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ANIMALS

Reader question: Is pet insurance compulsory in France?

Owning a pet can be expensive enough, but there are some breeds of animal for which additional insurance is compulsory.

Published: 16 February 2024 17:10 CET
Reader question: Is pet insurance compulsory in France?
One man and his dogs... (Photo by OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP)

Having pet insurance is merely optional – and a pretty good idea – for most pet owners.

It is, however, a legal requirement for anyone who owns certain breeds of dogs.

What dogs must have pet insurance?

Officially, the only people who must have pet insurance against material damage or bodily harm it may cause are the owners of dangerous dogs, or guard dogs, known as 1re or 2e catégorie dogs.

Owners of these animals are obliged to have insurance guaranteeing civil liability. You can take out specific insurance, called private life civil liability.

If you have comprehensive home insurance, civil liability coverage may be included in your home insurance contract – check your level of cover to be sure.

READ ALSO What is the law on dangerous dogs in France?

Dogs for which pet insurance is required include American Staffordshire terriers, rottweilers, mastiffs, and Tosas – and dogs that are crossed with these animals.

Purebred dogs should be registered in the livre généalogique, known as livre des origines françaises (Lof) which is held and maintained by the société centrale canine, or in a similar register from another country that is recognised by society.

Not having the correct insurance for these animals leaves owners liable to a fine of up to €450.

In case of doubt, it is up to a veterinarian to determine the breed of a dog, so owners may want to obtain a veterinary certificate confirming the breed of their pet in case of a police check.

READ ALSO What you need to know about microchipping your pet in France

There are strict additional rules on keeping so-called dangerous dogs, which you can read here

What about everyone else?

If you own a different breed or dog, or another type of pet, insurance is not required.

It may, however, be a good idea – the owner of any pet is responsible for any damage that their pet may cause – whether it is in their care or has strayed – so some form of insurance may be a good idea, anyway.

READ ALSO EXPLAINED: The ways you can adopt a pet in France

Comprehensive home insurance includes civil liability coverage which may cover damage that may be caused by your animal – check your policy to be sure.

The reason that most people have insurance is to cover vet bills, which can easily run into hundreds of euro if your pet has an accident or gets ill.

If you can’t afford insurance or vet fees, there are charities that can help including the SPA and Fondation Assistance aux Animaux – more details here.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but among many questions that remain is the situation for non-EU nationals who live in the EU or Schengen zone.

Published: 27 April 2024 07:59 CEST
Reader question: What will EES mean for foreigners living in Europe?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is not unlikely) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is basically an enhanced passport check at external EU borders, including a facial scan and fingerprinting.

You can find a full explanation of the new system HERE.

Travellers crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities including that facial scan and fingerprinting.

There are, however, several groups exempt from EES and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

So if you’re a foreigner living in the EU or Schengen zone, here’s what you need to know.

Exempt

One of the stated aims of EES is to tighten up enforcement of over-staying – IE, people who stay longer than 90 days in every 180 without a visa, or those who overstay the limits of their visa.

Obviously these limits do not apply to non-EU nationals who are resident in the EU or Schengen zone, which is why this group is exempt from EES checks. They will instead be required to show their passport and residency permit/visa when crossing a border, just as they do now.

In its explanations of how EES will work, the European Commission is clear – exempt groups include non-EU residents of the Bloc.

A Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

How this will work

How this will work on the ground, however, is a lot less clear.

Most ports/airports/terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It does seem clear that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths. However it is not clear whether these will be available at all airports/ports/terminals or how non-EU residents of the EU will be directed to those services.

There’s also the issue that individual border guards are not always clear on the processes and rules for non-EU residents of the EU – even under the current system it’s relatively commonly for EU residents to have their passports incorrectly stamped or be given incorrect information about passport stamping by border guards.

Brits in particular will remember the immediate post-Brexit period when the processes as described by the EU and national authorities frequently did not match what was happening on the ground.

The Local will continue to try and get answers on these questions. 

READ ALSO What will EES mean for dual nationals

What if I live in the EU but I don’t have a visa/residency permit?

For most non-EU citizens, having either a visa or a residency permit is obligatory in order to be legally resident.

However, there is one exception: UK citizens who were legally resident in the EU prior to the end of the Brexit transition period and who live in one of the “declaratory” countries where getting a post-Brexit residency card was optional, rather than compulsory. Declaratory countries include Germany and Italy.

Although it is legal for people in this situation to live in those countries without a residency permit, authorities already advise people to get one in order to avoid confusion/hassle/delays at the border. Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a residency card than it is now.

Our advice? Things are going to be chaotic enough, getting a residency permit seems likely to save you a considerable amount of hassle.

Delays 

Although residents of the EU do not need to complete EES formalities, they will be affected if the new system causes long queues or delays at the border.

Several countries have expressed worries about this, with the UK-France border a particular cause for concern.

READ ALSO Travellers could face ’14 hours queues’ at UK-France border

Where does it apply?

EES is about external EU/Schengen borders, so does not apply if you are travelling within the Schengen zone – eg taking the train from France to Germany or flying from Spain to Sweden.

Ireland and Cyprus, despite being in the EU, are not in the Schengen zone so will not be using EES, they will continue to stamp passports manually.

Norway, Switzerland and Iceland – countries that are in the Schengen zone but not in the EU – will be using EES.

The full list of countries using EES is: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Therefore a journey between any of the countries listed above will not be covered by EES.

However a journey in or out of any of those countries from a country not listed above will be covered by EES.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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