Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK
For members

VISAS

Reader question: What changes for me in France if I get an Irish passport?

Reader Question: I am a non-EU national of Irish descent living in France, and I have recently successfully applied for Irish nationality. What changes for me and do I need to tell French authorities about my new passport?

Published: 26 November 2021 15:20 CET
A laptop is displaying the online application for the Irish passport with an Irish passport replica stood up right, next to the screen.
Many Brits have gained Irish citizenship since Brexit. Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP

Irish nationals, in common with all other citizens of EU Member States, can live, work, study, retire and travel in France without having to register with the authorities.

Through Freedom of Movement they also avoid the pesky 90-day rule.

This applies to anyone who has gained citizenship of any EU country, but Ireland’s generous approach to citizenship through ancestry means that it is a popular choice for non-EU nationals such as Brits, Americans or Australians who have Irish family connections.

But once you’ve got that precious passport, what next?

Moving to France

Residency – if you wish to move to France you can do so with a minimum of paperwork and there is no need for a visa or carte de séjour residency permit, although you may apply for one if you wish. For dual nationals, the Irish government says having the residency card ‘may facilitate dealings with French administration.

If you have a spouse or registered partner who is a non-EU citizen, then they are entitled to apply for a spouse visa as the spouse or partner of an EU citizen. 

Visits – if you just want to visit France then you can do so with no need to limit your stays to 90 days in every 180 – as non-EU citizens must. There is no need for a visa for travel.

Work – if you wish to work in France, either on an ad-hoc basis or by moving here and working full time, then you may do so and have no need for a work permit.

Healthcare – if you move to France you need to register for a carte vitale to ensure that you are within the French health system – here’s how. The process of registering is not very different for EU and non-EU nationals, but as an EU citizen you will need to provide only your passport to establish your right to be in France. 

Taxes – if you live in France you must file an annual tax declaration, even if you do not have any income in France. This rule is the same for EU and non-EU nationals. 

EXPLAINED Who has to make a tax declaration in France

Voting – as an EU national you are entitled to vote in local and European elections, but not presidential elections. You will need to register to get your name on the electoral roll. 

Already in France

If you are already in France you will be registered in various databases under your original nationality.

But if you then gain Irish citizenship and you wish to ensure you are considered an Irish citizen by the French authorities – which as shown above gives you some considerable advantages – then you need to inform all necessary administrative bodies. 

The unfortunate truth is that you will have to contact relevant bodies individually, there is no magical button you can press to switch your status to Irish in all French government databases. 

So you will need to re-sign onto the electoral roll to be able to vote in local and European elections.

You will have to contact CPAM to update the information linked to your carte vitale – this can be done online via your Ameli account.

If you are working you should inform your company’s HR department of the change, so that you are not incorrectly asked for proof of residency at any time in the future.

Basically, you should contact any official bodies that you may have already registered with under your non-EU nationality.

Each body is likely to want proof of your new citizenship before they make changes on their systems – so, in practical terms, there’s a lot of paperwork coming your way.

Travel

It may sound obvious, but if you want to benefit from European freedom of movement at the border, you need to make sure you are using your Irish passport to travel on.

Member comments

  1. Just one detail: as an EU citizen you can indeed vote in European and local council elections but not departmental or regional elections.

  2. “If you have a spouse or registered partner who is a non-EU citizen, then they are entitled to apply for a spouse visa as the spouse or partner of an EU citizen.”
    I was under the impression that a non-EU spouse can join an EU citizen in France without a visa and then apply for a CdeS.

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

READER QUESTION

How do you get a British passport for a baby born in France?

While French citizenship is not automatic for children born in France, those who are born to British parents are entitled to British nationality (and therefore a passport) from birth. Here's how to apply for the passport.

Published: 3 May 2024 16:06 CEST
How do you get a British passport for a baby born in France?

A child born in France to British parents who  are living over here will be considered British and will therefore – initially at least – need a British passport in order to travel overseas.

This is because the process to become French, even for those born on French soil, is not a given. Unlike countries, such as the USA which confers citizenship automatically to anyone born on US soil – with all the benefits and issues that may have in later life (yes, we’re looking at you, FATCA), the process is rather more complicated for children born in France to foreign parents.

READ ALSO Guide: How to request French nationality for your child

But the child will be considered British from birth, which means that a British passport will be required for any trips outside of the country.

Registration

First of all, you can register your France-born child’s birth with British authorities, so that it is recorded in the UK with the General Register Office or at the National Records Office of Scotland.

Parents do not have to do this, but if you choose to, you can then order a consular birth registration certificate for a fee.

Passport

However, Britons born in France can still apply for a British passport, even if their birth was not originally registered with UK authorities.

Assuming the first application for a passport is made while the applicant is still a child, you can find the online process here, on the British Government website.

If you’re applying for a passport for your child, you will need to supply:

  • A suitable digital photograph of the child/baby – examples of acceptable photographs are displayed here … good luck!
  • Original or certified copies of any necessary supporting documents, plus translations as necessary;
  • And payment, using a credit or debit card. The fee for a standard passport is £101 for an adult, and £65.50 for a child, plus a £19.86 courier fee. NB: you can also apply by post, but it is cheaper online.

For reference, supporting documents will include:

  • The child’s birth certificate – plus a translation, unless you previously registered with the consulate / UK authorities;
  • One of your parents’ birth certificates / naturalisation / registration certificates. If this is your father, his marriage certificate to your mother

To get copies of birth, marriage or death certificates issued in England or Wales, go to www.gov.uk/bmdcertificates

For documents issued in Northern Ireland, go to www.nidirect.gov.uk and for Scotland go to www.nrscotland.gov.uk

You will need to pay a fee for the certificates, and normally these can only be sent by mail so allow time for delivery.

On a first application, you will also need to have a countersignatory confirm the applicant’s identity.

They need to confirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the details you have given in your application are correct, and they must also confirm that the photo is of the applicant – it’s possible to do this this online, you provide their details and they will receive an email from the passport office.

For child applications (aged under 16) it is also to confirm that they have known, for at least 2 years, the adult who signed the declaration in section 9 of the application form. They must also confirm that the person has parental responsibility for the child and confirm the child’s photo is a true likeness.

The countersignatory must:

  • have known you personally for at least two years – they can be a friend, neighbour or colleague but not a relation by birth or marriage
  • be a ‘professional person’ or a person of ‘good standing in their community’ – you can find a list of the accepted professions here (journalists and MPs are decreed to be sufficiently respectable professions – go figure)
  • live in the UK;
  • hold a current British or Irish passport.

Once you have made the application, you will receive the passport through the mail. Waiting times are usually around the same as renewing an adult UK passport.

SHOW COMMENTS