France's New Border System Won't Affect Retired Americans with Long-Stay Visas
Retired Americans living in France on a long-stay visa can breathe easy about the new Entry/Exit System (EES). The automated border checks, set to launch soon, will not affect those holding a 12-month visiteur carte de séjour. Officials confirm that presenting this residency card should allow travellers to bypass EES procedures entirely.
The system targets short-stay visitors, not residents with valid long-term permits.
The EES is designed to track non-EU travellers entering and exiting the Schengen Zone. However, it explicitly excludes individuals with long-stay visas or French residency cards. This means Americans retired in France under the visiteur programme—typically valid for one year—will face no extra checks when crossing borders.
For those with mixed residency and work statuses, the rules become more complex. A non-EU citizen living in France but working full-time in Germany, for example, must navigate both residency and tax laws. Experts recommend consulting a cross-border immigration and tax lawyer familiar with the Germany-France double taxation agreement, German tax residency rules (§ 8 AO), and French immigration law. Firms like Noerr, Rödl & Partner, or Fidelio Tax Advisors—with offices in Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin—specialize in such cases.
Even with a French residency card, the 90/180-day rule still applies when travelling to other EU countries outside France. This limitation remains unchanged under the EES, so residents must continue monitoring their stays in non-French Schengen states to avoid overstaying.
The visiteur residency card provides clear protection from EES checks at borders. Yet for those with cross-border work or tax ties, legal advice remains essential to avoid complications. Clarifying residency status and tax obligations early can prevent issues with authorities in both France and Germany.
