Article 50

Sorry - I didn't mean that the UK is the worst option - it's all the upheaval, and houses in our part of France aren't selling. I wish now that we'd made the move a few years ago when we actually had an offer on our house.

That is something that perhaps they will be able to work out; we do have reciprocal health care (albeit only emergency) with quite a lot of other countries.

We've thought of applying for french citizenship, but are more likely to return to the UK if the worst came to the worst. I tend to push all this to the back of my mind, and husband moreso.
Especially now that M. lePen could become president, then the whole scenario is likely to change again from the french side. (She wants France out of the EU.)

In France it is likely that people who have been in the country more than five years, living "in a regular fashion" (tax resident etc) should be able to stay. The problem for pensioners will be if they lose their reciprocal health cover. That would force many, if not most, people to leave. The declining value of the pound is also likely to mean that some people would have to return to the UK.

Can residents of EU countries apply for a permanent residency as a citizen of a non-EU country?

ie the right to remain and work there without giving up British citizenship for that of another country?

Anyone with a modicum of common sense or GSOH would realise that the comment and the meant it was not serious.

Rigby I am so sorry if I misled you, I truly thought you were more astute than that.
apologies.

I have one friend who has just got her citizenship here in France. I understand that about 50% of applications are unsuccessful in our region. We are thinking about it, but adopting a wait and see policy. We hadn't done it before because we didn't need to. My son has lived in Spain for 25 years and has a Spanish wife and children. He has not applied before for the same reason as us but will do so now. You can't have dual nationality in Spain so he will have to give up being British. He is concerned that he would not be able to get a work permit as a non EU citizen.
Is it all a huge ongoing worry but I don't blame the EU for refusing to negotiate before Article 50 is triggered.
We have had a huge amount of concern and sympathy from our French friends.

Again there has been no need and a few people have gone down the dual citizenship route but I only know of one couple. Those here (in France) before the residential right given by the EU needed a Carte Sejour which was straightforward to get - some Prefectures are now just giving the CS but others are still saying unnecessary.

I think the not guaranteeing the rights of people in another EU country or UK is a case of six of one. The EU are looking at a number of routes which could be taken for the citizens. It is UK which has instigated this whole mess so they should start offering things as a gesture of goodwill.

It would indeed be fascinating to know how many UK expats who have retired to the sun on the Costas and in France have applied for citizenship there.

Jalima your comment wasn't an aside. It was completely misleading and wrong in the context of a discussion about EU citizens in the UK applying for citizenship.

It was just an aside about the astronomical cost of applying for Cypriot citizenship.
It wasn't even an opinion!

300 euros - that doesn't sound so bad for some oranges and

Jalima I hardly think you are comparing like with like. The eye watering sums you mention are for a fast track scheme for wealthy( and in some cases) probably dodgy individuals. The process for, for example, a U.K. Citizen married to a Cypriot and living there( min 2 years) is cheap and straightforward( about €300).

Of course, this has been happening to Commonwealth citizens for some time now.
Even those married to British citizens with British children - and of British ancestry from way back.

Another friend (sounds like I have a lot of friends, but I don't really) have just (well 5 years ago) sold their house in Spain and returned to the UK (if you can class the Fylde Coast as such).

Their reasons was all to do with access to the NHS as they are now knocking in a bit.

As roses said, Mrs May would willingly safeguard homes and jobs for EU nationals. Unfortunately the EU is not prepared to simultaneously agree the same right for our nationals living in EU countries. Mrs May can hardly do a one sided deal that would leave our nationals vulnerable, with no leaverage to alter that situation should the EU dig its heels in! How can the deviousness of the EU ( another good reason for leaving imo) possibly be the fault of Mrs May?!!
A rather silly comment JessM As I think you'll find that Prince Phillip became a naturalized British Subject on his marriage to HM, having given up his Greek citizenship. I think you'll also find that they are both devoted to each other, which after 70 years is, these days, slightly strange and perhaps hard to believe, but for this elderly couple it is refreshingly true.

Even the language test isn't that straightforward. I would guarantee that 100% of native speakers wouldn't pass it. I've tutored students in the past for it and there are definitely some exam techniques which need to be learned. All good news to me, of course!

It 'meant so much to her' because she always delighted in her 'adopted' country trisher and was more 'English' than many native-born people I know. It hadn't occurred to me that she didn't have British nationality, until she told me she couldn't vote in the referendum. That's why I'm exasperated with her, in a fond and caring way.

Anya I would imagine what 'meant so much to her' was being part of the EU and therefore able to keep the nationality of her birth country whilst living in her adopted one. There are many people who do this, not least among them the Brits who are living in Spain and Portugal and have done so for many years. Should they have taken out Spanish citizenship before now? Will they do so now or is that different in some way?

I'm quite sure that all these people will be able to stay, eventually. But in the meantime it's a huge worry for my unfortunates friend.

Anya the HomeOffice were refusing to give citizenship to some people telling them they did not need it - some people they agreed to give them visas of long duration but never issued the visas for the same reason and now will not give the citizenship as they haven't had this CSI insurance which no one knew they needed and no one was told they should have - just being told to pack their bags and make their own arrangements! People who have British families. The whole thing is ridiculous and maybe some new instructions should be given to cover position these people find themselves in.

Prince Philip became a British citizen in 1947 although he served in the RN before that time as it wasn't strictly necessary since he was British by birth through the 1705 Act of Naturalisation, but just a confirmation.
Very sensible.

It's not as expensive as in some other countries then.
Cyprus: €2,500,000 to €5,000,000

We can't have UK citizens who don't have a complete grasp of our Kings and Queens though, can we Jess?

Well it is a lot of bother to take out UK citizenship. You have to sit a language test which must be frustrating if you are fully fluent. Then you have to sit a very silly citizenship test involving knowledge of UK monarchs etc.
Someone I know did it recently - she had been living here for decades with a partner who died a few years ago. She is fluent in English and Cymraeg and feels this is her home. It cost her a lot of time and trouble and "the thick end of £2000 quid" to go through the process.

PS I didn't vote leave either. Nor did I vote remain.