Questions you may be asked

All non-EU/non-EEA/non-Swiss (also known as 'third country') nationals visiting the EU are required to meet certain 'entry conditions' to come into the Schengen area, set out in the Schengen Border Code.

The EES and, when it starts, ETIAS, are partly intended to automate the process of checking that visitors comply, however, border guards are still entitled to ask further questions if they wish. 

The conditions include:

• Having a valid passport that was issued in the last 10 years and which has validity extending at least three months after the intended date of departure from the area

• Being a citizen of a country with visa exemption for short stays or having a short-stay visa (or long-stay visa or residency card)

• They are able to 'justify the purpose and conditions of the intended stay', as well as having sufficient means to support themselves during the stay and a return ticket or means to buy one

• Not being subject to an alert in EU security systems, such that they should be denied entry, and not otherwise considered to be dangerous

• Not refusing to give biometric data where required for EES

As part of the requirement to be able to show the 'purpose and conditions of their stay', border guards are entitled to ask questions and if necessary request supporting documents, such as:

• For business trips, an invitation from a firm or authority to attend an event, entry tickets to a conference, or other documents showing the business reasons for coming

• For students, a certificate of enrolment at a study institution or other evidence of study, such as student cards or certificates

• For tourists this could include, eg. a hotel or campsite booking or an invitation from a host (evidence of having one's own home would be relevant to second-home owners), a tour booking, a return ticket

• Those coming for political, cultural etc reasons may show invitations, tickets, enrolments, programmes etc

That being said, it should be noted that these rules have existed for a number of years and experience shows that ordinary tourists from countries such as the US and UK are rarely asked such questions by border guards, and even more rarely asked for supporting documents.

Kiosks and tablets available for visitors to pre-register in the EES can ask ‘travel questions’ about such issues but this option can be deactivated by the border guards if they wish and in practice often is.

An optional pre-registration app has also been designed to include questions, however this is not yet available in France.

As mentioned above, these questions could already, in theory, be asked by EU border guards but this rarely happened in practice.

The rules have not changed with the start of EES and, as before, guards may choose to ask them or not and may also ask for proof if they wish.

Questions that border guards may, in theory, ask include:

• In most cases, the answer to the questions are straightforward.

If you are a non-EU visitor staying with someone who owns or rents a French home, according to French immigration rules your host is expected to obtain an attestation d’accueil for you.

A French resident can obtain this from their local mairie and forward it to the visitor. In practice this is almost never asked for when people visit from countries with visa-free short-stay access, such as the UK or America.

As a precaution, it is recommended that you consider carrying an email invitation from your host.

French interior ministry officials previously confirmed to us that a host’s invitation is acceptable to meet the border’s code requirement in the case of visa-waiver nationals. However, in theory the visitor should in such a case have additional funds to hand.

The minimum funds visitors to France require, according to official French sources, are: €120/day with no proof of accommodation, €65 with a hotel booking and €32.50 if staying with a host or at a second home.

The border code says guards can ask to see means of payment such as credit cards, travellers’ cheques or cash to assess whether you have ‘sufficient means’.

In view of the need to limit queues, the typical questions and expected answers are brief and supporting documents are not usually required; although having them in case is a good idea.

Home owners may carry a local property tax or utilities bill; tourists can bring proof of a hotel or other booking.

Under national French rules it is also required that foreign visitors should have travel health insurance and it is possible for some kiosks/tablets to ask about this. France accepts Ghics/Ehics in the case of British travellers, however we note that the UK government advises taking out extra travel health insurance to cover eventualities such as repatriation.

Facilitation programmes

The EU says countries may put in place ‘facilitation programmes’ for certain frequent travellers. France has not at present confirmed participation in this or who may qualify. The EU says that if you are granted this then you may bypass checks about your travel plans.