FairyNuff Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 A quick question - do French people need a passport to travel to the UK or is a French ID card sufficient?ThanksFairyNuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clair Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 French ID card is enough.I have no French passport and have used my ID card for travel in the EU for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Looks to me as though the ID card is fine:http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/travellingtotheuk/Enteringtheuk/arrivingatukborder/"What travel documents are accepted at the border?You must be the legal holder of a genuine document. Your documents must be valid and issued by a government or authority. The most common examples of travel documents are:national passports; or 1951 Convention travel documents for refugees.We also accept national identity cards for EEA citizens."Edit : Clair got in there before I could get the reference.[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarkkent Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 [quote user="cooperlola"] ...Your documents must be valid and issued by a government or authority ...[/quote] So, how about using an Over 60 bus pass? It is "valid" and issued by a local government authority .... [6] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooperlola Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 [quote user="Clarkkent"][quote user="cooperlola"] ...Your documents must be valid and issued by a government or authority ...[/quote] So, how about using an Over 60 bus pass? It is "valid" and issued by a local government authority .... [6][/quote]Before anybody thinks otherwise, the Home Office wrote that, not me![:-))] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyNuff Posted April 28, 2011 Author Share Posted April 28, 2011 Thanks to everyone for their replies. FairyNuff[:D] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerdesal Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 [quote user="Clarkkent"][quote user="cooperlola"] ...Your documents must be valid and issued by a government or authority ...[/quote] So, how about using an Over 60 bus pass? It is "valid" and issued by a local government authority .... [6][/quote]A photo driving licence is a valid document issued by a Government. Would it work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 This original question & subsequent bit of amusing banter just illustrates the nonsense of it all.How much more sensible for us to simply have to acquire a French ID card from the Mairie when our UK passports expire in a couple of years time? Cheaper and easier than the rigmarole of renewing our passports and subject to greater and more realistic scrutiny from our local dragon secretaire Chantal.But sadly, HMG will insist on defying the commonsense of a straightforward ID card system (which is all that a passport is).Oh, and if I ruled the world, linked to a compulsory DNA sample. (Light the blue touchpaper & retire immediately). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 28, 2011 Share Posted April 28, 2011 Gardien, us getting carte de sejours in France is not the same as french people getting their ID cards. French people have to give their finger prints as well as all the usual paperasse to deal with. So their ID cards are very serious and I don't think it unreasonable that they are treat by other governments as such. I was horrified beyond words when I first saw somebody in my old Mairie being debased in such a manner. PS if Chantal is the secretary at the Mairie, they sometimes breath fire, but can end up as 'allies' if not friends[:)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pitway Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 [quote]A photo driving licence is a valid document issued by a Government. Would it work?[/quote]My sister had to fly to france last weekend she turned up at the airport only to discover she had pick up our mothers passport !!!! Panic!!! The people at Bristol airport said not a problem your driving licence will be fine ???????Then the girl noticed she was flying via Switzerland, ohpps! no you can't do that you will need your passportI have heard that many of the low cost airlines will only accept a passport, is that their own policy or is it government rules? I don't know, I wonder if she could have flown back just using her driving licence?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 [quote user="idun"]PS if Chantal is the secretary at the Mairie, they sometimes breath fire, but can end up as 'allies' if not friends[:)][/quote]Idun ............You don't know Chantal !! Whatever's the opposite of charisma, she's got it.And I agree completely about ID cards here in France. My point is that it seems to me to make more sense to have a universally accepted ID card issued by your country of residence (where you are probably known and have to present yourself), than a passport which can be fraudulently applied for.Mark you, if I had to apply to Chantal, she'd probably 'black-ball' me ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Oh I had a real dragon at the Mairie and a few fights with her. And apparently I 'grew' on her. If I had anything to say, I said it to her face, as opposed to many in the village who gossiped behind her back. And after 15 years she was actually saying decent things about me. That is a long time. Prior to that I would need to be ready for battle everytime I had to go and see her. AND she ended up by being really really helpful about a few things. We even had a little note with some important information on it, hand written no less,not usual at all, from her and hand delivered.I don't usually give up on people, apart from the current maire, who is odious and vile and will be for ever more. I do hope that your Chantal is just grumpy and not like the maire.[:'(] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 [quote user="idun"]I don't usually give up on people, apart from the current maire, who is odious and vile and will be for ever more. I do hope that your Chantal is just grumpy and not like the maire.[:'(][/quote]No, Chantal isn't just grumpy - just not very nice. Our Maire is a lady and a breath of fresh air after the previous two. One was stood down for 'financial irregularities', the other a stand-in who was (literally) in his mid-90's and even more ga-ga than me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Strangley the maire 's wife in my village is called Chantal too and she is as truly awful as he is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charly Posted April 29, 2011 Share Posted April 29, 2011 Well, that explains it. If your Maire is called Strangley, his Wife would have to be awful....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 [quote user="pitway"][quote] A photo driving licence is a valid document issued by a Government. Would it work?[/quote]I have heard that many of the low cost airlines will only accept a passport, is that their own policy or is it government rules? [/quote]I am French and each time I fly to or back from the UK on Ryanair , I NEED my ID or else, no flight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frenchie Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 To put it in a nutshell, ONLY the French ID is a document proving your identity and nationality, a driving licence proves your identity and that you are able to drive certain categories of vehicles, .Ask Chantal, she will gracefully answer !! [;-)]From the official site : Service-Public.fr Quote " Oui, le permis est bien une pièce d'identité officielle, car elle est délivrée par l'État français.Par contre, elle n'est pas une pièce prouvant la nationalité. " [blink] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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