UK Nationals Support Fund (UKNSF)

Since April 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been supporting UK nationals and their family members apply for residency under the Withdrawal Agreement.

The deadline for applying for your Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP), known in French as a “carte/titre de séjour « accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’Union Européenne »”, was 30 June 2021. French authorities continued to accept applications via the online portal until 4 October 2021.

Now that the residency application website is closed, IOM’s service under the UK Nationals Support Fund Project has ended.

From 4 October 2021, you can still apply at your local prefecture if you had reasonable grounds for missing the deadline, as can children turning 18 years old after this date. Your close family members continue to be able to join you and settle in France at any point in the future.

Please  find answers to frequently asked questions and useful links below:

I was a legal resident in France before 1 January 2021 but did not apply for a Withdrawal Agreement residence permit

In France, the initial deadline to apply for a residence permit in line with the Withdrawal Agreement was 30 June 2021. It was still possible to submit an online residency application until 4 October 2021, but this route  is now closed. If you have missed the deadline, please contact your local prefecture to see how to regularize your situation. You may find your local prefecture’s email address in this list.

I have a residence permit for France but I am unsure if this is the correct one

UK nationals who were legally residing in France before 1January 2021 and wanting to stay in France were required to apply for a Withdrawal Agreement residence permit. This “titre de séjour” should have, at the back, the mention “Article 18 (1) Accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’UE“. You can find an example here: https://www.frenchresidencysupport.org/post/the-withdrawal-agreement-residence-permit

If you have another type of residence permit, for example one with the mention “carte de séjour pour citoyen UE/EEE/Suisse”, you probably needed to ask for an exchange. In that case, please contact your local prefecture to regularize your situation. You may find your local prefecture’s email address in this list.

I have applied for my Withdrawal Agreement residence permit but I am still waiting for my appointment at the prefecture

If you have applied for a WARP but have not yet received it, you must keep your certificate of application (from your initial email confirmation) and continue the process.

If you have not had a response to your WARP application, check your email and spam folder, and contact your prefecture. Keep a copy of any correspondence. You may find your local prefecture’s email address in this list.

You should also email the Interior Ministry: contact-demandeenligne-brexit-dgef@interieur.gouv.fr. Ensure that you respond promptly to requests, to help prefectures process your application quickly.

I had my appointment at the prefecture but have not received my WARP yet

After your appointment at the prefecture, it usually takes between three to eight weeks for the residence permit to be delivered to you, normally by registered post. If you have been waiting for more than two months it might be that your residence permit could not be delivered by post and was returned to the prefecture.

Please contact your local prefecture to enquire about your residence card. You may find your local prefecture’s email address in this list.

My residency application is ongoing but I am already being asked to show a residence permit

French law currently requires you to be in possession of your WARP before 1 January 2022. Pending a decision on your application, your rights are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement and you can show your certificate of application (from your initial email confirmation). You may also download this Informative note about the Withdrawal Agreement from the British Embassy Paris which may be helpful to present to local authorities.

I have an appointment at the prefecture but am unable to attend due to serious mobility issues

If you are really unable to attend the appointment at the prefecture, due to serious mobility issues that can be attested by a medical certificate, please inform the prefecture right away so that they can give your appointment to someone else, and ask them what solution may be found. Some prefectures accept, if you are able to show a medical certificate, that someone attends the appointment in your place if they come with:

• Medical certificate
• Procuration letter - see Model here: Procuration
• ID of both the applicant and the person attending in their place
• The email convocation/appointment

Please contact your local prefecture to see what they may accept. You may find your local prefecture’s email address in this list: List of prefecture's email adresses 

I was a legal resident in France before 1 January 2021 and some family members want to join me in France

Your close family members continue to be able to join you and settle in France at any point in the future. This applies to spouses, registered partners or durable partners, dependent children and grandchildren, and dependent parents and grandparents, including those of your spouse or registered partner. Your relationship with them must have begun by 31 December 2020.

If you have, or if you legally adopt, children in the future, and you have custody of them, your children will have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Family members must travel to France and then submit a WARP application to the local prefecture, as your family member. For nationals of certain non-EU countries a short-stay visa application is required to travel to France. To find out if this is the case for you, you can test your requirements here: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/ai-je-besoin-d-un-visa

 

My application for a Withdrawal Agreement residence permit has not been accepted, what can I do?

The assessment of your residency application by the French authorities may result in different forms of unsuccessful outcomes:

• If you receive an email from your prefecture stating that your application has been closed (“classée sans suite”), it may be that you did not reply in time to a request from the prefecture or that you have missed your biometric appointment. This may not mean that your application has been refused and you should contact your prefecture for further information, to see if they may reopen your file or if you may make a new application. You can also inform the French Interior Ministry and the British Embassy Paris.
• If you receive an email from your prefecture stating that they could not provide a favourable outcome to your application (“Les éléments que vous nous avez communiqués ne nous ont pas permis de donner une suite favorable à votre demande”), you should contact your prefecture for further information. You can also inform the French Interior Ministry and the British Embassy Paris.
• A formal refusal of your residency application should normally consist of a legal decision (“arrêté”) from the prefecture and be received by registered post. The decision should clearly state the reasons of the refusal and the accompanying letter should contain information about the available appeal process. If you have received such formal refusal of your residency application you may wish to contact a lawyer without delay. You can find information on how to appeal a residency decision here (in French):https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31969. You can also inform the French Interior Ministry and the British Embassy.

 

 

I need further information or support

If you have not found an answer to your situation, you may want to contact a local association. You can find a list of British associations and French associations dealing with residency here: Associations 

If you need a lawyer, you may find the UK government’s list of English-speaking lawyers in France useful: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/france-list-of-lawyers

 

I want to come to France but I was not a resident before 1January 2021

UK nationals who are not covered by the Withdrawal Agreement can travel to countries in the Schengen area, which France is part of, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training. Find more information here: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france/entry-requirements

If you are travelling to France and other Schengen countries without a visa, make sure your whole visit is within the 90-day limit. Visits to Schengen countries within the previous 180 days before you travel count towards your 90 days.

To stay longer, to work or study, for business travel or for other reasons, you will need to meet the French government’s entry requirements. To see what your individual entry requirement might be, you should visit the France Visas website: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/

If you stay in France with a residence permit or long-stay visa, this does not count towards your 90‑day visa-free limit.

I am living in France and have an issue not related to residency

For general information, please visit the UK government’s Living in France webpage: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/living-in-france

• If your question is related to healthcare in France, please visit CPAM English webpage: https://www.ameli.fr/morbihan/assure/english-pages

You may also find the following videos, produced by the British Embassy in Paris, useful:

• Healthcare in France: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=827706777967650
• Healthcare in France – S1 Form: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2813712062180071

If you need to contact the NHS about an S1 form or perhaps an EHIC or GHIC:

NHS Overseas Healthcare Services

Telephone: +44 (0)191 218 1999

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Saturday, 9am to 3pm

If you need administrative support and/or IT support, notably to exchange a driving license in France, or to fill a tax form, you can reach out to France Services, which are offices all around France providing support for daily administrative procedures. You can look for the closest office from you here: https://www.cohesion-territoires.gouv.fr/france-services

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This section may host advice, opinions, and statements of various information providers. Although IOM makes reasonable efforts to obtain reliable content from third parties IOM does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any such content and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or privacy practices of third-party content or links. Any reliance thereupon shall be at the User’s own risk.