Letters: New French visa plan may remove the worry of overstaying
Connexion readers share how their lives have changed since Brexit
Readers say they are growing increasingly frustrated with the current process
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To the Editor,
I can empathise with Connexion reader Derek Kinchington – we were caught out in August, having used up eight days (just eight days) by going to Norway for a week.
We suddenly found that the so-called official EU Schengen calculator was saying we had no more days left after a visit in April and June!
Much more important would be some transparency as to exactly how the 90/180 day algorithm works, since when I tried another non-official calculator it said we still had 20 days available!
However, if this second-home owner visa actually becomes real, I think we might apply. It would take all the worry out of visits for the above reasons.
Three years after Brexit, we have yet to pass a douane officer who has had time to calculate all the pages in our passport. It should be so simple!
John and Julia Evans, Dordogne
Read more: French MPs still trying to ease visa process for second-home owners
To the Editor,
While I am fortunate to have dual nationality and a European passport, my husband does not have one.
Our lives have changed so much since Brexit.
We used to freewheel and travel to and fro to our little French flat without much planning. Now my husband has to count his days in France, and pre-plan the date of each trip back to the UK – no more spontaneity.
I freelance part-time in Europe so my work is unpredictable. This means I often have to stay in France alone, while my husband has to go back to stay within the three-month rules.
It is hard to say as second-home owners in France whether the amount of paperwork needed to acquire a visa would be worth it, and would give us more freedom.
However, I certainly feel that since we pay full taxes in France plus standing charges all year round on utility bills, home insurance, etc, we are losing a huge amount since Brexit was enforced, and gaining absolutely nothing.
Rene Wyndham, by email
Read more: What changes are proposed in the planned new French immigration law?
To the Editor,
My wife is an estate agent here in Dordogne and has been for the last nine years.
It is accurate to say that since Brexit and the introduction of visa restrictions, the number of British expats selling up and returning to the UK has increased, while the number of ‘new’ British expats buying property has dropped considerably.
The slack has slightly been taken up by Dutch, Belgian and American buyers but ultimately it seems that France will suffer from this policy.
Kim Comber, by email
What do you think about the proposed visas for second-home owners? Share your views at letters@connexionfrance.com
