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Where in France would the new plan for ‘wildfire’ second-home visas apply?
Visa would allow British homeowners to gain easier access to their properties in the face of wildfire risks
Reader Question: A senator has proposed easier visas for British second-home owners in areas where wildfire prevention rules require land to be cleared. Which parts of France would qualify, and can I check whether my property is included?
You are correct that a senator, Lauriane Josende, is calling for easier visa access for second-home owners to help them comply with mandatory undergrowth clearance requirements.
Earlier this month, in a parliamentary question, Ms Josende called on Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez to expand visa rights for second-home owners affected by the clearance rules, known as obligation légale de débroussaillement (OLD, often called débroussaillage).
The OLD rules relate to clearing undergrowth, pruning trees, and clearing roads within a certain radius of your property – more information is available in our article here.
Ms Josende asked the question in the wake of historic wildfires in France this summer, many in areas popular with second-home owners.
She asked if the government would “better reconcile the rules governing the stay of British nationals with the ongoing responsibilities incumbent upon those who own and manage property or land in France, particularly in areas highly exposed to natural risks.”
Ms Josende called for “the implementation of a targeted and strictly regulated mechanism that would allow British nationals who can demonstrate such responsibilities to benefit from adapted conditions of stay or visa procedures, without granting a general right of residence or the right to engage in professional activity in France.”
She later told UK media this could potentially be expanded to include all non-EU nationals, not just Britons.
High-risk areas outlined on official map
Ms Josende did not provide concrete examples of what rights the visa would entail, nor who would be permitted to obtain one, and no detailed plans have been outlined either by the senator or the interior ministry.
Therefore, it is currently unknown if your property would be ‘included’ in the zone of any possible visa.
However, on the basis that Ms Josende highlighted those homeowners with responsibilities of maintenance, it is more likely that second-home owners with property in areas where the OLD regulations are in place would be covered by any future visa.
These areas are shown on OLD regulations maps.
Undergrowth clearance requirements are not mandatory everywhere in France, but in specific areas at a higher risk of wildfires.
Departments in seven regions – Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Brittany, Centre-Val de Loire, Corsica, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur – are primarily covered.
Pockets of departments in other regions including Île-de-France are also affected.
You can see a map of the areas under obligatory OLD rules using the government’s new interactive map website.
On the top right-hand site, click the blue catalogue des cartes button, then Toutes les cartes. Write débroussaillement into the search box and then click on the results and select Obligations légales de débroussaillement.
Areas subject to the rules are then highlighted in pink.
Once you have applied this filter, you can use the search bar to see if your address is covered by the rules. You can also zoom into the map to see your area more closely.
