PANDÉMIE DE COVID-19 : les flux de personnes entre la France et le Royaume-Uni sont soumis à des restrictions.
Frequently
asked questions
From 1 January 2021, British nationals will be subject to more extensive checks. Travellers from the United Kingdom should carry a passport and arrive in good time at border posts for onward travel to the European Union. At border control they will have to take a separate lane from EU, EEA or Swiss citizens.
1) British nationals not having resident status in an EU Member State and who wish to visit France for a short stay or who are in transit to another Member State or from the Schengen area will not need a visa after 31 December 2020.
They will have to:
The supporting documents needed to verify fulfilment of entry conditions are listed in Annex I of the Schengen Borders Code, available here.
2) British nationals wishing to settle in France after 31 December 2020 should contact the French Embassy or a French consular authority to apply for a long-stay visa before travelling to France. They will be asked for this visa upon arrival in France.
3) British nationals living in France or another EU Member State before 31 December 2020 will be covered by the provisions of the withdrawal agreement signed by the United Kingdom and the European Union and will not need visas after 31 December 2020.
They must be able to:
Travellers are reminded that in this situation checks may take some time, especially if documents are not translated into French or English. Thus even if the Member State in which a British national is living has not made residence permits mandatory, obtaining one will facilitate the checking of documents.
[1] If a hotel booking is not produced as proof of accommodation, the minimum daily amount for staying in France will be 120 euros. If a hotel is booked for only part of a stay, the daily amount required will be 65 euros for the period covered by the booking and 120 euros for the remainder. For travellers with proof of private accommodation this sum will be 32.50 euros per day.
Depending on their nationality, non-EU and non-British nationals living in the United Kingdom may require a visa to travel to Europe.
Whatever their nationality, travellers from the United Kingdom should carry a passport and arrive in good time at border posts for onward travel to the European Union. At border control they will have to take a separate lane from EU, EEA or Swiss citizens.
A visa or residence permit issued by the British authorities will no longer affect residence in France.
To visit France for a short stay, a visa may be required. The official website for French visas lists the nationalities that will need one. These travellers’ passports will be stamped at the border and the validity of visas may be checked.
Travellers will also have to:
The supporting documents needed to verify fulfilment of entry conditions are listed in Annex I of the Schengen Borders Code, available here.
[1] If a hotel booking is not produced as proof of accommodation, the minimum daily amount for staying in France will be 120 euros. If a hotel is booked for only part of a stay, the daily amount required will be 65 euros for the period covered by the booking and 120 euros for the remainder. For travellers with proof of private accommodation this sum will be 32.50 euros per day.
Travellers from the United Kingdom will be subject to checks by the customs authority regarding compliance with duty-free allowances for purchases made in the United Kingdom, based on volume for alcohol and tobacco and on value for other goods. These allowances are specified on the website of the Directorate General of Customs and Excise
Purchases made in France may be eligible for a VAT refund, subject to certain conditions. PABLO terminals, which automate these procedures, will be available to travellers at ports, airports and stations serving the United Kingdom.
Volume-based alcohol and tobacco allowances per traveller
Alcohol |
Tobacco |
- Spirits and other liquors over 22% ABV: 1 litre; alcoholic beverages up to 22% ABV: 2 litres.- Wine: 4 litres- Beer: 16 litres |
- Cigarettes: 200- Cigarillos: 100- Cigars: 50- Smoking tobacco: 250 g |
Certain plants and plant products (flowers, fruit, vegetables, etc.) that may be vectors of disease will be subject to health checks when entering the European Union from the United Kingdom. A detailed list of the products concerned is provided in this guide (in French).
Import of animal products by travellers from the United Kingdom will also be subject to restrictions. Travellers will not be able to carry meat, meat-based products, milk and milk-based products in their luggage, for example.
British citizens travelling to France on business at the end of the transition period (31 December 2020) will not be required to obtain a visa so long as their stay is fewer than 90 days. They will also not need a work permit so long as they are not performing any paid work in France (in other words, if you are paid in the UK and travel to France for a meeting, you will not need a visa).