Brexit Barriers?

Will you still be able to live, study and work in France after Brexit? As we go to press there still many questions, but Debbie Bradbury has some answers

- Debbie Bradbury

Brexit is a fast-moving news story and you can imagine how hard it is for us professionals to give advice that remains valid. As French Property News goes to press, the 31 October deadline for the UK’s departure from the EU has been and gone and the UK government has been granted a three-month extension until 31 January to attempt to obtain an acceptable deal.

But how will things change after this date when it comes to living, studying and working in France as a British citizen?

RESIDENCY – NO-DEAL

Firstly, we are very fortunate in France that the French government has been proactive over the past year and has already put in place the new rules and regulations with regards to residency permits for British nationals living and working in France in the case of a no-deal Brexit.

In this scenario, British citizens who have been living regularly in France at the time of the UK leaving the EU will have three-to-12 months to regularise their residency situation. There will be seven kinds of carte de séjour (residency permit) as follows:

1) Permit for students (valid according to number of years left to study in France)

2) Permit for salaried employees (valid for four years if on a long-term contract)

3) Provisional permit for salaried employees on shortterm contracts or secondment contracts (valid one year only)

4) Permit for self-employed (valid four years depending on minimum resources)

5) Provisional permit for those looking for work or creating a business in France if they had studied in France and obtained a French higher education diploma prior to being unemployed or if they had been working for a minimum number of months prior to becoming unemployed; and as long as they have healthcare cover