Can I travel between France and UK with national ID card and not French passport?
EU and UK both have electronic border systems in place
Reader Question: I am a dual French-UK citizen, however my French passport has expired. I want to visit the UK - is it possible to travel using my French national ID card, or do I have to take my French passport with me?
In general you cannot travel outside of the EU/EEA area using only an EU/EEA national ID card, although there are certain exemptions for Switzerland, European microstates such as Monaco, and some Balkan countries that have agreements in place with the bloc.
These exemptions do not extend to the UK, meaning you need a passport to travel there.
The only exception for this is if you are planning a day-trip to the Channel Islands (Jersey, Guernsey, or Alderney) from France via a ferry service, where you both dock and depart on the same day.
More widely however, UK citizens are now required to enter the country using their UK passport or an Irish passport, or with a third-nation passport that has a certificate of entitlement attached.
This is to avoid them having to register with the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA, electronic border security system).
Dual citizens have been told they cannot use their non-UK passport (aside from the exemptions above) to enter the country.
For more advice on dual passport holders travelling between the EU and UK, read our article here.
Documentation important for return to France
The main reason for renewing your French passport would be your return into France.
If you do not have your documentation to prove your French nationality, you will be registered in the Entry/Exit System (EES).
Accepted documentation is typically a valid passport, however you can show a valid EU/EEA national ID card alongside your British passport when entering to prove your citizenship status.
If you do not show any valid documentation to prove your dual nationality, French authorities will take biometric details from you (fingerprints and facial photo) and track your entrance to the bloc, registering you on the system.
While there are no outright bans on EU citizens entering the Schengen area on a third-nation passport, they have been heavily recommended to avoid doing this, to ensure they are not accidentally registered with the EES.
You can contact France’s Interior Ministry to have your EES registration changed – read how to do so in our article here – but this can be time consuming and it is best to avoid the scenario altogether.
One thing you risk if travelling only on your UK passport, even with a French ID card, is not being able to use the EU citizen lane when arriving in the country.
Even if you do not have to register for the system yourself, you would need to queue with those who do need to register, potentially prolonging your arrival time by a considerable amount.
