Restrictions on coming to France

at the moment… a resident returning home to France is included as an “imperieux” reason…

we can talk round this til the cows come home.
Things will change… as and when… and we just have to tackle the outcome.

I’m not even mentioning the things I think the UK will try to not do, that they previously committed to… which would affect all of us in France. I don’t want to give them ideas.

It’s hard to be British right now. I am speaking more with sadness about these things to my French friend who’s asked and is surprised the way the British seem to be behaving. He mentioned how much the British are liked and admired as a presence in France. I don’t think the French would respect us if we run down our own country too much, but I am expressing sadness and hope that good sense will return on the part of the regime we see now running the UK.

2 Likes

There is a list of ‘motif impérieux’ here : https://www.gouvernement.fr/sites/default/files/contenu/piece-jointe/2021/12/liste_des_motifs_imperieux_-royaume-uni-_16.12.2021.pdf

To summarise:

If you are British you can leave France to enter the UK.

If you have a Brexit titre de séjour or if you are a dependant or spouse of someone with a Brexit titre de séjour you can enter France.

To enter the UK from France (assuming you are fully vaccinated) you need:

  • a negative antigen or pcr test 48 hours before departure
  • a ‘day 2’ test to be completed on or before the day after arrival. You must self isolate until you receive a negative result

To enter France from the UK you need:

  • a negative antigen or PCR test taken a maximum 24 hours before departure
  • to isolate for 48 hours on arrival at the end of which you must take an antigen or pcr test
  • to register on a special online system

No. This doesn’t fit the reasons listed in my opinion. She is not french, or a French resident and neither is her partner.

A ressortissant britannique is a British national, a ressortissant Française is a French national.

1 Like

Day 2 test for the UK can actually be taken Days 0-2.
Day 0 is the day of your arrival.
Day 2 is 2 - not 1 - days after your arrival.

If you’re leaving the UK before 23:59 on Day 2, or your airline or ferry or train etc. has a scheduled departure time of 23:59 at the latest on your Day 2 (even if it actually ends up departing later), then you don’t actually have to do the Day 2 test.

But you still have to prepay a Day 2 test, and put its reference number from your order on your Passenger Locator Form, that you can fill out online 48 hours or less before your transport departs to the UK.

1 Like

There’s now a list of ‘compelling reasons’ specifically for the UK at the website I shared above - sadly John it doesn’t look like our kids/parents will be able to come - seems to be saying that even of you are an EU national you can only come if you normally live in France or if you are passing through on your way to your home in another EU country.

It is both, of course - but note that all other EU and EEA member countries remain ‘green’ - so the UK’s ‘third country’ status probably looms large.

I would welcome any opinions on how the new travel rules might affect the following travel plans of our daughter.
As I type she should be at the channel tunnel ready to cross on a pre booked ticket this evening which will be ahead of the rule change coming into force tomorrow so should be ok.
She has a flight booked next week from Bordeaux to Barcelona to visit our daughter who lives there to celebrate her birthday and then will take a return flight to Bordeaux and return to us for a few days before returning to UK in early January to return to work (teachers holiday!!).
My concern is that she might be refused entry into Bordeaux from Barcelona as she will be travelling on her UK passport and is UK resident. From what I understand it is possible to transit through France on the way to the UK for 24 hours maximum?
I might be answering my own question but I feel that once here best to stay here as the risk of being stopped from entering France from Spain is top great and then car would be stuck at Bordeaux airport and her beloved dog that we are looking after while she goes to Spain will be stuck with us.
Any thoughts please?

Unless travel restrictions between Spain and France come into force, she should be OK to go ahead with this plan regardless of her passport (within the Schengen area there aren’t usually border controls anyway) The issue is travelling from the UK to France and since she’s getting here before the new rules kick in she should be ok

I’m curious about UK nationals with French residency going to the UK after Saturday. The list of allowable reasons is ambiguous. Top of the list it says Foreign nationals can return to their countries. Assuming that’s correct, even if you have a CdS, then you can get back to your French primary residence afterwards.

I don’t think so….seems clear that residents can return.
Ressortissant de pays tiers, titulaire d’un titre de séjour ou d’un visa de long séjour français ou européen en cours de validité, ayant sa résidence principale en France.
Ressortissant britannique et membres de sa famille bénéficiaires de l’accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de Grande-Bretagne et d’Irlande du Nord de l’Union européenne et de la Communauté européenne de l’énergie atomique. Fonctionnaire britannique dans l’exercice de ses missions, personne travaillant

1 Like

Is it also the case that British nationals/passport holders can return to their country of origin…with that as a compelling reason ?

I’ve read & re-read the rules & as has been mentioned already, it’s very confusing.

Am I being naive, but can UK residents still enter France by flying to another Schengen country, that hasn’t imposed this embargo, and then travelling on to their French destination by hire car or train?

Have posted the following elsewhere, but it’s relevant here - a couple of weeks ago we drove down to Barcelona for a week break, and it was only on our second day there, that I realised my passport was still in France at chez nous. Several days later, returned to France without the lack of passport ever having been a problem - I had my new carte d’identité non-EU and that was only used once when taking over the Barceolna apartment. So maybe if UK residents can still enter the Schengen zone through other countries, they can still get to French destinations.

Hopefully, UK residents will have too much respect for other people to bypass the rules designed to protect those other people?

2 Likes

So can we or can’t we ??

Still confused…
All I want is my 3 months in UK

AND maybe a straight answer from someone in authority

@Sandcastle - I asked if I was being naive, but I’d suggest your reply is naive.

The rules are fairly arbitrary because there are many neighbouring Schengen countries with high levels of infection. This is as much about an Anglo French spat over Brexit, fishing rights and many other comparatively minor matters as it is about Covid. If that was not the case Benelux nations would have imposed a similar restriction

1 Like

I think not, France is understandably concerned at 88,000 daily infections, in fact I venture to suggest if they hadn’t acted then French media would be asking why not. Not all everything in poor relations between UK and France/EU is down to Brexit.
In fact I think that people in the EU are increasingly shrugging their shoulders at Blighty and its more a case that the Uk is more fixated on the two way relationship than the EU is.

1 Like

France that has the misfortune to be the most convenient point of entry for UK folk, so they are usually first to impose restrictions. The others usually follow.

It’s the bit about being allowed to go to the UK in the first place that isn’t clear. I’m in the UK at the moment, arrived yesterday and of course as a Resident in France I will be able to return but hypotheticalky would France prevent me from going to the UK after Saturday?

Only now, you think?

2 Likes