Brexit card site open in October: How to prove residency?

*UPDATE: Since this article was published, the French Ministry of the Interior has announced that it is postponing the re-launching of their residency permit portal from 1 July to 1 October 2020 because of the impact of Covid-19. You can read their update here: https://brexit.gouv.fr/…/brexit/…/vous-etes-britannique.html.

This will be done via a new website which the French government is set to open in July. British in Europe’s Fiona Godfrey said: “We understand that the timetable for implementing the Withdrawal Agreement is on track in France. The biggest concern will be the sheer numbers who will have to apply and whether there will be enough time.” Residents will have until June 30, 2021, at the latest – six months after the end of the transition period – to apply but are advised to do so this year.

Read more: S1 expat health form not listed for Brexit talks

Brexit guidance for Britons living in France

A British Embassy spokeswoman said they are in contact with mayors via the Association des Maires de France about publicising procedures to isolated Britons. She said: “We’re waiting for more French guidance on the new residency cards system to come out. We have prepared a booklet to circulate widely with everything people need to know. “We will send it out via mairies and local associations that work with our consular service, and it will probably be available as a download as well.” The ministry has told them they are “sure” the website will go online in July, she said.

Four bodies have been accredited and funded by the UK government to support Britons that need help but details of one were not available on going to press (check with Connexion for updates). A spokeswoman for the DGEF, the Interior Ministry section dealing with residency cards, said there is no specific French “publicity campaign” planned in connection with the launch, but it will “widely share the information through our usual networks”.

Read more: when can we travel UK to France? Latest information

The helping bodies are:

• International Organization for Migration, in Normandy and Brittany, and in Paris: UKnationalsFR@iom.int.
• SSAFA will help services veterans: 0033 805 119 617, ssafa.org (Mon-Fri 9.00-17.30), ukvie.support@ssafa.org.uk.
• The Franco-British Network will focus on the Dordogne area.
• It is seeking freelancers to help Britons by email and phone (email tharwatm@francobritishnetwork.fr for details; applications close June 5).

What are the ways Brits can prove their French residency?

Britons will have to prove they were a resident of France before the end of the transition period – currently December 31, 2020 – to benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement and obtain a Brexit deal card. The French government has not yet clarified the exact list of documents required.

However, you are likely to need a document indicating when you started living in France and you will probably be asked to give a date of establishing yourself here. If you already have a previous carte de séjour as an EU citizen, you can use this. When you applied for it, you will have given the prefecture an “arrival date in France” and the card can be used to check this. Other useful documents could include a certificate of homeownership from a notaire, a lease contract, a home insurance document or a French work contract.

You will also need to show you have been covered for healthcare while in France, such as showing an attestation from your French CPAM, and proof of means. The latter could include (but not exclusively) your last French avis d’imposition income tax statement. Note that if you have not yet declared income in France, we recommend doing so immediately, especially if you moved here in 2019. We would also recommend opening a French bank account if you do not have one yet.

Read more: post-Brexit carte system 'will be easy', France says