Brexit Update 2025: Changes to the Withdrawal Agreement Residence Rights

Brexit may have officially happened on 31 January 2020, but the legal after-shocks are still rippling through the daily lives of British residents in France. A new French decree of 17 February 2025 transposes recent EU-UK Joint Committee decisions into the Code de l’Entrée et du Séjour des Étrangers et du Droit d’Asile (CESEDA), tightening a few screws while clarifying long-term rights for Withdrawal Agreement (WA) beneficiaries. Below is a practical breakdown of what actually changes, who is affected, and the concrete steps you should take before your WA residence card hits its five-year expiry date in 2026.

1. Quick refresher: where WA beneficiaries stand in 2025

• Two main cards exist: the 5-year « Accord de retrait – séjour » card for most residents and the 10-year « Accord de retrait – séjour permanent » card for those who had already reached five years of lawful residence before 31 December 2020.
• Work, study and social-security parity with EU citizens remains intact inside France, but Schengen travel is still capped at 90 days in any 180-day period outside France. See our full guide on traveling inside Schengen with a French residence permit.
• No integration or language tests are required for WA renewals, unlike standard carte de séjour holders.
• All applications—first issue or renewal—must now be filed on the ANEF portal, meaning every British national needs a secure FranceConnect account.

2. What the 17 February 2025 decree changes

Area	Old rule (pre-2025)	New rule (from 1 July 2025)	Practical impact
Online renewal	Possible but optional; paper forms accepted in some préfectures	Mandatory ANEF submission; paper dossiers rejected except for disability/accommodation cases	Create FranceConnect+ and upload PDF scans <10 MB each
Proof of resources	None required for WA renewals	Declaration of ​“sufficient resources” if outside French labour market >12 months	Pensioners or remote workers must keep bank statements
Absence tolerance	Loss of status after >5 years outside France	3-year cap for permanent-card holders; 2-year cap for 5-year-card holders	Long-term UK returnees risk forfeiture sooner
Card format	Wording « Carte de séjour bénéficiaire de l’Accord de retrait »	EU blue band removed; reference to “UK national” added	Switch to non-EU template at renewal
Family members joining	Ongoing right without time limit	Cut-off date 31 December 2025 for first applications by non-EU family members	Late dependants must use standard visa routes

Sources: Décret n° 2025-172 (JO du 18 Feb 2025); EU-UK Joint Committee Decision 18/2024.

2.1 A word on health cover and “sufficient resources”

For the first time, préfectures may ask retirees and remote workers to prove they will not become an unreasonable burden on French social assistance. The decree aligns WA practice with CESEDA L.321-1 for EU citizens. A recent circular (INT/​DGPAF/​BR 06-2025) suggests that:

• A net monthly income above €1,135 (the French RSA couple threshold) will normally suffice.
• Private health insurance can be accepted when CPAM rights are still pending. If you need guidance, see our step-by-step on registering with CPAM as a new visa holder.

3. Who must renew in 2025–2026?

Issue date of your WA card	Expiry date	Renewal window opens	Files to upload on ANEF
Between Jan 2021 – Jun 2021	2026	6 months before expiry	Passport, proof of address <3 months, recent photo, declaration of resources if inactive, proof of continuous residence (utility bills, tax avis)
Jul 2021 – Dec 2021	2026–2027	6 months before expiry	Same as above
Permanent 10-year card	2030–2031	6 months before expiry	Passport, address, proof of <3-year absence

Tip : submit before travelling if your card will expire while abroad. Airlines often ignore récépissés. Our checklist on residence permit renewal during overseas travel explains the visa-de-retour fallback.

4. Dealing with long absences

The decree’s shorter absence caps have raised eyebrows among Brits with elderly parents or second homes in the UK. Below are the golden rules for keeping your WA status alive:

• 2-year rule (5-year card holders): spend at least one night on French soil every 24 months.
• 3-year rule (permanent-card holders): the same logic but with a 36-month window.
• Force majeure clause: medical treatment or pandemic travel bans can “stop the clock” if documented (hospital papers, airline cancellations). Attach these to your next renewal.

If you have already breached the cap, you may still request a standard visitor visa or a Carte de séjour « visiteur », but you lose WA privileges. Book a strategy call with an ImmiFrance adviser to weigh options.

5. Non-EU family members: the 31 December 2025 deadline

A non-EU spouse, PACS partner, or child still has a last-call chance to piggy-back on your WA rights but must lodge a complete visa application by 31 Dec 2025. After that date they fall under regular family-reunification rules (labour-market test, income thresholds, health insurance). Our in-depth guide to the Carte de séjour “membre de famille d’un citoyen de l’Union” remains relevant, but expect tougher scrutiny from préfectures.

6. Common renewal snags and how to avoid them

1. Expired passport at upload: make sure your passport is valid at least six months beyond the new card’s issue date.
2. PDF size over 10 MB: compress scans with online tools; ANEF rejects oversized files without warning.
3. Tax non-compliance: British WA holders must still file French income-tax returns even if all income is UK-sourced. See our “first-year residents” tax-filing guide.
4. Strike-day appointments: préfectures often close counters during national strikes. Monitor our 2025 strike calendar and upload proofs of cancelled slots.

7. Step-by-step ANEF renewal recap

• Create or upgrade your FranceConnect account (La Poste ID, Ameli, etc.).
• Select “Je suis titulaire d’un titre” → “Renouveler mon titre ‘Accord de retrait’”.
• Fill the smart form (auto-populates previous WA data).
• Upload required scans and pay the €25 tax stamp online. Use a virtual debit card if your UK bank blocks French e-payments.
• Submit and download the PDF récépissé. Print two copies.
• Wait for SMS/e-mail to schedule biometrics. Expect 2–6 weeks in larger départements.
• Collect card in person or via secure post, depending on préfecture policy.

For live support, ImmiFrance clients track each milestone in our secure dashboard and receive alert reminders.

Frequently Asked Questions

I already hold a permanent 10-year WA card. Do these changes affect me? Only the shorter 3-year absence cap applies. Otherwise, your rights and renewal process stay the same until the card’s expiry.

Do WA beneficiaries have to meet the new French language requirement introduced in 2025? No. The Loi 2024-1555 language test applies to standard residence-permit renewals and naturalisation, not to WA extensions.

Can I switch from WA status to another permit like Passeport Talent? Yes, but you would permanently lose WA protection. A switch makes sense only if you need EU-wide mobility or faster access to a long-term EC card.

What happens if my UK-born child turns 18 after 31 December 2025? They will have to qualify under ordinary immigration rules, e.g., as a student or family member of an EU citizen present in France. File early where possible.

Will my UK state pension still count as “sufficient resources”? Yes, provided the net monthly amount exceeds the RSA threshold (€1,135 in 2025). Upload recent HMRC state-pension statements and French bank receipts.

Ready for renewal? Let ImmiFrance guide you

Missing a deadline or botching an ANEF upload could mean hours of prefecture queues—or worse, the loss of hard-won Brexit protections. With ImmiFrance you get:

• Personalised document review and ANEF filing
• Automated deadline alerts six months before your card expires
• Access to a network of English-speaking immigration lawyers for complex cases

Book a free 15-minute eligibility call today at immifrance.com/consult and renew your peace of mind before renewing your card.