Letters: Visas are so much trouble that we will not visit our second home in France

To the Editor,

Thank you for publishing another article in The Connexion in respect of easier visas for second-home owners.

In response to a letter from Senator Martine Berthet asking for simplifications, then-interior minister Gérald Darmanin insisted the current system is working well.

Even if this were true, and there are many examples to the contrary, there is the fundamental problem that we (owners) face: the difficulty and cost each year of obtaining the visa because of the distances involved in getting to and from the remote visa centres.

My own experience is that it costs well in excess of £500 each year and that is without accommodation costs when staying overnight – not inconsiderable in London.

Read more: Letters: Long-stay visas in France ‘are not as easy as minister claimed’

Robert Ryles, by email

To the Editor,

My husband and I have experienced the most difficulty ever this year in applying for visas to visit our French home. So much so that we have abandoned our attempts and so will not be able to visit our house very much this year.

We always experience a bit of bother with the process, but have previously always got there in the end. 

The issue this year was our attempts to link up to TLS, which persistently rejected our email addresses. 

In all, I have offered them four different email addresses, all of which have been rejected. The helpline is manned by people with limited command of English who just repeat that to solve our problems we must create a new email address. 

We are completely frustrated and despairing. There has to be a better solution.

I just hope that they will soon find a way to allow British homeowners in France to access their property whenever they need to. 

Diana Ferguson, by email

Do you avoid visiting your second home due to concerns over the system of applying for a visa? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com