Living in France Q&A: Nationality After Brexit

Every month the UK government hosts a Facebook Q&A for British nationals living in France, or planning to do so, to ask questions about what will happen with their rights, access to healthcare, money and family lives after Brexit. Here are some of those questions, and their answers. Some questions and answers have been edited for length or clarity. The full set of questions and their answers can be found here.

I’m considering taking dual nationality, will you be offering advice on how best to achieve it?

The British Embassy cannot advise on French nationality, other than to say that both the UK and France accept dual nationality. You can find more information on the French website here.

For those people who have dual (or multiple) nationality and who do not need/cannot get a Carte de Sejour, but do have UK citizen rights, how should or can they prove that they are exercising their rights before the end of the transition period? As UK S1 holders they cannot access the French Puma system. This is a conundrum for people with French nationality as, of course, they cannot apply for a CDS!

As a national of an EU Member State, you retain your rights as an EU citizen. As such your rights to live, work, study, access benefits and services, and be joined by your third-country national family members across the EU will continue under EU law. As a resident in France, you can also be covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. Therefore, your retired friends will be able to continue to receive their uprated UK state pensions and associated reciprocal healthcare cover via the S1.

We are looking into the detail of how this will work in practice if, as you say, you are not eligible for a residence permit. Although I cannot give you a clearer answer at this point, please be assured that we take this issue very seriously, and we are working with the French authorities to understand the system.

Hi, I have been living in France with my French-born husband (who has dual nationality) since 2002; I am 63, I have a British passport, pay taxes in France and subscribe to the healthcare system. If I apply for French nationality will it affect my British nationality? Can I have dual nationality? Will I be able to claim a British state pension when the time comes?

France and the UK both accept dual nationality so it would not affect your British nationality if you were to become a French citizen as well. As a UK national resident in France now, you are covered by the Withdrawal Agreement and this protects your right to access an uprated UK state pension once you become eligible.