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Ken, probably my ambiguous post, but I meant the GHIC isn't relevant for "us" (British citizens resident in France). The idea that the GHIC is a Global card is also misleading unless we are to interpret that as being similar nomenclature as the American World Series baseball games, which are in fact not "World" at all.

Mint, I had to look this up because I thought it was only for ANTS but I see now that it provides access to a lot of official sites. Did you get your postman to validate yours initially ? Your query about smartphones though, yes, it's becoming more and more of a problem; as websites tighten up on security they are looking for more convenient ways of verifying that it is "you" trying to access their site. That's fine if you have a smartphone but I'm sure there are very many people who don't! In fact I have just this weekend bought a smartphone for my wife; she is deaf so it will never be used for its original purpose, making phonecalls, but the texting and web access will be good. We have a UK bank account with Lloyds and part of their security check is to phone you and ask you to type or say the 4-digit code that appears on the computer screen when you logon. The problem here is that she doesn't hear the instructions so doesn't know what to do. I complained about this and they have modifies their instructions to say "wait 20 seconds and then say/enter the code".

Yes, it's cold, but it has certainly been colder in previous years. As far as we can see things are surviving and some even starting to flower, snowdrops, daffodils etc. The thing we dread is that late frost when the fruit trees are in flower, but we're not there yet. I've noticed a lot more moss in the grass this winter... perhaps NoMoss could suggest something ? :-) I like the sunshine in Spain for a winter break (not this year of course) but I couldn't live there all year, far too hot in summer. I do like it for cycling in February/March.

Nomoss, I haven't seen the Bugle before, is it a "misinformation" magazine like the Connexion ? !! By which I mean they give partial truths, without checking properly. It's very annoying. The GHIC is completely irrelevant as far as UK citizens resident in France are concerned; it isn't worth mentioning it and only manages to confuse everyone. I don't think anyone living here will have a CPAM-issued card; ours were recalled years ago! We received our new EHICs from Newcastle with very short delay and they are exactly as you describe, similar to the old ones but lasting a further 5 years. Not that we'll be going anywhere yet !!

We're not on another Brexit debate surely ? There are loads of things that BJ glossed over (that's another way of saying "lied about") that are only now coming to pass, not just parcels which might contain items requiring import duty, but shellfish and live animal exports as well. There will be more. The Brexit vote was so close, not an convincing result at all, and the UK I think will live to regret it.

I'm using a Windows laptop and the Britline ad is in the left and right margins, where the lavender field normally appears. IN fact the lavender field appears first and then the Britline overwrites it. Just tried my Android phone and I don't see the Britline ad at all (nor the lavender). I hope that narrows it down a bit, looks like a MAC thing.

Wow Idun, it looks as though your font is a little overweight!

Oh, I didn't realise that, ET, but as has already been pointed out different départements interpret the requirements differently, and we haven't actually seen what the OP submitted in the first place.

The request for proof of residence for 2020 is not unreasonable, they do need to know that you have continued to live in France even though you were living here for more than 5 years before that. We had to do the same. As others suggest, it's usually easier to simply send what they ask for instead of questioning it. Good luck.

Elamessa, are you using this link https://contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/brexit/brexit-residence-permit-application/ This is the English version, you simply need to click on the "complement" and take it from there. (Sorry I can't post a clickable link)

There, elamessa has it right, you can't do a fresh application when you have a GED already. Woolly, by "old system" I meant the portal that opened around New Year last year, which was when we applied. The OP doesn't already have a CdS I don't think, but needs to simply add some documentation to the new system. Problem of terminology here I think.

Ah! Cheers Woolly ! You look like a new man !

I don't know Mint, but the instruction was that if you have already applied under the previous system (and been allocated a number) then you don't need to reapply. I take that to mean "don't reapply" but that's just my interpretation. I can't understand why the OP can't add further documents, sorry.

Is this "our" Woolly, or as the name suggests another (different) banana ? Puzzled.

It looks as though you didn't send the documents they asked for on the old website. We applied via that site in January last year and when the new system opened we were asked for proof of residence for 2020, which obviously we didn't have originally. Then we renewed our passports, so using the new system I uploaded those. There is a "complémentaire" option to send additional or changed documents. You could use this to send your missing ones, and if there is a limit then just do it as many times as it takes.

BIB Thank you! I was just about to contact the Prefecture by email. I'm hard of hearing so a phone conversation is always more than simply a language exercise. I speak the language reasonably well but don't hear the replies, which leads to them thinking I'm another Brit without the lingo!

Betise, Is the company you referred to still able to deliver UK foodstuffs over here in France. I was under the impression, perhaps mistakenly, that all dairy and meat was no longer allowed (post Brexit).

