British expats in France and other EU countries

We had a holiday home in Florida for 10 years and had to apply for an ESTA every 2 years. No big deal, if that's what's required you just have to get on with it.

A quick mention of those of us with holiday homes. It has been suggested that we will need a visa for each trip.

We have had our holiday home in Normandy for nearly 30 years and come across every five or six weeks, so getting a visa will be really fiddly. Fortunately, I am entitled to Irish citizenship and I am applying for it. Hopefully DH, who is English to the core, can travel on my apron strings.

And a home office that can change the rules mid application and apply them retrospectively so that you have to start again to qualify despite already paying all that money

Love it when people say that others should "just" get citizenship like it is easy!

For EU citizens here they have first had to apply for PR. Not easily got. AND if they are a family the children wont be full citizens, they have to reapply at 18

Thanks, Nonnie, I stand corrected

I think they may have a re-think, Nandalot - indeed I hope so.

Let's hope they do think about it Nandalot or your son's sake and for the sake of many others.

As I said in my much earlier post, Spain only allows dual nationality for some Spanish speaking South American countries and Portugal. Perhaps they will have to think about this. It would be very sad for my son to have to give up his British nationality.

A large number of EU citizens are taking out UK nationality too, they don't trust the government to allow them to stay. This applies to a German friend who has lived here for 25 years. She thought the process was very difficult.

The Netherlands does allow dual nationality Jalima if you have lived and worked there for 15 years or are married to a Dutch person and have been so for, I think, 5 years. You have to search hard to get this info.

Oops, just saw Jalima’s post. How strange, why don’t Spain allow dual nationality?

Mamie, can your son not keep his British nationality and become dual nationality? I’m not sure why he has to give up his British nationality.

DD has several friends who reside permanently in Spain, married Spaniards (in one case a Chilean), and have Spanish children. I don't know what they will do regarding nationality.

All my relatives, living abroad, have dual nationality
Not all countries allow this harrigran, including Spain and the other EU countries in my list above.

Absolutely agree with speaking the language and understanding culture and history harrigran but that is a long way from taking nationality. Up to now we have had freedom of movement, but now that is being taken away we have to make sensible decisions about how to proceed. If I was young, working and had children here then I would go for nationality, but for us I think permanent residence is enough. My son in Spain will probably take Spanish nationality, which means that he will have to give up his British nationality. He has a Spanish wife, two children, is completely fluent and has lived there for over twenty years. I don't think he would say that he feels Spanish though.

Yes that's what we'll have to do Mamie.
We'll have to have tests because of our age, which as you know isn't necessary in France.

All my relatives, living abroad, have dual nationality. If you want to live in another country learn about it's history and culture and learn the language.
Where my DD lives in Belgium the police call at the house and check paperwork to ensure she is who she says she is and all residents names must be displayed at the front door. She has decided to leave her car in the UK, parking is horrendous where she lives.

Fennel surely you just swap back to an English driving licence while you can?

A lot of people here are applying for nationality MargaretX and the delays are lengthy (about two years). You have to assemble a big dossier, have a visit from the gendarmes and an interview with the préfecture to demonstrate your understanding of French history and culture and the rights and responsibilities of French citizens. This requires reasonably fluent French (B1) and under 60s sit an exam. We have thought about it but I feel that younger people who are working and have families should go first, so we have stuck with permanent residence cards at the moment.
When we have been at the préfecture for this we have seen refugees and asylum seekers in the queues, so yes people have to register. Everyone has to carry a passport or identity card here and it would be impossible to access housing, schools and the health service (which is in itself a complicated process) without.

Yes notanan, that’s right.

Sorry cross posted with you there Maw

Maw immigrants can turn from legal to illegal once they are already in the country. They can have entered legally then become illegal.

This is the case for a lot of America's illegal immigrants: entered on visas but stayed after they expired or no longer applied or once they stopped meeting the visa requirements.

Sometimes people entered on an emplyer sponsored visa and ran away from abusive/exploitative employers and now work illegally. Others deliberately chose to stay on after student visas expired. There are lots of examples of now illegal immigrants who entered legally.

They are immigrants. They were legal at point of entry. They are now illegal.

Sorry please ignore that, I missed the just in your original comment.

Although my DS would be eligible for Spanish citizenship, I understand that Spain doesn’t allow dual nationality except for certain countries like the Spanish speaking Americans and Portugal etc. He has a Spanish wife and three children (two born in Spain) .

It does not just apply to people who enter illegally

Not illegal immigrants then?
What would you call them then?

Illegal immigrants is appropriate as it also applies to people who once had leave to stay but continued to stay when that right expired.

Like people who outstay visas.

It does not just apply to people who enter illegally.