Is there a time limit or total amount of days i am allowed to stay in France. We would like a to purchase
a property in France to stay in part time for various lengths of time. Are there any hard and fast rules as to what we can do or not. Our main residence will be in the uk with the french property being for long holiday plus base for touring other European countries by caravan/Motorhome. Maximum period would probably be 3-4 weeks several times during the year.
As an EU citizen you can stay as long as you like. Maybe your question needs to be more specific?
If you end up spending more time in France than anywhere else - you will be deemed to be French resident with all that entails. Lots of info on residency - just Google it.
I think that technically, as an EU citizen you may visit France for up to 3 months at a time.
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F13512
3 months at a time without any formalities. For example , after 3 months ( with the intention of staying longer ) you are required to affiliate to the health system - although many don’t bother.
Andrew Bennett -
It may be worth a check with your insurer if provided by UK!
I took advantage of the AA 90 days of free cover in France in my Policy some time ago - and they reminded me (I didn’t know) that technically if away from UK for more than 4 weeks, they could - and would - cancel my Policy. Post accident would be a bad time to find out! My AXXA insurance in France covers me for UK driving anyway - just the parsimonious English attitude.
Yes as Simon says, what France is saying that you can be regarded as a “visitor” for 3 month, after which you are supposed to go home or formalise your presence here in one way or another. But in fact nobody in officialdom knows or cares how long EU visitors have been here unless some kind of problem. arises. It’s just France covering their backs and making it clear that they have no obligation towards anyone who has ignored their rules and taken root here unofficially.
As Andrew says, more to the point is checking the small print of any UK insurances you have, car/motorhome/travel/etc, and also your home insurance on your place in the UK if the house is going to be unoccupied for long stretches. But if you’re never away for more than a month at a time I don’t imagine you’ll have a problem.
Andrew, why are the AA offering 90 days free EU cover and then saying they will cancel your policy after 28 days? That sounds plain crazy to me, or have I misunderstood.
Andrew
I had a similar response Simon. I was moving a car load of items to the newly acquired house near Domfront - and was involved in an accident - jointly responsible. The AA agents then said, if you have a house in France you can’t be a UK resident - so rather than settle the claim we will cancel your Policy! Arrant nonsense and basically trying to weasel out - though why I can’t imagine.its business isn’t it? Eventually, after 4 months, I frightened them by involving the Financial Services Ombudsman - and they came to almost immediate decision - just 3 days.
But no information or updates re. progress from AA over the 4 months- bearing in mind of course the French lady concerned was very worried about her claim being affected too.
However after all the fighting the AA actually set 3 different dates when cover would be cancelled, with no recompense for Insurance time remaining paid for. It didn’t seem worth arguing any more - a win for the AA!
All in all not a good experience - but latterly it turns out the Month ‘wrinkle’ is in their small print. In a sense it was useful because it forced my hand - I needed to find, preferably - a French registered LHD for the future - and that I had to do there and then.
(And we actually ‘negotiated’ the valuation up a tad afterwards - the systems are there we should use them.
Andrew,
My apologies Anna, twas you that made the point. Just recovering everything from another Orange failure! Does anyone use their ‘Airbox’ from Orange - supposedly the financial and connection answer to our dreams? Though mine still doesn’t work for reasons the lady at Flers Orange cannot explain!