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‘We’ll be on the first plane out’ – the Americans keen to visit France again

The long-awaited announcement of the resumption of tourism into France from the USA came with several conditions including a compulsory 'health passport' for all travellers, but that doesn't seem to be putting people off making travel plans.

Published: 4 May 2021 14:11 CEST
'We'll be on the first plane out' - the Americans keen to visit France again
Photo: Ian Langsdon/AFP

When laying out the four-step plan for the reopening of France from lockdown, president Emmanuel Macron included one date of particular significance to Americans – from June 9th, travel can again restart from all non EU countries.

IN DETAIL: France’s calendar for reopening after lockdown

However there were several caveats to this announcement

  • Later stages of the reopening could be postponed if the health situation deteriorates
  • France is currently on the US State Department’s ‘Level 4’ list of countries travel is advised against due to the health situation
  • Travel will only be possible with a health passport, showing that the traveller is either fully vaccinated or has had a recent negative Covid test

So have these conditions put off American travellers?

Well certainly not the readers of The Local who answered our survey, whose answers to the question ‘will you travel to France once it is possible?’ mostly ranged from ‘yes’ to ‘hell, yes!’.

READ ALSO Who can travel to France as the country lifts its lockdown?

Travel plans

Of the people who answered our questionnaire, 86 percent said they intend to travel to France again as soon as possible.

California resident Jordan said: “I booked my flight as soon as I saw the news. I might kiss the ground when I get to return in June! It’s been way too long.”

Elaine and Bill Parker, of Colorado, said: “Yes!!! We already have an apartment booked for June in Paris, rescheduled from last September when we had to cancel.

“We have both shots, will be happy to get tested as well as get health passes.”

Gail, of Austin, Texas said: “We are vaccinated and are more than happy to obtain the health pass. We have already purchased our tickets for the summer to avoid rising prices and will be on a plane as soon as they open the borders!”

Bill Hebert, of Dallas, Texas, said: “We’ll be happy to be back, because we haven’t been able to visit Paris for about 18 months now. We miss France and we miss spending time in our apartment in the Marais.

“We would also like to spend a vacation in France hiking in the French Alps, but our trips have been cancelled or postponed due to COVID. Once France is re-opened, we’d like to reschedule those trips.” 

The Herberts were among many people who were rescheduling trips that had to be cancelled over the past year.

Connie, of Clinton, Maryland, said: “I had to cancel three trips I had booked before March of 2020, and I can’t wait to return! I’m booked for September.”

Dr Meg Allyn Krilov, of New York, added: “We had originally rented an apartment in Paris for May and June 2020 as I had studied in Lille and Paris is one of my favourite places. The pandemic upended those plans.

“Now that we can travel again, we can’t wait to go back and enjoy the most wonderful city in the world!”

Concerns

Of the people who do not plan to travel straight away, the most common reason given was concern about the health situation in France, which is emerging from its third wave but still has a high rate of cases with severe pressure on hospitals in some areas.

The Paris area, always popular with tourists, currently has the highest infection rates in France.

Christina Zorbas, of New York, said: “Paris is my favourite place in the world, and after numerous long stays in the city, I’d also like to enjoy the beaches in the south during the summer.

“I do have concerns, however. The Île-de-France region still has high rates of infection. Also, as someone who has been fully vaccinated (Pfizer), a large percentage of the French population won’t be vaccinated when I arrive. In addition, allowing those who are unvaccinated to enter the country puts not only myself at risk, but also the French, worsening the country’s COVID rates.”

The health passport itself was also cited as a reason for not visiting – with 13 percent saying they did not want to get vaccinated and another 13 percent saying they believed the concept of vaccine passports are unfair.

Full details of exactly how the health pass will work have not yet been revealed, but the pass will have options to upload either a vaccination certificate or a recent negative Covid test.

READ ALSO How will France’s ‘health passport’ work?

Doug Tennant, of Florida, said: “I am fully vaccinated and anxious to get back to France. I am grateful for the Covid passport. My concern as an American is how will my CDC vaccination card be loaded unto the pass or will I be able to use my actual CDC vaccination card?” 

Other reasons given were practical – people who need visas for their visit were unsure when processing would start again while some people who had cancelled several trips already over the past year decided to wait until things were more certain before booking again.

Others wanted to wait until things like cafés and museums have fully reopened while a small number were put off by French health rules including mask-wearing.

Kate Gooderham, Florida: “We plan to travel in September. We will want to be sure places are open so we can freely travel and won’t be locked down!”

Reasons for visiting

While the majority of people who answered were travelling for holidays, there was also a significant number of second-home owners and people who had family members in France who they have not been able to see in more than a year, since travel from outside the EU Bloc was suspended in March 2020.

Maine resident Janet Caner said: “My son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter live in France. I have not been able to visit them since October. I will be on a plane the minute the borders open.”

Denise McCauley of Ann Arbor, Michigan, also plans to travel as soon as possible, saying: “I can’t wait to see my grandson in Vincennes!”

Lynn Crosby, who usually splits her time between Los Angeles and Paris, simply added: “I haven’t seen my husband in over a year!”

Fiona Engebretson, of Washington, is particularly determined to get here, saying: “We bought a house near Eymet in January of 2020 and planned to move permanently to France this summer for retirement.

