French officials consider ideas to help second-home owners

Proposals to make it easier for British second-home owners to visit France for more than three months at a time have been passed to the head of the Interior Ministry’s office for foreign people’s entry and residency.

A plan put forward by Senator Martine Berthet for ‘automatic visas’ for these owners was rejected from the 2024 immigration law on a technicality.

Interior Minister Bruno Retail­leau has told Ms Ber­thet that he has forwarded her ideas to the director general of foreign people in France.

Special status 

She believes the owners have ‘special status’, especially as many had bought before Brexit.

Ms Berthet said the difficulties they face extending their stays “are felt in my department, Savoie, as in many others”.

The owners, along with other non-EU visitors, cannot at present stay in France without a visa for more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Six-month visas exist but the process to obtain them can be arduous and costly. It must be started from scratch for each application.

Campaigners have been asking for visa-free visits of up to six months in one go – as is possible for French and other EU nationals in the UK – or, as a minimum, a simple online renewal for those making repeat applications.

Read more: The Var: Popular with second-home owners and retirees

Legal issues

Mr Retailleau said, however, that an ‘automatic’ conferral of long-stay rights – more than three months – might pose legal issues around equality and the usual set of requirements for a foreigner’s visa, such as proof of means and health insurance.

Ms Berthet is considering further avenues, such as submitting a proposal for a new law, or an amendment to a relevant future bill.