France: Non-EEA/Swiss Temporary Residents May Be Required to Present Valid Residency Permit or Visa for Re-entry
France: Non-EEA/Swiss Temporary Residents May Be Required to Present Valid Residency Permit or Visa for Re-entry
Based on a recent change in practice, French border authorities may require all non-European Economic Area (EEA)/Swiss nationals who temporarily reside in France to present a valid residency permit, visa or, where applicable, a special travel document for a minor child when seeking re-entry. Non-EEA/Swiss nationals who are awaiting issuance of a residency permit or child’s travel document are encouraged to postpone their travel until the document has been issued or be prepared to apply for a re-entry visa in their home country.
Non-European Economic Area (EEA)/Swiss nationals who temporarily reside in France and are seeking re-entry after an international trip may be required to present a valid residency permit (carte de séjour), visa, or, where applicable, a minor child’s travel document (document de circulation pour étranger mineur or DCEM). While there has been no formal change in requirements, the border authorities have increasingly been requesting these documents in all circumstances. Previously, the border authorities would accept a filing receipt (récépissé) from foreign nationals with pending residency permit applications, and were willing to admit a child without a DCEM provided that the child was accompanied by a parent with a valid residency permit.
Non-EEA/Swiss nationals whose residency permit or DCEM application for a minor child has not yet been issued or is pending renewal are strongly encouraged to postpone any foreign travel plans until the document has been issued, or be prepared to apply for a re-entry visa in their home country. This recommendation applies equally to visa nationals and visa-exempt nationals. However, it may be difficult for a visa-exempt national to obtain a re-entry visa. In the event that a visa-exempt national has neither a valid residency permit (or DCEM for a minor child) nor visa upon check-in for the return trip to France, the airline may require the foreign national to purchase a return ticket to the home country as evidence that he or she has no intention to reside in France. In such cases, the foreign national will likely be granted a stay of up to 90 days as a visitor.
In preparing this alert, Fragomen worked closely with Cabinet D’Avocats – Karl Waheed (Paris).
The content of this alert is provided for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global Immigration Services or send an email to EMEA@fragomen.com.
Source: Fragomen
