dougal03

Hi, I am a British National resident in Spain.A friend in New Zealand has a brother (expat Brit) resident in France & heard about how we,in Spain,are coping with getting our previous "residencia" changed over. Here it´s called "TIE" & will replace a green paper certificate that I have had for many years,for a new plastic card which states we are a national of a non-EU country & this time we have to have our fingerprint taken.I am curious to know if you have a similar ongoing situation.Would be pleased to have any comments.

EuroTrash

It's the same but different.
The same because all EU countries have been given the same EU directive that they have to follow and they will all issue the same "withdrawal agreement" residence cards based on the same criteria and giving the same rights
Different because France doesn't have TIEs and green cards like Spain does.
France has set up online portal that all Brits have to use to put in their applications, it is a simple process and it seems to be working well. Basically the system is that you apply online providing your details and attaching certain documents, then the application is sent to your local prefecture and once they have processed your application they send you an appointment to go in and have your fingerprints taken.
I guess every country has a different process but at the end of the day everyone who is entitled will end up with the same little plastic card.

graham.miln

Each country's approach is listed in the European Commission's First joint report on the implementation of residence rights under part two of the withdrawal agreement. For France, the report reads:

Nand

Really, it couldn't be made easier than that as long as the people at the Prefecture know what's what. If they don't, we just have to believe that whatever they say, it is the right thing to do.
French things have a way of verging or actually diving into farce, the genre of comedy the french people truly enjoy in every aspect of their lives.

dmu

Tweedpipe

Interesting! The word farce appeared in England sometime in the 14th century, interestingly enough adopted from middle French and not surprisingly associated with cooking (think 'stuffing' or 'forcemeat'). The comedy sense of the word however dates from the 16th century, apparently when England imported from France a sort of slapstick comedy that was popular at that time.
Relecting more on the word farce, makes me think of 'Harlequin', the name of which comes from a mischievous demon character, popular in French plays of the period.
Coming right up to date, and playing the devil's advocate for a moment, I would say it's farcical to pretend that the current lockdown will end around the beginning of Dec. Imho that date was given to lessen-the-blow, and looking at the hard facts of the alarmingly increasing infection rates, my non-farcical crystal ball suggests it will last longer. I suggest that those planning to travel during Dec may wish to think again.
On a much lighter note, with farce still in mind, those who may think that the French have little sense of humour need to check out some of Le Bebete Show or brilliant Les Guignols de L'Info videos on YTube. In fact I was just about to add a side-spitting link to a Les Guignols de L'Info video featuring Celine Dion, but then remembered that your husband was Canadian and if a fan, might take offence......

Other examples of great French humour can occasionally be seen in the for-sale ads on LBCoin, where one can find eye-catching (or rather eye-watering) descriptions for some articles on offer, either in intriguing attemps to lure a buyer, or by scam farceurs. Given a moment I'll give a few examples of such ads in the 'bad jokes' section of the forum.
Stay safe in these not-so-farcical times!

dmu

I quite agree, and am resigning myself to the idea of a family Christmas being a non-event this year. The chances of DD1 in Berlin and even me in the Hérault, meeting up chez DD2 in Lyon (assuming that she can return there herself), are decreasing....
But

KJMW

It's a bit of a weak lockdown in any event. Many shops are allowed to be open and in some of the villages around France those shops that should be shut are opening with the blessing of the Maire. Whether the Police will crack down remains to be seen. Here in the Pays Basque, what was once a relatively free region coded green is now a nice bright red area thanks to all the holiday makers who descended during the last two weeks. When you have politicians making these silly decisions this pandemic will last forever!!