https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The rollout of Europe's EES biometric border system is supposed to be fully implemented, but for travellers heading between France and the UK via Dover, the Eurotunnel or Eurostar the situation is slightly different. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260114/whats-the-latest-on-rollout-of-eurostar-eurotunnel-and-dover-ees-border-checks Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:28:48 +0100 whats-the-latest-on-rollout-of-eurostar-eurotunnel-and-dover-ees-border-checks France is, on the whole, a nation of coffee drinkers – but if you prefer tea, all is not lost … in fact the country has a long history of tea drinking, and it is growing in popularity. Here's what you need to know about where to find good tea. https://www.thelocal.fr/20250610/the-ultimate-guide-to-tea-drinking-in-france Tue, 10 Jun 2025 10:33:30 +0200 the-ultimate-guide-to-tea-drinking-in-france As European ports and airports struggle to cope with the full rollout of the EU's new biometric passport checks, the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel have confirmed to The Local that full checks will not be rolled out until the end of the peak summer period. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260715/latest-ees-passport-checks-will-not-be-fully-implemented-at-dover-and-eurotunnel-this-summer Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:09:13 +0200 latest-ees-passport-checks-will-not-be-fully-implemented-at-dover-and-eurotunnel-this-summer The European Commission recently announced plans to close its investigation into complaints that France had violated EU law with its inheritance rules. Here's what that means for foreigners in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260619/what-frances-clarification-of-inheritance-law-means-for-foreign-residents Fri, 19 Jun 2026 15:12:13 +0200 what-frances-clarification-of-inheritance-law-means-for-foreign-residents Frustrated with the endless delays and administrative problems, a group of activists, lawyers and trade unions working with foreigners in France have formed the collected Bouge Ta Pref (get your préfecture moving). We spoke to them about the problems they face. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260625/bouge-ta-pref-the-campaigners-fighting-prefecture-delays-for-foreigners-in-france Thu, 25 Jun 2026 16:30:26 +0200 bouge-ta-pref-the-campaigners-fighting-prefecture-delays-for-foreigners-in-france We asked the experts the question that any foreigner in France who has been waiting months for a response on a French carte de séjour application will have wondered: should you keep contacting the prefecture or be patient and wait for your application to be processed? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260626/should-you-harrass-the-french-prefecture-for-your-residency-permit Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:23:52 +0200 should-you-harrass-the-french-prefecture-for-your-residency-permit Ten years on from the historic vote, readers of The Local explain how Britain’s decision to leave the European Union has affected them on a personal level, from worries over paperwork and money to a loss of a sense of identity and freedom to move around the continent. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260625/took-away-my-freedom-10-years-on-how-brexit-affected-brits-in-france Thu, 25 Jun 2026 15:39:00 +0200 took-away-my-freedom-10-years-on-how-brexit-affected-brits-in-france It's now 10 years since the UK voted to leave the EU, an event that had seismic consequences for many British people - we want to hear how it has affected lives in France. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260622/tell-us-10-years-on-how-has-brexit-affected-your-life-in-france Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:11:25 +0200 tell-us-10-years-on-how-has-brexit-affected-your-life-in-france If you have non-French bank accounts you will need to declare them on your declaration at tax time - but what about internet bank accounts? Here is what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.fr/20230425/reader-question-do-i-have-to-declare-my-online-bank-accounts-on-french-tax-forms Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:08:43 +0200 reader-question-do-i-have-to-declare-my-online-bank-accounts-on-french-tax-forms France refused entry to 200 British citizens in 2025, latest EU data shows, with most refused because they either did not have the correct paperwork or had previously over-stayed the 90-day limit. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260519/france-refuses-entry-to-hundreds-of-brits Tue, 19 May 2026 12:22:13 +0200 france-refuses-entry-to-hundreds-of-brits Two British men are suspected of being behind a €16 million scam centred on a château in south-west France - one has been arrested in Spain, the other is still being sought by French police. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260505/british-man-arrested-over-e16m-french-chateau-scam Tue, 05 May 2026 11:57:33 +0200 british-man-arrested-over-e16m-french-chateau-scam Around 45,000 Brits in France will have to renew their post-Brexit carte de séjour this year - but what should you do if you run into problems at the préfecture? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260506/brits-in-france-how-to-deal-with-problems-renewing-the-brexit-carte-de-sejour Wed, 06 May 2026 14:01:08 +0200 brits-in-france-how-to-deal-with-problems-renewing-the-brexit-carte-de-sejour Roughly 45,000 Brits in France will need to renew their post-Brexit residency cards this year, but exactly how to do this varies depending on where you live. Here's the préfecture-by-préfecture breakdown of the process. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251006/prefecture-how-each-area-of-france-will-deal-with-brexit-card-renewals Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:17:58 +0200 prefecture-how-each-area-of-france-will-deal-with-brexit-card-renewals Roughly 45,000 Brits living in France will this year be facing the task of renewing their post-Brexit carte de séjour - if you are one of those, here's how to go about it. https://www.thelocal.fr/20251001/step-by-step-how-to-renew-the-brexit-carte-de-sejour-in-france Wed, 01 Oct 2025 12:19:40 +0200 step-by-step-how-to-renew-the-brexit-carte-de-sejour-in-france It's been an on-again, off-again plan, but from May 2026 a fee will be applied to anyone who needs to swap their foreign driving licence for a French one. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260423/france-to-impose-fees-for-driving-licence-exchange Thu, 23 Apr 2026 11:36:52 +0200 france-to-impose-fees-for-driving-licence-exchange Changes to the rules on EU Pet Passports have a particular impact on pet-loving second-home owners in France - here's what the regulations mean for them. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260424/what-do-new-eu-pet-passport-rules-mean-for-second-home-owners-in-france Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:03:47 +0200 what-do-new-eu-pet-passport-rules-mean-for-second-home-owners-in-france The EU has moved to tighten rules on pet passports, closing a loophole that has been used by many British second-home owners since Brexit. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260422/eu-tightens-rules-for-brits-travelling-to-europe-with-pets Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:29:35 +0200 eu-tightens-rules-for-brits-travelling-to-europe-with-pets You've done everything right; sent in the application to renew your French residency permit in good time, supplied all the required documents, waited patiently for the préfecture to deal with your request. And then your card expires while you're still waiting - what should you do? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260416/what-to-do-if-your-carte-de-sejour-expires-while-youre-waiting-for-a-renewal Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:24:03 +0200 what-to-do-if-your-carte-de-sejour-expires-while-youre-waiting-for-a-renewal The UK's new rules on compulsory British passports for dual nationals - including children born to Brits abroad - continue to cause confusion and stress. One dad told The Local how he has been forced to cancel a trip to the UK to see relatives. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260409/e500-down-the-drain-brit-in-france-has-to-cancel-trip-over-uk-dual-national-rules Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:38:38 +0200 e500-down-the-drain-brit-in-france-has-to-cancel-trip-over-uk-dual-national-rules Children born overseas to a British citizen are, in most cases, entitled to a UK passport, and due to the UK's new ETA system they are required to have a British passport if they want to travel to the UK. Here's how to apply. https://www.thelocal.fr/20240503/how-do-you-get-a-british-passport-for-a-baby-born-in-france Fri, 03 May 2024 16:06:47 +0200 how-do-you-get-a-british-passport-for-a-baby-born-in-france