News Digest: New Rules for UK Drivers & FrenchEntrée Webinars

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News Digest: New Rules for UK Drivers & FrenchEntrée Webinars

New requirements for UK drivers heading to France, the EU removes the United States from its ‘White List’, plus why you should sign up for our new FrenchEntrée webinar series. Here are the French news stories you need to know about this week.

1. Stickers Required for UK Drivers

There have been quite a few changes for British drivers since Brexit, including the long wait for a deal regarding French and UK driving licences and changes to the rules on importing a UK car to France after Brexit. Now, the UK government have introduced a new regulation for British drivers travelling from the UK to France. From September 28th, 2021, all cars registered in the UK will require a ‘UK’ sticker with a Union Jack flag to be clearly displayed on the vehicle.

This sticker will replace the previously required ‘GB’ sticker and is ‘part of a wider move towards using the UK signifier across government’ says a British Department for Transport spokesman.

The sticker is required for all vehicles registered in the UK unless your number plate already has a UK identifier with the Union Jack. Identifying stickers, along with headlight correctors, are a legal requirement of all UK-registered cars being driven anywhere in the EU.

2. Tighter EU Rules for US Travellers

As of last week, the United States has been removed from the EU’s ‘White List’ – the list of ‘safe’ non-EU countries from which travellers can enter the EU without an ‘essential reason for travel’. The change is due to rising concerns over the Delta variant and the concurrent rise in Covid cases throughout the United States. New Zealand, Australia, and Canada remain on the white list.

However, these EU recommendations are not binding, and each country is still able to set its own rules, so what does this mean in practice? The good news is that if you are vaccinated, nothing changes – you are still able to visit France, and you do not need an essential reason or to take a Covid test. For unvaccinated travellers, France has also not currently changed its rules either – for the moment; the US remains a ‘green’ country (find out more about France’s traffic light system here) which means unvaccinated travellers are allowed to enter the country under certain conditions.

However, unvaccinated travellers will not be able to access France’s Health Pass without regular testing, which could make travel around the country difficult. Of course, there’s every chance France will tighten these rules in line with EU regulations – watch this space.

3. Sign Up for FrenchEntrée’s Webinar Series

If you’re hoping to purchase French property or move to France in the near future, you probably have a host of questions. How has the market changed since the pandemic? How have the rules changed on residency, visas, and healthcare post-Brexit? How can you safeguard your wealth, get the best rates on currency exchange, and look after your second home when overseas?

FrenchEntrée’s three-part ‘Destination France’ webinar series aims to answer all these questions and more. I will be hosting the first instalment, which takes place on September 15th at 10 am UK time (UTC), and we’ll be focusing on all your pre-purchase questions with expert speakers from Blevins Franks, Beaux Villages, and AXA. Want to join us? Register for the free live webinar here.

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FrenchEntrée's Digital Editor, Zoë is also a freelance journalist who has written for the Telegraph, HuffPost, and CNN, and a guidebook updater for the Rough Guide to France and Rough Guide to Dordogne & Lot. She lives in the French countryside just outside of Nantes.

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Comments

  • Jae Young
    2021-09-08 03:58:13
    Jae Young
    What is the turn around time for acceptance of my Health Pass application to be able to travel to France?

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