Reader question: Can EU dual nationals travel to France from the UK?
In the wake of Brexit, many Brits who were eligible got themselves EU passports in order to continue enjoying European freedom of movement - but does having an EU passport make any difference to Covid travel rules?
Question: I live in the UK but I'm a dual national with UK and French passports while my wife holds an Irish passport - can we travel to our second home in France if we use our EU passports to enter the country?
Citizenship of an EU country is a handy thing to have when it comes to freedom of movement - giving you the freedom to move to, work and settle in any one of the 27 EU member states.
However when it comes to Covid-related travel rules they are less of a golden ticket.
Throughout the pandemic, most country's travel rules have been based on where you are coming from, not what passport you hold. So for example it's easier for an American to get into France from Germany than it is for a German to enter France from the USA.
Logically, countries have based their rules on the epidemic situation in the country where people are travelling from, since viruses tend not to distinguish between what passport a person holds.
However there are some exceptions to this and in general people are allowed to return to their permanent homes or travel for a variety of essential reasons.
When it comes to holidays, however, there are fewer exemptions and in general the national rules apply.
In this case France is allowing in travellers coming for holidays and visits, but the UK is for the moment only allowing essential travel. And this rule applies to all UK residents - just as there are Brits living in France who have not seen families in the UK for months, so there are equally miserable French people living in the UK who cannot return to see their families in France.
You can find the full rules on travel between France and the UK HERE.
Likewise, the UK's rules on entry - quarantines and expensive testing packages - apply to their own citizens as well as visitors, so Brits making a trip to France will in most cases have to quarantine when they get home.
We try to answer any questions our members have on daily life in France - you can check out our Reader Question section or email us at [email protected]
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Question: I live in the UK but I'm a dual national with UK and French passports while my wife holds an Irish passport - can we travel to our second home in France if we use our EU passports to enter the country?
Citizenship of an EU country is a handy thing to have when it comes to freedom of movement - giving you the freedom to move to, work and settle in any one of the 27 EU member states.
However when it comes to Covid-related travel rules they are less of a golden ticket.
Throughout the pandemic, most country's travel rules have been based on where you are coming from, not what passport you hold. So for example it's easier for an American to get into France from Germany than it is for a German to enter France from the USA.
Logically, countries have based their rules on the epidemic situation in the country where people are travelling from, since viruses tend not to distinguish between what passport a person holds.
However there are some exceptions to this and in general people are allowed to return to their permanent homes or travel for a variety of essential reasons.
When it comes to holidays, however, there are fewer exemptions and in general the national rules apply.
In this case France is allowing in travellers coming for holidays and visits, but the UK is for the moment only allowing essential travel. And this rule applies to all UK residents - just as there are Brits living in France who have not seen families in the UK for months, so there are equally miserable French people living in the UK who cannot return to see their families in France.
You can find the full rules on travel between France and the UK HERE.
Likewise, the UK's rules on entry - quarantines and expensive testing packages - apply to their own citizens as well as visitors, so Brits making a trip to France will in most cases have to quarantine when they get home.
We try to answer any questions our members have on daily life in France - you can check out our Reader Question section or email us at [email protected]
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