Healthcare cover for second-home owners

There is no special status as such for second-home owners in France, they are considered equivalent to general visitors. EU citizens with second homes can come and go freely, making use of Ehic health cards and with no border formalities. Most non-EU visitors, however, should ensure they have suitable private health insurance to cover their trips and should be aware of visa requirements.

Post-Brexit, UK nationals who own second homes can only stay in the Schengen area, including France, for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period as has been the case for other non-EU nationalities for many years. 

Passports will be stamped upon entry in any Schengen country and the three-month duration limit starts running from the date of this stamp (stamps are set to be phased out when the EU’s new digital Entry/Exit System comes into force, probably in the first half of 2025). For stays longer than 90 days travellers must apply in advance for a temporary long-term visa.

British second-home owners benefit from the same level of health protection for their visits as before Brexit through Ehic/Ghic cards. These cards are free. 

Cards obtained or renewed after Brexit are called Ghic (Global Health Insurance Card) rather than Ehic but their function is essentially the same. People with an Ehic / Ghic will not be required to purchase comprehensive private insurance plans as the basics of medical coverage is covered with the card.

However the UK government does advise that you purchase travel insurance coverage allowing for unforeseen circumstances which may not be covered under a Ghic – eg. private healthcare, mountain rescue, repatriation in the case of accident or death etc. Note also that the Ehic/Ghic system only reimburses up to the usual French state reimbursement levels so you may have out-of-pocket expenses for ordinary healthcare if you have no additional cover which compensates for this.

What about coming for long stays in France?

Non-EU nationals who want to stay more than 90 days in France must obtain a visa prior to travel. This is the case for people wanting to stay up to six months at a time in a second home – in such cases a temporary long-stay visa is required. Britons can still rely on an Ehic/Ghic for healthcare on such stays but other nationalities will need private cover.

People who decide to move to France on a settled basis, for example, making their second home a main home, also need a long-stay visa and must later apply for a residency card in France to extend their residency rights. 

In either case, visa applicants need to show their plans and level and sources of income, eg. whether they will be salaried or self-employed, are pensioners or early-retirees etc.

Early-retirees settling in France have to show they have a private healthcare policy for the duration of their initial visa.

Bear in mind the 90/180 rule for non-EU visitors

Non-EU foreign nationals must pay close attention to the Schengen area’s 90/180-day rule for their visits. They should take care not to over-stay beyond this allotted visa-free period and should plan to take out a temporary long-stay visa if they wish to stay for four to six months at a time.

Note that it is possible to combine a temporary long-stay visa period with coming earlier or staying later under the 90-day rule, as time on a visa is not counted for purposes of the 90-day rule. 

The French border police said that people who do this should explain on leaving that they combined a short-stay and a long-stay, and show evidence (eg. passport stamp/visa dates/travel ticket, boarding card etc). Note, though, that you should generally avoid spending most of the calendar year in France if you do not want to become a French tax resident.

Private healthcare cover is required for temporary long-stay visas although Britons benefit from being able to use an Ehic / Ghic still for healthcare post Brexit. UK second-home owners are not equivalent to residents and do not qualify for residency cards and, as a result, are subject to the Schengen area’s 90/180 rule.

You can use this short-stay calculator to help you determine the remaining number of allowable days for a stay or to plan a visit to the EU. 

Second-home owners must also take note that neither France nor the UK recognises dual residency; in rough terms, wherever you spend the majority of your time is likely to be your primary residence, and the rest will be on a visiting basis.

All non-EU visitors to the EU have their passports date-stamped at the point of entry to the Schengen zone (as mentioned, this is expected to be phased out in 2025 in favour of digital controls called the European Entry/Exit System). Exceeding the maximum 90-day limit may result in €198 fines on leaving the Schengen area.