JohnnyD
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Mayenne (53) When Covid allows..........Which isn't very often these days........
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Post by JohnnyD on Nov 8, 2023 17:20:32 GMT 1
French senate backs ‘automatic visa’ right for UK second-home owners
There is an article in Connexion today, I have read it, but not sure what it actually means, has anyone any other info on it?
JD
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Post by Nutty on Nov 8, 2023 17:36:04 GMT 1
www.connexionfrance.com/article/French-news/49-French-senators-back-flexible-rules-for-second-home-ownersSounds like an outbreak of common sense to me: Dozens more senators have put their names to amendments seeking more flexible rules for non-resident foreign second-home owners in France.
Three amendments on this topic have been added to the immigration bill which is being debated by the Senate from today, including a new five-year homeowner visa, an ‘automatic’ visa right, and a new long-stay visa home owner category.
They have been grouped together one after the other in the order of discussion, and appear about a quarter of the way down the list.
Two of the amendments were originally submitted by single Les Républicains (LR) senators, and one by a group of six centrists.
More than a quarter (39) of the dominant Les Républicains group in the Senate have now put their name to one or both of the LR ideas.
President Macron’s Renaissance party is in a minority in the Senate and will need support from members of the LR group.
Senator Imbert has so far attracted the most support, for her proposal for a homeowner visa, aimed at all non-EU foreign non-residents, with a total of 33 senators adding their name to this.
The idea would reduce the need to undertake visa formalities for extended stays to only once every five years instead of the current need to start a fresh application each time a person plans to spend more than 90 days out of 180 days in France (once a year for many second-home owners).
It would also free up visa officials at the French consulate in London, or their contractors TLSContact, who have often struggled to provide sufficient appointments to meet the post-Brexit demand.
Meanwhile, Senator Berthet’s ‘automatic visa’ idea now has 13 supporters, and the centrists’ amendment is supported by a total of 11 senators.
Debate on the bill is ongoing in the Senate all this week, and next Tuesday.
Readers who support the ideas may wish to let their own senators know: see here for how to contact them (click the letter symbol for the email address).
The bill is then expected to be debated by the MPs in the assemblée nationale next month.
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Post by annabellespapa on Nov 8, 2023 18:20:37 GMT 1
That would be great for us, I have a British passport plus an Irish one but it makes it awkward as a family as my OH and daughter have just British passports, we have two properties in France so it becomes awkward to use/maintain and generally enjoy our properties, even though we are paying TD'H and F for both properties and not receiving all the benefits, in fact less than residents. We have owned property in France since 2003 so we have paid our dues and taxes on a total of 5 house sales and purchases. My daughter is now doing her A levels and could be going to Uni in less than 18 months, this was to be our time to travel and use our French house as a base to explore and just live in France, we didn't vote for Brexit, even losing French friends over it as they love travelling to the UK and I assured them that Brexit wouldn't happen and they think we are part of the betrayal.
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Post by omegal on Nov 8, 2023 19:28:37 GMT 1
A couple of things sort of need to be realised. I believe there are 348 sénateurs and sénatrices in the senate, so a lot of work to be done to get it through. The second point is, will it mean having to declare to the Impots if the person stays longer than the legal time allowed? I hope it works out well for people but the Connexion is not a paper I have come to see as a good source but more a Sun type headliner, we shall see......
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Post by gigi on Nov 8, 2023 20:05:13 GMT 1
From what I’ve seen/read recently, the Connexion has improved since I first came across it. So, yes, we’ll see.
i’ve sent an email to the senator for our area, hoping that he will support the bill in the Senat and later in the assemblée nationale if it gets thst far.
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Post by sw31girl on Nov 10, 2023 9:09:36 GMT 1
It would seem fair to me that people who bought properties prior to brexit had unfettered access to those properties as they bought them in good faith. They weren’t to know that the U.K. government has no understanding of the concept of good faith which, fortunately, a number of the members of the French senate have!
