Residency rights and border changes: What's new in France in 2025

European Entry/Exit System and UK border change

The European Entry/Exit System (EES) should finally be launched this year, after being put off four times since an initial planned start in 2022.

The European Commission now intends to phase in the new digital borders system in a ‘progressive’ way, so that all external Schengen border points and all non-EU/EEA/Swiss short-stay visitors are gradually included, over a six-month period. However, this plan requires the adoption of a new EU law first.

Once implemented, first travel in or out after launch will involve collection of visitors’ passport details, a facial image and a scan of fingerprints, plus answers to some basic questions about their trip.

Read more: Britons, Americans, other non-EU travellers: New problem for digital border checks

Read more: EES: What are next steps for EU’s new digital border checks?

Non-UK citizens travelling into the UK for visits will need to apply online for a £10 (€12) digital authorisation, called ETA, from January 8 for non-European nationalities such as Americans, Australians and Canadians, and from April 2 for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and people from European micro-states such as Monaco and San Marino, with applications open on March 5.

Language levels

Stricter rules on language levels for people receiving multi-year residency cards or seeking to obtain French nationality are expected to be enforced by July.

The changes were part of an immigration law passed in 2024 and must be implemented by January 2026 at the latest, the law said.

Previously, those seeking cartes de séjour lasting three years or more had to agree to take language lessons only if their level was less than A1 (very basic), but now they will have to pass a test with at least A2 (simple, everyday French, with knowledge of tasks, actions and basic tenses).

Applicants for a 10-year residence card will need B1 (lower intermediate) instead of A2 – a dispensation for over-65s will be retained – and people looking to gain French citizenship B2 (upper intermediate) instead of B1.

Read more: Stricter language rules for French residency cards planned from July

Brexit WA cards

The first residency cards issued to British people under the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement for a period of five years – for those who could not show five or more years of stable residency in France – will come up for renewal this year.

The Connexion first reported on a card being received by a Dordogne resident in November 2020. Those affected who still live in France should apply for ‘permanent stay’ cards to secure their continuing rights.

New immigration law

Parliament is expected to debate a new immigration law, likely to contain some ideas rejected from last year’s, or removed at the last minute by the Constitutional Council.

This could include changes to Aide médicale d’état (health rights for undocumented migrants) so it is limited to emergency care; removing the automatic right to citizenship of children born to foreign parents in France (they would have to explicitly ask for it); and re-establishing a criminal offence of illegal residency.

The interior minister has also spoken of appointing a new chief for negotiating agreements with countries from which migrants originate or transit through, relating to controlling immigration.

This is thought to relate to, for example, enforcement of expulsions from France of people not meeting legal residency criteria.

It is not clear if the ‘automatic visa for British second-home owners’ idea, among those removed last year, will resurface

Read more: What changes are proposed in the planned new French immigration law?

Schengen land borders

France has notified that land border checks with its Schengen neighbours, which it re-established citing security grounds, will continue to at least April 30.

Two associations for foreign people state this has been ongoing at many border points since 2015 and they complained to the European Commission that it was unjustified. However, they report that the file was closed after a six-year wait.

Read more: Tourists, foreign residents: How France’s new Schengen border checks will work