New travel & entry requirements for UK passport holders

The UK government has announced that there will be changes to entry requirements for British passport holders traveling to France from November.

Reminder

The rules below remain in place:

There are no COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements for travellers entering France.

Your passport must:

• • have a ‘date of issue’ less than 10 years before the date you arrive – if you renewed your passport before 1 October 2018, it may have a date of issue that is more than 10 years ago
  • have an ‘expiry date’ at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the Schengen area

You can travel to the Schengen area, which includes France, for up to 90 days in any 180 day period without a visa in the following cases:

• • • As a tourist
    • To visit family and friends
    • To attend buisness meetings or sports/cultural events
    • For short-term studies or training

IMPORTANT: the requirements for working in France are different

. Read more on that here.

Currently, border guards look at the stamps in your passport to check you have not over-stayed the 90-day visa-free limit. If you did not receive a stamp, you could be asked to provide evidence of your travel (boarding passes, tickets etc.).

New Schengen entry requirements

Quoted directly from the Govenment website

From November 2024, the new EU Entry/Exit System (EES) will start for all non-EU nationals, including British nationals, travelling in or out of the Schengen area. The Schengen area is made up of 29 European countries, 25 of which are EU Member States. The EES is a digital border system which registers non-EU visitors travelling into the Schengen area instead of stamping their passports.

You will need to have your fingerprints and your photo taken when entering the Schengen area. If you enter the Schengen area through Dover, Eurotunnel at Folkestone or St Pancras International, your fingerprints and photo will be taken before you leave the UK. You will also need to provide either your fingerprint or photo on exit.

You may experience longer queues at borders when the new system starts.

Read more about the proposed changes here.