“We’ve had a two-year plan to make it happen and we’re going to do it no matter what.”

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to answer our questionnaire, it was lovely to hear from so many people keen to return to France. You can find the latest on the travel situation in our Travelling to France section.

Member comments

  1. The question remains: When will Long-stay visitor visas be available again. If the Local can find a definitive answer to that question, you will be idolized.

  2. I agree with Baw– an article on this and resident visas for Americans would be great. I have a flight out on June 9th and hope they accept the CDC card (I am bringing other verification as well). An article–as soon as you know- regarding how to upload for the pass would be good too.

  3. I am curious to see if the French will take their normal grandes vacances in August or will they keep their businesses open for the much missed tourism.

    1. August is sacrosanct for the French (like Christmas for Britons and Americans) – and ‘la joie de vivre’/family-time always comes ahead of business. Therefore, I would not count on this August being any different from any other in terms of smalltown stores, public builidings, etc being closed for the month, usually with a hand-written note on the door saying: “En congé, bonnes vacances à tous, réouverture le 31 août”. On the other hand, tourist-linked businesses should be open for business ‘as usual’ (most COVID restrictions due to be removed on 30th June).

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AMERICANS IN FRANCE

Americans in France: Will my tax situation change if I get French citizenship?

If you're thinking of applying for French citizenship, then you might be curious whether there will be any tax ramifications to becoming a dual national.

Published: 2 May 2024 16:44 CEST
Americans in France: Will my tax situation change if I get French citizenship?

Gaining French citizenship can have plenty of benefits for Americans living in France, from the right to vote in French elections to freedom of movement in the EU – as well as a more intangible sense of belonging in the country you now call home. 

However, Americans living abroad always have to contend with the United States’ system of citizenship-based taxation, which requires US nationals to report their global income to the IRS yearly, however long they have been out of the country.

This may result in making two tax declarations every year if they move to a country – like France – which requires yearly declarations from all residents.

As a result, Americans have to think about possible tax consequences before making decisions to move, invest, or perhaps take on a second nationality.

To help answer the question of whether there are special tax ramifications for French-American dual nationals living in France, The Local spoke with tax expert Jonathan Hadida from HadTax.

Hadida said: “There is really no impact. You still have yearly reporting requirements to both countries, and from the French side you will still continue to give you the benefits of the tax treaty”.

Key items, such as your US-based pension, would continue to be taxed in the US and not France regardless of whether or not you take on French nationality too.

READ MORE: Ask the expert: What Americans in France need to know about 401(k) and other pensions

Unfortunately, many of the limitations Americans in France experience would also remain in place. French investment options, such as the Assurance Vie, would still unwise for dual nationals, as the IRS sees them as PFICs (Passive Foreign Investment Company).

While the Assurance Vie is a great tool for being tax efficient for non-Americans, and can offer alternatives to the regimented, traditional French inheritance process, for Americans living in France (including those with dual nationality) it can lead to lengthy and complicated dealings with the IRS. 

“To the US tax authorities, you are still American first, second, third and fourth place. They don’t really care that you are also French,” Hadida said.

“The only real change to your tax situation would be giving up your American citizenship, but keeping your US citizenship in addition to French citizenship does not really change anything.”

What happens tax-wise if I renounce my American citizenship?

Renouncing US citizenship is not as simple as scheduling an appointment at a US embassy or consulate, paying the applicable fee, and declaring that one does not want to be American.

There are several factors to consider, and depending on your situation, in the long-run it might be more advantageous to hold onto your US citizenship to continue benefiting from certain parts of the US-France dual taxation treaty (PDF).

For others, keeping US citizenship might be onerous with its yearly reporting requirements, as well as the difficulty it can pose with putting money into French investment vehicles due to citizenship-based taxation and FATCA (US legislation that passed in 2010 to track money laundering). 

While renouncing your American citizenship undoubtedly pushes you further out of the reach of the IRS, you should consider that you might owe an exit tax, if you are deemed a ‘covered expatriate’. Usually, this is only required of high-net worth individuals (worth more than $2 million).

According to the US expat tax site 1040 Abroad, this also includes people who failed to comply with tax obligations in the five years preceding their renouncement, as well as people who had “an average annual net income tax liability exceeding a specified threshold” (as of 2022, this number was set to $178,000).

People renouncing US citizenship can also be subject to a special inheritance tax on gifts made to US citizens or residents, following their renunciation. 

READ MORE: How to renounce American citizenship in France – and why you might want to

You should also think about your US-based investments.

“You would no longer benefit from the tax treaty in the same way if you give up your US citizenship. For example, Article 24 of the treaty covers investment income, making it taxable in the US and giving you a deemed credit in France.

You would lose this benefit if you renounce, and this could make a big difference if the taxation level is lower in the US, as it often is with dividends or capital gains.

“Your IRA and pension plans will continue to be taxed in the US because this is based on where the pension is earned, not nationality, but you might have to start filing a non-resident tax return to the US after renouncing citizenship,” Hadida said.

The tax expert said that renouncing citizenship should be decided on a case by case basis.

“Every situation is different, and for some people it might not make sense to give up certain benefits from the US-France tax treaty. You should speak with a financial advisor before deciding”, he said.

READ MORE: Divorce, stress and fines: How citizenship-based taxation affects Americans in France

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