News Digest: The Property Declaration d’Occupation is Back! Plus, How to Get a French Visa in 2024

More strikes are taking place across France today (Tuesday, 19th March) as teachers and public workers take a stand against the absence of pay increases. The CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, FA, FO, FSU, Solidaires and UNSA unions issued a joint statement declaring that they want to: “open negotiations to improve career prospects, and take general measures to improve pay at a time when public sector pay levels are collapsing”.

Primary schools, collèges, and lycées are expected to close across the country today, while a march will take place in Paris this afternoon. Strikes may also continue in some areas (notably in the Loire-Atlantique) until the end of the week.

If you owned a property in France last year, then you should have filled in the new 2023 property declaration, known as a Declaration d’Occupation (if you didn’t – read on; this concerns you!). The French tax office has now announced that this form will once again be required in 2024 and beyond (see here for the full text in French). But don’t worry – not everyone will need to fill it in!

The good news is that if you filled this out last year, you don’t need to do it again, provided that the “occupation” (how the property is used) of the property has not changed. So, if you declared your property as a second home and it’s still used as a second home, then you don’t need to do anything.

However, if you didn’t fill out the form last year for whatever reason, you must do it this year. You must also fill in the form again if the use of the property has changed – for example, if you were living in your property last year, but now you have moved back to the UK and are using it as a holiday home or if the property was previously used as a second home and you are now renting it out full-time.

All new property owners who have not already made a declaration must also fill this out in 2024.

From now on, any changes to the “occupation” of the property on January 1st of each year (i.e. whether it’s a primary residence or second home) must be declared before June 30th of that same year.

Another bit of good news, especially for those who struggled to access the form online last year, is that a paper version of the form will also be made available this year. We don’t yet have a date for when this will be released, but we’ll keep you informed. You can also enquire at your local tax office.

Read our guide to filling in the Declaration d’occupation.

FrenchEntrée webinars are back, and our first live event of 2024 is focusing on one of our most popular topics – French visas and residency. I’ll be joined by expert advisors from Lexidy, English-speaking France immigration lawyers, and FAB French Insurance for a comprehensive look at the road to permanent residency in France.

We’ll be covering everything from that initial visa application to applying for your Carte de Sejour, ensuring you have all the latest information and advice for a smooth transition to France in 2024.

As always, you can send your questions to me in advance at [email protected], and you can sign up for the free webinar here:

Visas & Residency in France: Making the Move in 2024

Thursday, 18^th April, 16.00 BST (17.00 French time)

This new rule might be coming in on April 1st – April Fool’s Day – but it’s 100% true! As of April 1, 2024, the small green paper squares that are required to be displayed in the windscreens of all vehicles in France will no longer be required.

Before you get too excited about one less bill, I’m afraid the rules around car insurance aren’t changing. However, in a bid to become more eco-friendly and effective, the old paper system will be replaced by an automated system. Our friends at Agence Axa International have answered all your questions on this in this article.