Steve_

Basically, France is one of the few colonial powers that granted the ability to their colonies to have representatives in their assembly. As a result, French overseas departments and collectives are considered part of France and as such included in the European treaties for the most part (one exception being St Pierre & Miquelon which opted out of this arrangement so they could have a closer customs relationship with Canada and the US).

The Schengen Agreement therefore applies and any citizen of an EU country or Schengen Agreement state such as Switzerland can live in most French territories on the same terms as a French citizen.

Other countries did not do this, the most obvious example being the UK. A citizen of a British Overseas Territory can live and work in the UK in the same way as a British citizen, but not vice versa, you have to have a work permit issued under local law or be a "belonger" of that territory. The method of becoming a belonger is set by the territory and varies considerably from territory to territory. In the Cayman Islands for example, the only way of being a belonger is by birth or by marriage to another belonger for at least 20 years while residing there.

Dutch colonies are not part of Schengen either.

Be aware of what is and what is not part of another country, a lot of people seem to think that The Bahamas is still a British territory for example, it's not.

Mitzyboy

Not since 1973

reganp

So...The French did the whole EU thing right.

As far as I can tell, as EU citizens you can live, work, stay in a bunch of French Islands, without applying for anything. It is about as easy as moving down the street. They may have weird requirements (language, permits) that make it difficult for you to find a job, but in theory there is nothing preventing it.

The only requirement (other than your passport) is that if you are planning to stay for longer than three months you might have to go by the town hall and register (that is the normal french rule anyway). This is just a quick and immediate registration process, no drawn out application process, just get a receipt (probably useful for tax purposes down the road).

In addition, as an EU citizen, your non-eu spouse (or dependent children, or dependent parents) are allowed to join you if you have a job or sufficient means to support yourself. (See details)
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/citiz...parents_en.htm

Sample of EU entry requirements to St. Barts (compared to Canadian)

St Barts tourist site says for European Citizens:
"All citizens of the European Union must have a valid passport."

St. Barts for Canadians and Americans:
"All American and Canadian citizens arriving in Saint Barth must have a valid passport, as well a round-trip ticket or proof of continuation of travel. A visa is not necessary if the intended stay on the island is inferior to, or equal to, 30 days.
However, the passport must be valid and not expire for at least three months from the date of entry to the territory of St Barthélemy."

Entry into Saint. Martin (weird case split island with St Maarten dutch)

Looking specifically at St. Martin (the french side), there are some weird rules, like you can enter the french side airport with just an EU passport, but if you enter the dutch airport (the major airprot) you will require a return ticket home. I don't know how it works with living on the dutch side, but since there is no border, I doubt it would be very hard.

There may be a few other weird rules or rule changes with St. Martin or St. Barts as they are currently changing status with the EU, but the treaty is clear and should apply.

The Rest
Full List of French Places which get the full EU treatment (four freedoms) because they are specifically listed in the EU treaty.

This appears to apply to all the french Islands:
Guadeloupe
French Guiana
Martinique
Réunion
Saint-Barthélemy
Saint-Martin
the Azores
Madeira
Canary Islands

Direct Text from the EU Treaty:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/...83:FULL:EN:PDF

1. The provisions of the Treaties shall apply to Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion,
Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands in accordance with
Article 349.

2. The special arrangements for association set out in Part Four shall apply to the overseas countries
and territories listed in Annex II.
9.5.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 115/197The Treaties shall not apply to those overseas countries and territories having special relations with the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which are not included in the aforementioned
list.

6. The European Council may, on the initiative of the Member State concerned, adopt a decision
amending the status, with regard to the Union, of a Danish, French or Netherlands country or territory
referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2. The European Council shall act unanimously after consulting the
Commission.

gjokishte

Hi Michelle and Aly!
I noticed your old post regarding St. Maartens and I was wondering if you guys did made it on the island and how is it treating you. We are also married couple, that just got an job offer, so I would love to share some tips and experience from the island, if possible. You can try to PM me or send me an tweet: @gjokishte. As you mentioned, every little helps! :-) Thanks and hope to hear from you! George

gjokishte

They need a return ticket, so the local authorities or your company can expedite you quickly in case of any trouble, if they need to with as less cost for them as possible....Applies to most of the Caribbean islands.....