Tourists, foreign residents: How France’s new Schengen border checks will work

Border controls will be tightened from November 1 between France and six Schengen countries it borders. 

The stricter measures, which will be in place for at least six months, will give border guards the ability to check ID documents of people entering France by land, sea, or air routes from Italy, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland. 

Read more: France to strengthen border controls for six Schengen countries: what will you need to show?

In all cases, when travelling between borders (including internal EU borders with temporary measures in place), border guards do not accept photocopies of these documents, even though for standard ID checks within France they often do.

Read more: What are valid forms of ID in France and must I always carry one?

The introduction of the EU’s new border security measures (Entry/Exit System or EES) does not affect internal border checks, as people who are subject to these will have already registered for the system when first initially entering the bloc. 

Valid EU residency permit and visa holders will also be exempt from EES.

Read more: Will EES registration be required in France for EU residency permit holders?

Below, we look at how the rule change affects the four main groups of people who may cross the border into France from its EU neighbours: 

• Non-EU tourists with visa-free status within the EU

• Tourists requiring a visa to enter the EU

• Foreign EU residents and visa holders

• French/EU citizens

Non-EU visa-free tourists

Tourists from many countries including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Brazil and Argentina all currently benefit from a maximum 90-days of visa-free access to the EU, as part of the 90/180 day rule.

When entering the EU for the first time, their passport – which must be valid for at least six months from the time they enter the bloc – should be stamped by a border official, confirming their entry. 

Once the EES comes into force, manual passport stamping is expected to be replaced by electronic data regarding a person’s entry.

When travelling between internal EU borders, tourists are already recommended to carry their passports, as it is the only official piece of documentation which shows when they entered the bloc.

With the current increase in internal border controls – Germany has also recently introduced border checks with its EU neighbours, including France – having a valid passport on hand is now even more important. 

Visa-free tourists entering France from one of the countries listed above must carry their passports with them, in case of being checked. 

Make sure you get your passport stamped when entering the EU, to prove when you entered the bloc, and from which country until EES rules replace this).

Note, rules for visa-free tourists are expected to change in 2025, with people from these countries requiring a €7 visa-waiver via the Etias system before entering the EU.

Read more: What is the EU’s Etias visa waiver scheme?

Tourists with a visa 

Tourists from countries which do not benefit from visa-free travel to the EU (Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, South Africa, etc) are required to obtain a visa before entering the bloc for the first time. 

This visa, attached to their passport, should be on them at all times when travelling within the EU in case of standard identity checks, as photocopies may not be accepted across the entire bloc.

Again, the original version of the document is required, so they must already travel with their passport throughout the bloc.

Foreign nationals (non-EU) in France 

Residents in France who are not EU citizens must have either a valid residency permit (carte de séjour or carte de résident) and accompanying identity card proving their residency status, or a visa attached to their passport. 

If stopped at one of France’s internal EU borders, residents of France with a non-EU passport must show this document, alongside their visa (inside the passport) or ID card proving their residency status in France. 

Both the passport and visa or ID card may be asked for, as non-EU passports of residency holders should not have been stamped upon entry to the bloc.

Passports are not stamped if the holder is already in possession of a valid residency permit, shown when entering the bloc.

EU and French citizens 

This group is perhaps most impacted by the change.

They may not be used to carrying their ID when crossing borders, particularly via land routes, whereas residency holders and tourists are usually advised to keep these documents on them at all times.

French citizens can show a valid French passport or their national identity card. 

Citizens from other EU countries can show their passport or nation’s own official identity card, providing these are still valid.