# Passports: UK travel to France **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264 "2003-12-01T14:56:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/1 "2003-12-01T14:56:57Z")
I’m going on holiday on 10/01/04 (UK date format) for 2 weeks (yay!). My normal EU style 10 year UK passport runs out 10/06/04. There’s nothing fancy about me, I’m a normal UK citizen. I’m landing in Geneva, but the resort is a French one. Will I have any trouble as my passport is valid for the whole of the trip but is not valid for 6 months after return? [The Swiss Embassy](http://www.eda.admin.ch/london_emb/e/home/trach/visares/tranvis.html) site is nice an helpful, so it looks like there’s no problem there: > [@](#): > > BRITISH PASSPORT: must contain one of the following remarks: > “British Citizen”, “British Subject: Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies”, “British Protected Person”, “British Dependent Territories Citizen”, “British Overseas Citizen”, “British National (Overseas)” > > Children under 16 who are entered in the British passport of one of their parents and are accompanied by him or her do not require a personal travel document. > > The British passport must be valid during the period of stay in Switzerland. I can’t find anything about it on the French Embassy site though. Does anyone have the dope on this? ---
**Author:** ![RussellM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed8c4c/32.png) [@RussellM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RussellM)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/2 "2003-12-01T15:16:47Z")
I was on holiday in France this summer. My UK 10 year passport had less than 6 months to run while I was there. No problems - but you will get everyone pointing it out to you, in case you hadn’t noticed. Enjoy your holiday Russell ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/3 "2003-12-01T15:29:30Z")
Looks like I was being unfair to the [French Embassy](http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/asp/service.asp?SERVID=101&LNG=en&PAGID=143). > [@](#): > > 1. List of nationalities which DO NOT need a visa to enter France and the Schengen Space : > > - “All member countries of the European Union, whether or not signatories to the Schengen Agreement”" > > - Austria > > - Belgium > > - Denmark > > - Finland > > - France > > - Germany > > - Greece > > - Ireland > > - Italy > > - Luxembourg > > - Netherlands > > - Portugal > > - Spain > > - Sweden > > - United Kingdom (Please note that British nationals can travel to France until the expiry date of their British passport) On preview, I see that **RussellM** has allayed any lingering fears that I might have had. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/4 "2003-12-01T18:05:51Z")
FTR, I’ve been to France numerous times, under an American passport, and never been required to even show it. In fact, when the Chunnel lets you off at Gare Nord, there’s not even a customs or immigration agent in sight - you just walk on downstairs to the Metro and go. Or walk East a bit and see the prostitutes by Pigalle… ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/5 "2003-12-02T09:16:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Una Persson \* > FTR, I’ve been to France numerous times, under an American passport, and never been required to even show it. That’s because you’ve been within the Schengen area all the time. The OP described a situation where he left it and then entered again. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/6 "2003-12-02T10:30:03Z")
If she arrived via the Chunnel she wasn’t within the Schengen area all the time. The Chunnel goes to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/7 "2003-12-02T10:37:19Z")
I’m not sure that that’s true. The UK does not appear to be a member of the Schengen area: > [@](#): > > All foreigners who are legally resident in one of the Schengen member States can make short visits without a visa in any other member State, provided they travel with their valid passport which must be recognized by all the Schengen States and a resident permit issued by the authorities of the country of residency. Therefore, **Since the UK is not a member of the Schengen agreement** , nationals who are not exempted from visa requirements by the Schengen member states and who reside permanently or temporarily in the UK need a visa to enter the Schengen Space. Cite: [French Embassy (UK)](http://www.ambafrance-uk.org/asp/service.asp?SERVID=101&LNG=en&PAGID=142) Of course, seeing as I’d not even heard of this until yesterday, I may well be misinterpreting it 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/8 "2003-12-02T10:38:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bromley \* > **I’m landing in Geneva, but the resort is a French one.** This is the important point, but one that has not been sufficiently clear. The Geneva airport has two exits, and depending on your flight you might end up on the Swiss or the French side of customs. (The airport straddles the border; when it was made the French cut a deal that they gave some territory to the swiss in exchange for having a French sector of the airport. It all runs as a Swiss airport, but certain flights take off and leave from ‘France’.) I think it’s only AirFrance flights to other parts of France, but I’m not sure. I suggest you verify on which side of the border you disembark. As far as I know most regular flights from the UK fly from the Swiss side, but there may well be weird charter deals. I don’t know much about how passports are checked on the French side, but there shouldn’t be any problems for Schengen members / EU nationals. The Swiss on the other hand routinely check passports. Not very well though, and often it’s enough to show the outside to be waved on. I know that my passport was on the verge of running out once, but I was not stopped. I’m not sure if it was because they didn’t look, or because they don’t mind. I would assume the latter. ---
