France’s gift to its British friends owning French second homes

It’s official!! Following the adoption of the Immigration Bill by French Parliament, a new article will be incorporated into the Code de l’Entrée et du Séjour des Etrangers et du Droit d’Asile (Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and the Right of Asylum), giving British owners of second homes in France the right to a long-stay visa in France without the need to request one!

In other words, the hassle of calculating the number of days left to spend in your property and the stress of planning your holidays without exceeding 90 days out of a period of 180 will soon be things of the past… BONJOUR unexpected weekend, peaceful holidays at home and retirement options in France!

Although the bill has been submitted to the Conseil Constitutionnel to verify its constitutionality, it seems that these provisions are not under the threat of being qualified as unconstitutional and should come into force shortly. The decision of the Conseil Constitutionnel will be handed down before 26 January 2024.

The conditions of application of the article will be specified by decree by the Conseil d’Etat at a later date, and at Furley Page, we’ll make sure to keep you informed of the latest developments !

In the end, the French don’t hold grudges, and despite the UK’s decision to leave the EU, they don’t seem ready to say goodbye to their rosbifs friends.

For information on buying and selling French property and French tax, contact Avocat, Deborah Vaysse, on 01227 763939.