Can Americans stay for 90 extra days due to the 1949 agreement?

Is it true that US citizens can spend 90 days in the EU and then immediately afterwards spend another 90 days in France, based on a bilateral agreement between the US and France?

Several online sources make reference to the fact that an old bilateral agreement between the US and France should mean that American citizens can stay for three months in France even after they have used up their 90 days visa-free in the Schengen area.

The agreement that is cited dates from 1949 and does indeed mention the possibility of a US citizen staying in France for three months based on a special agreement. It, of course, makes no mention of the Schengen Agreement, which was concluded in 1985.

What is more, article 20 of the Schengen rules state that the 90-days rule does not override the right of a country to allow nationals of a certain state to stay on longer based on rules in old treaties that existed earlier.

An official French source confirmed to The Connexion that the treaty is real and still active.

“It is possible, under a bilateral agreement of 1949, for an American citizen to stay for an additional three months in France beyond the 90 days authorised by the Schengen visa per 180 day period,” the source said.

Similar agreements have been concluded between France and other countries over the years.

Based on this, a US citizen may notify border guards of their intention to make use of this when they first enter France.