Update: On Thursday afternoon, the French government announced it would relax measures until the end of the year and let British citizens living in the EU transit through France.
On Thursday, Getlink, the operator of the Eurotunnel, posted a tweet that sparked new worries amongst travellers, and puzzled reporting by various news outlets: British citizens who live in the EU cannot drive through France to get there, as they are “now considered 3rd country citizens”.
Since 18 December, France only allows travel from the UK for “compelling reasons”, which does not include tourism or business.
Still, UK nationals who live in France are allowed to return home. Similarly, “EU nationals who have their main home in France” or who are “in transit through France to get to their main home in an EU country” are allowed entry.
Since Brexit, this no longer includes UK nationals. However, also allowed to travel are “UK nationals who benefit from the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement” (i.e. those who lived in an EU country prior to December 31st 2020).
If, for example, you are a UK national living in Luxembourg prior to 2021, you will be allowed to drive through France by showing proof of residency in the Grand Duchy. But if you just moved to an EU country this year as a UK national, it seems like you will be banned entry.
Citizens with dual nationality (one in an EU country) are also exempt.
The full statement: “If you are a national of the European Union, you are authorised to return to your main residence in France or in another European Union country. Your spouse (married, civil partner, cohabiting partner) and children are allowed to travel with you, regardless of their nationality. You must be able to show proof of your main residence at the border.”
But there is another important transit clause - the form of travel. UK nationals may only transit France if they transit through an international airport.
A family member with a British passport residing in the UK may fly to Luxembourg, even if they were to have a short layover at a Paris airport. But they cannot leave the international zone of the airport. And according to the measures currently in place, they may not enter France by car, even if in transit, because their main residence remains in the UK.
This would also include train travel with Eurostar, although the company has not communicated the rules for transit.
The French government has not made a statement on the changes.
