Question: I read that if I want to have visitors from the UK staying at my home in France I will need a permission certificate from the Mairie - surely this can't be right? I need permission even if my own family members are coming to stay with me?
Brexit has made life more complicated for Brits living in France - such as having to apply for the compulsory residency permit - but it has also had an impact on those just visiting.
Visitors need to abide by the 90-day rule and, if wanting to stay longer they will also need a visa.
But there is also something called an attestation d'accueil which is required for people hosting non-EU visitors in their homes for private or family visits.
The attestation costs €30 and must be obtained in advance of the trip by the host.
But do people hosting British visitors need this?
Non-EU visitors may be asked at the border to provide proof of where they are staying.
If you are staying in tourist accommodation such as a hotel, campsite, Airbnb, gîte or B&B then you can show proof of booking, but if you are staying with friends then you may be asked for an attestation d'acceuil - a certificate obtained by your hosts.
We have published a complete guide to how to get it HERE.
Is there an alternative to getting the certificate?
Because the process of getting the attestation is quite cumbersome - the host must apply in advance at their local mairie and send the form to the guest - there are plenty of people for whom this is impractical or impossible.
In this instance there is an alternative - you can instead provide proof that you can support yourself financially while in France, and if you cannot show either a hotel/gite/Airbnb booking OR an attestation d'acceuil, this means proving that you have at least €120 for every day of your stay in France.
Full details on the financial rates here.
The EU states that proof of means that will be accepted are; cash, travellers cheques, bank statements for the last three months showing the balance of your account at the required level or credit cards (debit cards are not accepted).
Will this really be checked?
Because of the pandemic we haven't really had a normal tourist season since the end of the Brexit transition period in 2021, so there is still some uncertainty on this.
Anecdotal evidence would suggest that in reality proof of residency or proof of means are rarely asked for, and this tallies with the experiences of other non-EU visitors such as Americans, Canadians and Australians.
However, be aware that French border guards are entirely within their rights to ask for this, and you can be turned back at the border if you cannot provide this information.
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