Groups call for more clarity as France seeks to standardise Brexit WA card renewal process

The first Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residency cards are now coming up for renewal, prompting efforts to create a standardised, though not centralised, renewal process. Not all areas, however, are taking it up.

Groups representing Britons in France have welcomed the move but have called for further information and simplification.

The co-chair of the Rift group for WA Britons, Justine Wallington, said: “It's really important that those who urgently need renewal get prioritised. These cards are vital to many for their work, education, travel, healthcare and more.”

We note that, legally-speaking, under the WA, Britons and their close family with ‘WA’ status (due to living in France before Brexit), obtain permanent residency rights after five years of residency and a card merely certifies this.

The UK/EU joint committee on WA citizens’ rights stated that as of January 2022, 105,600 permanent residency WA cards had been issued to Britons and their close family and 46,700 five-year cards.

‘Permanent’ cards must be renewed 10-yearly, with very minimal formalities, and confer broad residency rights only lost after five years away from France. 

5-year cards from 2020 due for renewal

Five-year cards are renewable prior to expiration for 10-year WA cards, or at any time if the holder has proof of living at least five years in France as their main home.

The first five-year cards, issued in late 2020 to early applicants, are expiring now.

The majority of cardholders applied via a specific national website open from October 19, 2020 to October 4, 2021 and almost 100,000 applications had been lodged by February 2021. Assuming an average three months of processing, a large volume will therefore expire in the late winter of 2025 or early spring 2026.

In anticipation, the Interior Ministry advised prefectures to offer a standardised format for renewal applications, using a template form that they were invited to host on the website Démarches Simplifiées (DS), if possible, by October 2025. 

However, only a minority, such as Calvados, Lot and Dordogne, did so by then.

Some others are still working on it. The prefecture of Gironde said: “The prefecture will put in place a specific form on the online application DS as was asked for by the Direction Générale des Etrangers en France.” A spokeswoman said it will update its website when this is done.

Morbihan’s website promises a ‘specific process’ is on the way including a dedicated appointments booking service. Finistère did not confirm plans to use DS but told us from January specific timetable slots will be offered at Quimper and Brest, on one or two half-days per week, with bookings opening via its website from November.

WA card holders are advised to check their prefectures’ websites for information (see also links to some prefecture sites and corresponding DS web pages, as well as more about the standardisation plan).

The obligatory documents are: valid UK passport, proof of residency, such as a utility bill, less than six months old and your previous residency card. 

We note one prefecture is requesting a signed copy of a contrat d’engagement (commitment to French Republican values), however this is optional for WA card holders as their rights derive from an international treaty.

So far, information on prefectures’ DS sites suggest two prefecture visits are necessary.

Most state that you will need to make an appointment to bring in three recent passport-style photos and paper copies of your documents. 

'Delays would cause uncertainty'

The Interior Ministry told The Connexion that applicants will then be issued with a récépissé receipt form, valid several months and acceptable for travel if presented with the old card (including for EES border check exemption). 

They will be notified when they can come to receive the new card and will only have to hand over the old card on receipt.

The co-chair of the British in Europe groupe, Jane Golding, said it is great news that the ministry has confirmed that a récépissé with an expired card will be valid for travel, which she said is also now mentioned in the Schengen Border Guard's handbook update. 

However the group is calling for clarity over whether the DS process is set up for people to use to upgrade to 10-year cards after five years in France, not just when five-year cards are expiring. The former is a right under the WA. 

Rift’s Justine Wallington said their group welcomes the simplification plan but would have liked to see it adopted everywhere and with only one prefecture visit (as when the WA cards were issued the first time) and with submission of photos digitally (eg. as e-photos from booths or photographers).

She added that information on the swap process is hard to find on some prefecture sites and Rift hopes to see updates to national French websites (Brexit en pratique, Ministry of the Interior, Public Service) that the French government advised the European Commission would be made.

It would also like clearer information regarding the advice on official sites to apply dans les deux mois before expiration (ministry sources told The Connexion three months before is ideal).

Ms Wallington said she visited the European Commission earlier this year to discuss renewals and remains in contact with officials.

 “If there are delays over renewals, tens of thousands of Britons risk losing legal certainty,” she said. “We’ve asked the commission to help ensure five-year upgrades are handled fairly and on time.”

If you are going through the renewal process please share how it went and any tips, including which prefecture, that may help others via feedback@connexionfrance.com.