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Post by omegal on Nov 10, 2023 10:58:18 GMT 1
It isn't really the UK governments choice. Like so many nationalities who are not in the EU, the people in the UK also now sit as a third country national. The vote went in favour of Brexit and the UK therefore left the EU and all the privileges that gave them. When the Connexion said "Senate" it was made to look like the senate as a whole whereas in fact it was nowhere near that. Personally I hope that the French government do allow second home owners who bought pre Brexit to continue again with the same rights they previously had. For those that bought after Brexit, sadly they knew the rules but let's hope if it ever happens, they might get the same right of way but as I said staying longer without a visa could well pull in the requirement of completing an Impots form. We can but wait and see......
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Post by crabtree on Nov 10, 2023 13:13:03 GMT 1
French senate backs ‘automatic visa’ right for UK second-home owners
There is an article in Connexion today, I have read it, but not sure what it actually means, has anyone any other info on it?
JD
Johnny, if that is their headline, then it is very misleading.
There has been some discussion in the anglophone community (particularly by British citizens) and there have been some articles in the French press about a number of proposed amendments to the French government's upcoming immigration bill. These amendments, if passed, would have an as-of-yet undetermined effect on the eligibility of second home owners for visas, possibly creating a new visa path for those affected. However, as none of these amendments have become law yet, as there is no guarantee that any of them will, and as there is no indication of how they will apply if they do become law, it is just a matter of wait and see.
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ajm
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Post by ajm on Nov 10, 2023 14:33:26 GMT 1
I understood that the Senate are considering not backing this.
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Post by jeliecrack on Nov 10, 2023 17:33:27 GMT 1
Brexit apart why does having a second home entitle you to different treatment to other people who would just want to travel for extended periods?
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ajm
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Post by ajm on Nov 10, 2023 17:43:56 GMT 1
Brexit apart why does having a second home entitle you to different treatment to other people who would just want to travel for extended periods? Paying more towatds the French economy perhaps?
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Post by jeliecrack on Nov 10, 2023 21:38:31 GMT 1
Do they really pay more?
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Post by cernunnos on Nov 10, 2023 21:47:56 GMT 1
Those that have enough money to own more than one house should pay taxes for what they own. It makes no difference to the French economy who pays the tax etc.
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Post by omegal on Nov 30, 2023 17:21:40 GMT 1
Sadly for second home owners of all nationalities inc the French themselves, it has not been passed and they can only hope for any further developments to come in the years ahead.
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Post by annabellespapa on Dec 1, 2023 9:41:21 GMT 1
That would be great for us, I have a British passport plus an Irish one but it makes it awkward as a family as my OH and daughter have just British passports, we have two properties in France so it becomes awkward to use/maintain and generally enjoy our properties, even though we are paying TD'H and F for both properties and not receiving all the benefits, in fact less than residents. We have owned property in France since 2003 so we have paid our dues and taxes on a total of 5 house sales and purchases. My daughter is now doing her A levels and could be going to Uni in less than 18 months, this was to be our time to travel and use our French house as a base to explore and just live in France, we didn't vote for Brexit, even losing French friends over it as they love travelling to the UK and I assured them that Brexit wouldn't happen and they think we are part of the betrayal. Carrying on from above and in reply to some of the comments after my post, we were in Brittany for 11 days over the last half term at the end of October, normally the ferries are full with families either travelling to accommodation or to visit families, they weren't. The local supermarket's car park would have plenty of British registered vehicles, they weren't, our local tourist village square would have virtually a 50-50 split of British cars to French, there was only one car apart from ours that was British owned. Even the kids entertainment on the ferry home was cancelled. We wanted to venture out, meet friends and go for lunches, every time we had to call restaurants before we went to make sure they were open even though their websites said they were open and were not due to staff shortages and condensing trade just to the weekends. We pay taxe d'habitation and foncier for both our properties (I know our choice ) and receive little for it but the French economy and I believe the heavily French state backed Brittany Ferries are really struggling. A friend who is retired and has already travelled to Spain for 4 months over the winter has booked with no questions asked by his travel company and he is clearly breaking the 90 day rule.
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