Our new CdS (plural) arrived today, following our final RdV in Niort (79) on 21st December for fingerprints etc, so that's gone very smoothly and faster than we were told to expect (February had been mentioned). The card indicates that it is a Withdrawal Agreement permit (Article 50 and Article 18). In the envelope there is an "Attestation de Remise" with no instructions as to what to do with it. There's a bottom tear-off piece (Volet a conserver par le titulaire) and the top half includes "Nom et qualité de l'agent ayant effectué la remise du titre" with this part to be kept by the Administration. Presumably the "agent" is our postman? There's a box for the date and the holder's signature too. So, do I need to get the postman to sign it, then sign it myself and return the top part. There's no return address; I assume it goes to the Préfecture ? Anyone else done this ?

Just going back to the original post, we have completed our application in the week before Christmas, attending the préfecture in Niort (79). We originally applied in January last year, online under the original system, and submitted all the require documents as scans. We then had to send and update via the new system in October with evidence of our having lived in France during 2020. Also we had renewed our passports (so we've got those non-EU blue ones now) so I added those. On the day all we took were our passports and photographs. The actual "interview" turned out to be nothing more than a very quick administrative procedure, checking our identities, giving fingerprints, handing over a photograph (only1 needed) and signing a form. We had appointments 15 minutes apart but were invited in together and were back out on the street in 10 minutes, job done. This residency card is called WARP (Withdrawal Agreement Residency Permit), I haven't seen one yet and ours will probably arrive in February we we told, but I suspect it's different to the "normal" CdS as it's only for Brits ! So, no "interview" as such, no grilling, very straightforward.

From me too to you all, and especially the Bonne Santé bit !

Ah, tachograph charts. OK. There may be French skiing, I don't know, and I don't do guessing (leave that to Boris) but the Swiss report that the absconding skiers were British. There are quarantine rules in place but they decided to flee instead. Hopefully a list of names can be produced by the hotel in question. I found a report on Merkur.de (can't post a link but Google is your friend) but it's in the UK press and TV too if that's easier. I'm fond of the French, I don't know about proud. I think I've done this topic to death now, we'll have to agree to disagree.

Two and half what from Calais ?? As for getting over the French border, it's an EU protectionist thing, no point in infecting the neighbours. It's 15 hours by car to the Portuguese border, I'm sure a lorry can't do it in that time. Now we have 200 Brits who left the ski resort in Switzerland and are on the loose somewhere in Europe, possibly (probably) . How responsible of them! Makes me ashamed to be British quite honestly. Yes, we have our own opinions I know.

Noooo! They're not keeping me fed at all, they don't deliver here, just stop for fuel and a pee. You can't get to Eastern Europe in 2 hours. Shutting the border is not about creating suffering, it's about protecting the population. No point in having businesses thriving and full shelves in the supermarkets if half the population is dead! It IS that simple about the Brexit mess. They (Boris and co) wanted out but couldn't just leave, they wanted to cherry pick the conditions. I always liken it to leaving the golf club, once you're out you can't still turn up for a round of golf or a drink at the 19th. You're either in our out, and I think we'll see in time that despite some drawbacks we (Britain) were better IN. I'll go further and say that if we had been in properly, instead of one foot in, one foot out, we would have been in a far better position to negotiate those things we didn't like. And while I'm on my soapbox I must rant about Rees-Mogg and his criticism of Unicef aid for British children; he's a person who wouldn't know the first thing about poverty or hunger. Despicable, all of them.

My thoughts too ET. ALBF I don't know where you get your 2 hours at most for the drivers passing through. We live within 20 minutes of the N10 south of Poitiers, this is the main road that lorries take to avoid toll charges on the A10 between Poitiers and Bordeaux. Out on my bike I often stop on one of the bridges and watch the traffic, Spanish mainly, some Portuguese and Polish (!), a constant stream (except Sundays). It's 8 hours by car just to get here so for a lorry it's a day's journey and driver's hours to consider, and he's going to have to stop for food and a pee and fuel at least once (!) at my best guess. That's where the risk of 36 (or even just a single case) virus carriers can infect the French population, and they're not even benefitting the French economy, just passing through hammering the roads. I really think the borders should have been closed months ago. Whether it's cruel or not, it does show how the port arrangements grind to an immediate halt and I'm sure it was a wake-up call for the UK Government to get something agreed. Incidentally all the driver interviewed on UK TV were from eastern countries, so the French really didn't have much interest apart from keeping healthy.

Hear, hear to that AnO ! (Although apparently I'm in no position to judge according to the clique)