Can my british mother come live with us in france?

BRITISH RESIDENTS WITH A WITHDRAWAL AGREEMENT CARD IN FRANCE CAN BRING OVER A PARENT TO LIVE WITH THEM IN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS READER QUESTION: I AM A BRITISH CITIZEN, FRENCH-RESIDENT, LIVING

PERMANENTLY IN FRANCE, MARRIED TO A FRENCH NATIONAL. IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE MY MOTHER, NOW 80, COME TO LIVE WITH US IN FRANCE AND WHAT WOULD BE HER ENTITLEMENT TO HEALTHCARE? There several

ways your mother could be allowed to come. The first is if she is considered dependent on you. As a British citizen, if you were living in France before January 1, 2021, and obtained a

Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residency card, a dependent parent will be eligible to apply for a five-year _carte de séjour_. In this case, your mother would have to apply for a WA carte de

séjour at your local prefecture within three months of moving to France. She would have to provide supporting documents, including your _carte de séjour_, proof of your relationship, and

proof that she is in your care. The latter will usually include proof of your income and an _attestation sur l’honneur_ (signed declaration) that you are responsible for her. There is no

clear definition of dependency, but Justine Wallington of the Rift group, which defends the rights of Britons in France, said “long-term financial dependency” is generally a better fit with

the EU and WA rules than “physical or medical dependency”. Having said that, a French decree relating to the WA rules does also refer to people who urgently need personal help from their

family member due to serious medical reasons. You may be asked to prove that you have been providing your mother with financial support – for example, through regular bank transfers – and

that you have the funds to support her while in France. If your mother is financially dependent on you, she could also qualify for a_ carte de séjour ‘ascendant à charge’_ as the

mother-in-law of a French citizen. Otherwise, there is no automatic right for UK citizens to bring their parents to France. If your mother is financially independent, she will therefore be

in the same situation as other retirees looking to settle in France. The option in this case is to apply for a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit – a visa lasting up to 12

months, which requires holders to apply for a temporary _carte de séjour ‘visiteur’_ before it expires. She will also have to show she has regular income equivalent to the net French monthly

minimum wage (€1,383/month). UK state pensioners can use the S1 form system to access healthcare in France. There is also a general principle that permits anyone living long-term to apply

for healthcare under ‘Puma’ residency rules. RELATED ARTICLES EXPLAINER: HOW TO BRING FAMILY TO LIVE WITH YOU IN FRANCE POST-BREXIT WHICH RELATIVES HAVE A RIGHT TO INHERIT IN FRANCE?

EXPLAINER: COMMON VISA OPTIONS FOR VISITING AND MOVING TO FRANCE