Proposal for British home owners in France to gain long term visas rejected

The French Constitutional Court has declared significant portions of France's proposed immigration bill unconstitutional.

A considerable part of the legislation focused on aspects related to social security payments. However, the Court invalidated a new automatic visa scheme for UK citizens owning property in France, citing its lack of relevance to the immigration bill. The ruling cannot be appealed.

Senator Martine Berthet, the legislation's proponent, vowed to reintroduce the bill and affirmed her commitment to advocating for visa rights for British second-home owners. She noted that while the Court did not find the provision unconstitutional, she remains determined to pursue this cause.

The proposal aimed to automatically grant long-term visas to British individuals who owned second homes in France.

After the court's ruling, the post-Brexit regulations will persist, permitting British citizens to spend a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day timeframe on the Continent. Individuals wishing to extend their stay must apply for long-term visas or pursue permanent residency.

As per a survey conducted by the expat community InterNations, approximately 177,000 British citizens reside permanently in France with a residency permit, constituting nearly 25% of the foreign population in the country.

Staying longer without obtaining a visa could result in facing a ban and eventual expulsion not only from France but also from the rest of the European Union.

Roughly 86,000 British individuals own second homes in France, sparking concerns that a significant portion of these owners might opt to sell their properties.

Senator Berthet argues that restricting British individuals from contributing to local economies could exacerbate the issue of vacant properties, particularly in tourist regions like her own Savoie department in the French Alps.

The French government will likely be highly attentive to this matter, considering it could deal another blow to the rural economy. There have already been grievances raised regarding the impact of higher property taxes introduced by Macron, potentially prompting sales by overseas residents.

There have already been indications that Brexit has led to sales of property in France and Spain. There was also evidence that expectations of relaxed visa rules had sparked a surge in interest among potential UK buyers.

According to the UK-based international property portal Kyero, in the three weeks after it was introduced, there was over a 500% surge in inquiries about properties in France.

‍