thanks Robert - yes I read that earlier this evening, what it leaves out is when a visit is “touristique” and when it is "familial ou privé”.
TBH I’m now more inclined to agree with you that it is unlikely to be a problem - certainly for someone visiting their own property which clearly does not fall into the "familial ou privé” cadre (maybe it’s a “private” visit but clearly an A d’ A doesn’t count anyway).
It looks like what you really need to show is something showing that you plan to leave France and when, that you have funds to cover your visit and that you have insurance to cover health problems and repatriation, most travellers should be able to do this.
Do you know @kirsteastevenson that exact same thought ran through my head too.
Which, as you say, is quite saying something.
However having come to the post-Brexit mess late, everything I’ve seen from the British Embassy in Paris has indicated to me what an immense diplomatic job they’ve done to try to secure the best deal they could for the huge number of Brits that love France and want to stay here. The sheer diplomatic skill and depth of good relations with France the Embassy and Consulate are deploying are much appreciated and admired by me. I know there are still bumps in the road requiring smoothing (like driving licence swaps) but I have no doubt an awful lot is being done behind the acenes on our behalf.
The fact that our politicians have messed so much up is a separate issue.
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In the absence of any specified definition within the legislation, it is usual to take the normal meaning of words at face value.
Therefore; A ‘private’ visit is one which is not undertaken for business purposes.
So, my son comes from the UK to visit me at my home in France simply because he has not seen me for quite a while. We are related and so this would be a ‘familial’ visit.
On the other hand, if my son comes to visit a mate of his who lives permanently in France, then this would be a visit which is ‘privé’ as the two of them are not family related.
However, if my son comes with his girlfriend to show her the sights of France while travelling around the country, then the visit is ‘touristique’, not least because while it is neither ‘familial’ or ‘privé’ it has to be something.
Often it is just as much a matter of what something isn’t, as opposed to what it is, when interpreting and applying legal texts to practical situations.
I think that Article L313-2 is the part that really shows the intention of the legislation, in that it makes plain that the person applying for the A d’A is taking responsibility for the financial liabilities of the visitor in the event that the visitor is unable to personally discharge them.
Therefore I believe that the spirit and intent of the legislation is to keep out the riff-raff who may become a financial liability to the Gov’t of the host country. A visitor who is in possession of a return ticket, plus a valid bank or credit card is not going to be turned away. After all, it would not go down so well with the French Tourist Ministry, or indeed the Finance Ministry who are no doubt both very keen to welcome foreigners who have money to spend.
Good article also recommended today by RIFT - the one key point it misses though is that you don’t need proof of accommodation if you have sufficient resources.
All one can say is that there is a lot of confusion - and with good cause as the government web sites seem to suggest an A d’ A is mandatory if you do not have a hotel booking and are staying with friends but, as far as I can see, the law does not quite say that and, in any case, it’s not the appropriate document for a second home owners visiting their own property - however, I think travelling with proof of ownership and pre-booked return travel would be prudent.
Connexion reporting today that two different lawyers in France say British visitors don’t need this form…something to do with not needing an entry visa…but there is much uncertainty…what you can be certain of is that if at French border control one is asked for it will be a long argument to prove you don’t need to have one.
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Is this now a non-issue our daughter is visiting shortly and need to know if I need to do anything.
Can I point out (once again) the importance of Travel Insurance.
Please don’t let any UK visitors feel that their GHIC (whatever) is sufficient… because it is not. They need Health Cover and Repatriation included in their Travel Pack.
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