Britain’s new ambassador to France, Sir Tom Drew, highlighted residency cards and border and travel rules among key issues for Britons, during a visit to Monaco and the south of France.
The Connexion met Sir Tom in Monaco, where he had presented his credentials to Prince Albert as ambassador to the principality – a role he holds alongside his Paris posting.
“I’m now officially ambassador [to Monaco] and am very proud,” he said. “There was a big ceremony at the palace. The conseiller-ministre was very pleased to show me my official number – 007. As I walked past the Monte-Carlo casino it felt very apt.
“The event combined pomp and ceremony with informality and I had the chance for a nice chat with the Prince afterwards.”
While in the region, Sir Tom also met Alpes-Maritimes prefect Laurent Hottiaux in Nice, following an earlier visit to the Paca regional prefect in Marseille.
“I try to get to see the préfet in all the places that I go. Particularly in a place like the south of France, where you get so many British tourists, and British national residents, it's nice to have that link to authority and also hear about issues of concern to me.”
He said maintaining links with local officials and consular networks is key, including honorary consul Eric Blair in Nice and Monaco and consul Michele Solari in Marseille.
“It’s nice for me, in Paris, to know we have really good people on the ground.
“I want to show my support to them and the local authorities. [Michele Solari] had a busy time with Britons on the ski slopes this year, including a couple of tragedies linked to avalanches, which we are increasingly seeing, linked to climate change.”
Residency card renewals
Residency card renewals for post-Brexit Britons remain a regular topic in meetings with prefectures.
“I know it can be worrying, as the cards start to expire, but for the most part – we’ve had conversations with the interior ministry in Paris – there should now be standard procedures across France. They know we're interested in this.
“Most importantly, make sure you apply at least two months before the expiry of your card – setting yourself a calendar date two months before is a good idea.”
He stressed that applicants' rights should be protected during the renewal process.
“I think what is reassuring is that in the interim period, once you have applied and have got a récépissé, we have ensured that is viewed by the French authorities as good enough for proof of eligibility to work, etc.
“We have had discussions with Paris to make sure the policies are not just made, but also communicated to the different areas of France.”
Britons facing particular difficulties can contact consular services, though routine cases should follow the usual procedures via prefectures. They can be contacted by phone (urgent/emergency situations only) at 01 44 51 31 00 or via an online form.
“We're not going to try and circumvent the normal service between British citizens and French prefectures, but when there's a problem, when people are particularly vulnerable – that’s when you can get in touch with us.”
EES delays
On the EU’s upcoming Entry/Exit System (EES), Sir Tom said the potential for delays remains a concern, though discussions with French authorities are ongoing.
“We want to make sure that when there's full implementation, we don't end up with problems. The French authorities recognise that it’s not perfect and that there could possibly be delays. But I think their priority, like ours, is to maintain fluidity.”
He noted that some airports serving ski resorts have already used flexibility in the system to ease peak-time pressure.
“The question now is what happens in April. But we, and our Home Office in London, are in regular touch with the French authorities.”
The Connexion also raised the issue of access to Parafe e-gates for foreign residents of France, including Britons and Americans. Work is understood to be ongoing to restore access following EES changes, and Sir Tom said it was useful feedback that this remains a concern.
Long-stay visas
We also discussed the complexity of temporary long-stay visa applications for second-home owners and others regularly staying in France for extended periods.
Applicants must often repeat the same process each year and attend one of only three visa centres in the UK. Some have questioned why EU citizens can visit the UK visa-free for up to six months, while Britons must apply for visas for extended stays in France.
There have also been suggestions of simpler renewal systems, such as online or postal processes, particularly as biometric data can be retained for up to five years.
Sir Tom was not aware of immediate changes, but said improving UK–EU relations – including on movement of people – is a wider priority.
This includes follow-up work from last year’s UK–EU summit including discussions on plant and animal health rules that could eventually allow UK-issued pet passports to be recognised in the EU.
“I am aware that’s a question of interest, not least because my wife is looking at getting a dog. We'll crack the basic sanitary/phytosanitary aspect, but bit by bit we're trying to do a whole range of things.”
Other issues
Other areas of progress (likely to be discussed further at a new summit reportedly now pencilled in for July), include plans for UK participation in Erasmus+ and a new youth experience visa scheme.
“We've already had progress on school trips. That was a really big issue at one stage but now actually it is much easier for a coach full of children to go across the Channel.”
The ambassador was not aware of anything in the pipeline with regard to UK-France talks on local voting rights. The embassy also has no update on the controversial 2021 French inheritance law affecting some international families, though Sir Tom said developments are being monitored.
He emphasised that consular services remain available for Britons in difficulty.
“It’s really good to be able to hear what your readers get in touch about. It allows me then to go and talk to my teams afterwards,” he said. “It is a really big part of my job to make sure that both British visitors to France and British nationals in France are OK.
“There are limits to what the UK government can do, but we are very much here for people who get into situations of distress or vulnerability.”
Embassy director ‘continuing to monitor’ WA card renewals
After the interview, The Connexion also spoke to the British embassy’s director of consular services for France.
The director, Pamela Deegan, explained how consular contact is now mostly handled by phone and online rather than through local walk-in services. However, there are still physical consulates in Bordeaux, Marseille and Paris: it is considered important to have sites that are spread out geographically.
Around ten honorary consuls also still exist in some areas, with their locations reviewed regularly to ensure they are deployed where they are most useful. However, they are used more as a back-up resource on the ground than as a first public point of contact.
They may, for example, help with local liaison or assist in specific cases where someone needs to be visited.
She said Britons seeking help can, at any time of day or night, either telephone or use the gov.uk online contact form, with enquiries monitored regularly and triaged according to urgency. If the issue is not really ‘consular’ they will be directed to appropriate information relating to passports, visas, notarial procedures etc.
Cases judged to require actual consular assistance can then be escalated to the consular teams.
On Brexit residency cards, she said the embassy remains in regular contact with the interior ministry and is continuing to monitor how renewals are being handled around France.
This includes checking prefecture websites and raising any cases where information or procedures were unclear.
She added that embassy concerns over first-time applications for Britons turning 18 had also been raised and that prefectures had been asked by the ministry to have systems in place not only for renewals but also for these.
On the practical side, she said she has seen examples of récépissés issued while a renewal is being processed that clearly stated it related to a Brexit (‘article 50’) card and stated the holder’s right to work.