**Author:** ![Bromley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4da419/32.png) [@Bromley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bromley)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/9 "2003-12-02T10:38:38Z")
Sorry, didn’t see **ruadh** there. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/10 "2003-12-02T13:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > Therefore, Since the UK is not a member of the Schengen agreement, nationals who are not exempted from visa requirements by the Schengen member states and who reside permanently or temporarily in the UK need a visa to enter the Schengen Space. That’s irrelevant. The OP is a british (hence also an European) citizen, not a mere resident. He doesn’t need any visa to enter and/or stay in France. Only a valid ID. The passport will do. I strongly doubt the ID needs to be valid for six months after his entrance on the french territory (once again since he’s an EU citizen), but I wouldn’t say for sure. The OP should call the nearest french consulate or embassy. It seems to me that some posters are mistaking two different sets of regulations. The first applying to all EU _citizens_, and allowing them to enter/stay in another EU country with only an ID proving their citizenship, and the other applying to citizens and _residents_ of countries which are part of the Schengen agreement (and not necessarily part of the EU : Norway) which allows them to move freely within the Schengen area. For instance, as a french \*\* citizen \*\*, I can enter and stay in both Germany (part of the Schengen area) and the UK (not part of the Schengen agreement) with only my french identity card, at any moment. Only difference : there won’t be a border check upon entering Germany, but there will be one upon entering the UK. A friend of mine, Ukrainian citizen and legal \*\*_resident_ \*\*in France, will be able to enter freely in Schengen Germany with a document proving she’s a legal resident in France (though she most probably won’t be asked to show it, since there’s no border check), but will need a visa to enter the non-Schengen UK. ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/11 "2003-12-02T16:28:02Z")
Most of you seem to miss a vital point: **Bromley** will (probably[sup]1[/sup])pass through **Switzerland**. Apparently the Swiss have tried to join Schengen ([cite](http://www.statewatch.org/news/2002/apr/05switz.htm)), but I haven’t seen any hard evidence that they are members yet. [sup]1[/sup]See my post above. It is possible to fly to Geneva without actually being in Switzerland. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/12 "2003-12-02T17:26:24Z")
I presume the arrangement for landing into the French side is the same as at Basle airport - two exits from the baggage hall, with the relevant flags above them. Pretty simple 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Popup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/94ad74/32.png) [@Popup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Popup)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/13 "2003-12-03T09:04:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GorillaMan \* > \*\*I presume the arrangement for landing into the French side is the same as at Basle airport - two exits from the baggage hall, with the relevant flags above them. Pretty simple 🙂 \*\* Nope! At least not last time I flew to Geneva. If you fly to the Swiss side, you have to pass through passport control before even getting to the baggage reclaim. And then there’s no way of getting to France - except going out in to Switzerland and walking around the entire airport. But, as I said, it’s possible that **Bromley** is on some kind of charter trip where he will actually land directly in the French sector. Either way I don’t think he’ll have any problems. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2003, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/passports-uk-travel-to-france/216264/14 "2003-12-03T13:11:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clairobscur \* > A friend of mine, Ukrainian citizen and legal \*\*_resident_ \*\*in France, will be able to enter freely in Schengen Germany with a document proving she’s a legal resident in France (though she most probably won’t be asked to show it, since there’s no border check), but will need a visa to enter the non-Schengen UK. I don’t think so. The Schengen agreement lets citizen travel freely, but they must be able to prove their citizenship. I have a driver’s license with the EU symbol and the Swedish ‘S’ in the center of the ring of stars. This is _not_ enough to let me travel within Schengen, because it doesn’t tell my citizenship. There are quite a few immigrants/refugees in Sweden, with Swedish driver’s licenses, that look exactly the same, who will not be able to travel freely under the Schengen, because they are not citizens.