News Digest Special Edition: What Changes in France in 2024?

EES border control system

The EU’s new Entry and Exit System or EES, which is designed to digitise border controls for non-EU citizens entering the Schengen area, is set to be introduced in the final quarter of 2024 (probably in October). Read more here.

No €7 EU visa fees… yet!

The EU’s other new initiative, ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System), which will require that all non-EU residents apply for a €7 online visa prior to travel, has been widely reported as coming into effect in 2024. However, it was recently announced that this would be pushed back until 2025.

New train routes

As Europe continues its push for “slow tourism”, more new railway routes are starting up in 2024, including a new Nightjet Paris-Berlin sleeper train, running three times a week. Travellers from the UK can also benefit from the new “Sail-Rail” tickets offered by ferry operators Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries that include onward travel in France by train.

Carte Grise fees

The price of a Carte Grise, the vehicle registration document required by all vehicles in France, is set to increase in 2024. The fees will vary depending on the French department that issues them (and the tax rates that they apply), but currently, the highest fees are in Brittany – €55 for a new carte grise.

€100 electric car leases

While owning a car is getting more expensive, the government has announced an initiative to help low-income families lease an electric car, with deals as low as €100 a month. Read more about the new deal here or read our guide to Leasing a New Car in France: How Does the LLD/LOA Work?.

Control techniques for motorbikes

The long-debated introduction of a control technique (the test of roadworthiness that is already required by all cars over four years old) for motorbikes looks set to finally become law. The first implementation will apply only to motorbikes and scooters registered before January 2017, and is predicted to be brought in the spring or summer of 2024.

No more green insurance cards

Another driving-related change will start in April 2024, when car insurance companies will no longer issue the little green cards that must be displayed on your vehicle’s windscreen. Instead, France will move on to an automated digital system that will flag vehicles without valid insurance.

Satellite internet

The French government has pledged grants of up to €600 for households that still do not have access to fibre internet in 2024. The grants aim to cover the costs of installing a satellite dish and will concern the seven million homes still not eligible for a fibre connection. Orange has also pledged to connect a further 1.5 million homes to fibre in 2024.

Digital carte vitale

A digital version of France’s famous green healthcare card, the Carte Vitale, is set to be introduced in 2024, which will be accessed via a smartphone app. Similarly, digital prescriptions are set to be rolled out this year, although we don’t have any official dates for either one yet.

Cost of living

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire announced recently that the “inflation crisis is behind us”, and predicted that inflation “would fall to 2.6% in 2024”, with the general cost of living expected to fall (or at least stop rising!) accordingly. However, those living in France will still have some cost hikes to watch out for, such as electricity tariffs, which are set to rise up to 10% in February 2024; gas tariffs, which could rise up to 30% in July 2024; and some smaller increases in insurance and mutuelle tariffs. Property taxes will also go up again, with an expected 3.9% increase in taxe foncière for 2024.

SMIC or minimum wage

The annual reassessment of France’s SMIC or minimum wage will increase by €1.13 on January 1st 2024, bringing the national minimum wage up to €1,766.92 per month gross or €1,398.69 net.

Voting rights of Brits in France

This one only affects British citizens who’ve been living in France (or in any other overseas country) for more than 15 years. Long-term expats who previously were not afforded the right to vote in British elections (including, controversially, the Brexit referendum). If you want to exercise your right to vote, you must register, which you can do online here starting from January 16^th. It’s recommended to do this promptly (before the end of January) if you wish to vote in the UK’s next general election, which is expected in spring 2024.

France’s new immigration bill

France recently passed a new immigration bill (read more about that here), which is set to come into effect at some point in 2024. The first step, however, is for the bill to pass through the Conseil Constitutionnel to ensure that the bill and all of its amendments adhere to the French constitution. The council will have the right to amend or strike amendments from the bill. These debates will begin in January 2024, so we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Our partners at FAB French Insurance commented on the new immigration law, with founder Fabien Pelissier saying, “I would say that we’ll continue to see what was previously triggered by Brexit, which is an application of “by the book” regulations when it comes to visas. This shouldn’t really change anything for expats from English–speaking countries, especially the US & the UK, as they very often did apply following the rules anyway. However, the visa applications that manage to “slip through the cracks” may become more and more scarce.”

Despite the potential for increased scrutiny of visa applications, Fab doesn’t see this as a bad thing, especially if you’re seeking long-term residency: “On the other hand, applying for your visa following the rules also makes the residency application so much easier that it’s actually a good thing for most “wannabe expats” in the end!”

2023 wasn’t the best year for the French property market, with recent data released from  Notaires of France indicating a sharp year-to-year decline – only 928,000 property transactions were carried out between September 2022 and September 2023, compared to 1.13 million recorded over the same 12-month period the year before (read the full report here). Property prices also began falling in the 3rd quarter of 2023, with an average drop of 1.6% across old properties in metropolitan France (and 5.4% in the Paris/Île-de-France area).

All of this has, no doubt, been compounded by the increasingly tight mortgage market, which has not only seen interest rates quadruple over the past two years but a tightening of lending criteria that has led to many foreign buyers as well as French buyers struggling to secure a loan.

Estate agent Freddy Rueda Sarl, from Real Estate Occitanie, predicts that things will begin to change as we move into 2024, but not straight away. “From June 2024, interest rates should start coming down. [At the moment] many buyers needing a mortgage have stopped looking, as the interest rates are too high and the banks’ approval ratings are low. At the end of 2023, we were left with cash buyer clients only, and it will likely be the same first half of 2024, but then things should start improving.”

As for property prices, he agrees that while prices will likely fall, this will vary from region to region, depending a lot on demand. “I don’t expect any reduction in prices higher than 5 % in our very in-demand area (Languedoc, now renamed Occitanie). In France, there is still a lack of houses available compared to the population, so this should protect from a real drop in prices.”

Freddy’s advice for buyers in 2024 is to “take action!” and benefit from the lull in the market before it picks up again, especially if you are a cash buyer. Naturally, when it comes to location, he has a preference, too: “Languedoc really is the place where to be, with an average of 300 sunny days a year; easy access to the coast, rivers, lakes, and mountains; and low-cost travel options making it easy to get around. Our area is well-known for its food and wines, and what’s better than sitting outside, even in wintertime, with a blue sky and a good glass of local wine?” It’s hard to argue with that!

Paris Olympics

Of course, the sporting event of the year will be the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games, which will kick off with a grand Opening Ceremony on Friday, July 26^th. Prior to the big event, the Olympic Torch Relay will see the flame take a tour of France – find out more here.

Vendée Globe

Another global sporting event taking place in France this year is the 10^th edition of the Vendée Globe, the world’s only single-handed non-stop round-the-world yacht race. The famous race will set out from Les Sables d’Olonne in the Vendée on November 10^th.

French property exhibition

Finally, don’t miss the French property event of the year (ok, we might be a little biased!) – the French Property Exhibition. Hosted by France Media Group and FrenchEntrée, and sponsored by our partners Blevins Franks, it’s a must for anyone looking to buy French property or move to France.

I’ll be holding a seminar at the event on behalf of FrenchEntrée, along with a host of industry experts, and you’ll be able to browse thousands of properties as well as chat directly with estate agents, currency exchange specialists, legal and financial advisors, removals companies, and much, much more.

Come and join us in London on 27th and 28th January, 2024 @ Novotel London West – sign up for your free tickets here.