-
‘Child-friendly’ stickers for cafés to launch in France
Red stickers will promote spaces that welcome children in face of growing – and controversial – ‘no-kid’ movement
-
Big drop in telephone fees but rises for food and services: France’s June 2025 inflation stats
Year-on-year inflation picks up to reach 1% in France
-
Macron pledges billions in extra defence funding for French army
By 2027 the sum given to the military will have doubled from 2017, but the president did not lay out where extra funds will come from
Brexit: will I need a new passport?
Every other day, we share a reader question from our Brexit and Britons in France Help Guide. Get your copy of the guide via the link at the end of this article.

My British passport is still valid for several years but it says European Union on the cover – will this cause problems now due to Brexit?
No. The European Commission states that British passports issued before Brexit will remain valid for travel.
However, passports must have a minimum six months’ validity left if you are travelling into the Schengen area, including France, after the transition period, currently due to end on December 31, 2020. The UK has continued to issue burgundy passports but without the words ‘European Union’ after Brexit. It shortly plans to change to blue ones.
These will be made by Gemalto, a French-owned firm which has several factories around the world. They are expected to be made in Poland. The UK government said that, although the passports will be made abroad, they will be ‘personalised in the UK’ so all UK data stays in the country.
Get our Brexit and Britons in France 2020 Help Guide
In our comprehensive help guide, you'll find information on what Brexit means for British residents, second homeowners and visitors in France - now and after December 31, 2020. Recently updated following on from the delay of the new residence card website for Britons (now set to launch in October), this 64-page handbook outlines what you need to do as Britain leaves the EU. We answer your questions on whether second homeowners can spend more than 90 days in France after Brexit, would you be better covered for healthcare by becoming French, future guidance on pet vaccinations and more.
BUY THE GUIDE HERE
Stay informed:
Sign up to our free weekly e-newsletter
Subscribe to access all our online articles and receive our printed monthly newspaper The Connexion at your home. News analysis, features and practical help for English-speakers in France