scrubbedexpat056

Hi All,
We are a British couple buying a house in France and I also have an Irish passport. My wife has the right to live in the EU with me, but what exactly happens to her at passport control coming into France after Brexit? I'm not asking anyone to predict a post brexit scenario, but there must be many European citizens on this forum with non-EU spouses now. Please can you tell me how it works at the moment? Assuming we queue up in different lines, at least at the larger airports, how does she persuade passport control that she has a right to enter? Is there some sort of EU visa included with a passport that allows the spouse in? My wife often flies without me so she will be fending for herself.

dmu

Hi, the best advice I can think of is for your wife to consult her Consulate in the UK. They'll be the first to know what documents are necessary "at the moment" and post-Brexit... It may not make a difference whatsoever, but will you be using your house as a holiday home, therefore travelling to and from the UK regularly, or for living in permanently?
HTH
P.S. Sorry, I missed the "soon-to-be" in the title. Do you mean that your wife is a UK citizen? In my reply I assumed that she was already a non-EU citizen.

scrubbedexpat056

Hi dmu,
Yes, we're both UK citizens and will be living in France permanently. We're here now living on our boat and should be signing the acte de vente around the end of November. I was under the impression that once I got my Irish passport my wife could automatically get one as my spouse, but that was stopped in 2005. Now she will rely on our marriage certificate, but often flies back to UK for her aged parents. I go back with her sometimes, but not often. I was just wondering how people coped at the moment with non-EU spouses in case it could give me an idea of what to expect after March 2019.

dmu

That's what I thought (from your other posts!). How about trying the UK Consulate in France? (Bordeaux or Marseille). The worst they can say is that they don't know yet....

scrubbedexpat056

Good idea, I'll give it a go.

BritInParis

The British consulate won’t know any more than we do at this juncture. If you are planning on living in France then as the spouse of an Irish citizen she can do so through EEA freedom of movement rights. Assuming that British citizens will be treated as any other third country national then she’ll need a residence card.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizen...e/index_en.htm

scrubbedexpat056

Thanks BritInParis, I'll look into that.

dmu

I'd also get your Irish Passport ASAP and make sure that you, as the EU citizen, comply with the conditions giving YOU the right to live in France as per BiP's link.
P.S. I'm surprised that BE members in other EU countries haven't replied. As you say, there must be many in your situation whose spouses will be in the same boat as your wife....

scrubbedexpat056

I think I worded my question and response poorly. I already have my Irish passport and we have a more than adequate income from property in the UK to qualify as inactif. As soon as we sign the acte de vente we will start to collect the three months of utility bills to prove residence and take out the 100% health insurance necessary prior to joining the health system. Then we will also have what's needed for my wife to apply for a residency card. At least I hope I've got that right.

BritInParis

The residence card will only be necessary in a ‘no deal’, no transition post-Brexit scenario.

scrubbedexpat056

Got it.

BritInParis

Something to be aware of but not necessarily act upon straight away.