What to expect when entering France

Kiosks and tablets available for visitors to pre-register may ask ‘travel questions’ but this option can be deactivated by the border guards if they wish. 

An optional pre-registration app has also been designed to include questions SEE PAGE 8. These questions could already, in theory, be asked by EU border guards (this is stated in rules called the Schengen Borders Code) 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 according to the borders code, ask include:

- Where you have come from and where you are going?
- What is the purpose of your trip to the EU (eg. study or visiting family members)?
- The ‘conditions’ of the trip, such as where you will stay
- Do you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay?
- Do you have a return ticket or sufficient funds to buy one? 

In most cases, the answer to the questions should be 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 has been suggested 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, we expect the questions and expected answers to be brief and that supporting documents will not usually be required; although having them in case is a good idea. 

Home owners could 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 some kiosks/tablets will 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.