December Newsletter from British Ambassador to France
The British Ambassador to France, Menna Rawlings, shares the latest information on French-British relations in the Embassy newsletter, Voisins Voices.
Below are excerpts from the latest edition.
What we’ve been up to
This year we have been marking the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale, including with British military officers participating in a changing of the guard at the Elysee Palace and French officers doing the same at Buckingham Palace. Last month, I was also delighted to welcome Richard Moore, chief of the Secret Intelligence Service, to Paris for the inaugural Entente Cordiale lecture, in which he underlined the vital links between our countries in matters of intelligence and security.
We also reflected on these links at the commemorations in Normandy marking the 80th anniversary of DDay. It was an incredible privilege to stand with veterans as they remembered Welcome to Voisins Voices! This edition includes a few words from our Ambassador, information on upcoming changes to border regulations, on winter sports, healthcare and more. Please do forward this to anyone you think would find it useful. To be added to the distribution list, simply follow this link and fill in the form with your email address and name. As always, our online Living in France Guide has the most up to date information. Whether you have lived in France for many years, or recently arrived – please click on this link to see more detail and register to be notified of updates. remembered their friends lost on the beaches, and an important reminder of the deep shared history between the UK and France. More recently, the Prime Minister was invited to join President Macron at the Armistice Day ceremony in Paris, 80 years to the day since Sir Winston Churchill joined General de Gaulle at the same ceremony in 1944.
This year I’ve also been struck, in my conversations with British and French nationals on both side of the Channel, at the depth of affection which exists between our people and communities – truly the beating heart of our entente. As always, delivering for you – and for the wider UK interest – has been a key priority for us this year. It was in large part thanks to the hard work of our consular and borders team that the summer passed smoothly for most travellers to and from France – including the thousands who crossed the Channel for the Olympics and Paralympics. At the Embassy, we ran a specialist operations centre 7 days a week during the Games, to make sure we could respond to any potential crises – we were delighted that the period passed without any large-scale incidents. Over summer, we welcomed a host of royal and ministerial visitors to Paris, to cheer on our teams and build deeper links with their French counterparts.
Looking ahead to next year, it’s a really exciting time for the UK-France relationship. The new UK Government has made it clear they want to reset the UK’s relationship with European partners, including France. And the UK will host a UK-France Summit in the UK next year, where we can further strengthen our ties and our joint work to deliver for the French and British people. Closer to home (for me, anyway!) I’m looking forward to celebrating the 300th anniversary of the British Ambassador’s Residence in Paris. This amazing building works extremely hard for us – from hosting key political contacts for meetings to giving us the opportunity to speak to the public about the UK-France relationship at events like Patrimoine Day. Do make sure you’re following our social media pages to hear more about how we’ll be celebrating this next year.
EES: EU Entry/Exit System
The EU plans to introduce the Entry/Exit System (EES). The exact date that EES will be introduced has not been confirmed. Once introduced, non-EU nationals, including UK nationals, visiting the EU will need to create a digital record when entering the EU’s Schengen Zone. This includes providing biometric data (fingerprints and facial image) at the border. If you are a UK national with rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you will be exempt from EES registration, if you have the correct documentation. In France, documents that allow exemption include all forms of Withdrawal Agreement residency permits, including 5-year, 10-year and permanent residency permits. Any other valid residency permit issued by France or any other EU member state will also mean that you are exempt.
Please note that minors must be in possession of a Document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM), whether travelling accompanied or alone, to be exempt from EES. DCEMs are free for beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement. Apply for a DCEM through the French government website Document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM). If you have one of these documents, you will not need to register in the EES when travelling. Find out more information on the EES initiative on the website.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
ETAs will be implemented for European Nationals travelling to the UK in 2025. Nationalities from the following locations can apply for an ETA from 5 March 2025, with an ETAs becoming obligatory from 2 April 2025.
Who does not need an ETA
Please check this link to find out if you currently need an ETA or check if your nationality can apply later.
Students aged 18 and under travelling on a French organised school trip, which has properly completed the UK-FR School Travel Information Form will be exempt from ETA. Teachers and guardians travelling as part of the trip will NOT be exempted and should ensure they have properly requested an ETA ahead of travel.
You do not need an ETA if any of these apply to you:
- you have a visa
- you have permission to live, work or study in the UK (including settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme)
- you are a British or Irish citizen
- you are travelling with a British overseas territories citizen passport
- you live in Ireland and you are travelling from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
Travel
Many of you may be travelling over the festive season to see family, friends or to have a well-deserved break!
If you are travelling, please be aware that we are likely to see an increase in traffic which may lead to delays at certain times.
Read more on our French travel advice here.
For specific info about skiing (as a holiday or for seasonal work), read pages 7-11 of the newsletter here.
Support for Victims of Domestic Violence
This multilingual information portal was created by Women for Women France in collaboration with 30 experts with the aim of becoming the national reference: it contains reliable and comprehensible information for French and non-French victims of domestic violence, regardless of the language they speak and is already available in 16 languages.
It contains 90 practical guides that respond in a clear and precise manner to concrete concerns in the following areas:
- Money, housing, independence
- Separation, divorce, child custody
- Safety and protection orders
- Physical, sexual and mental health
- Right to stay in France
- Police and justice