Attestation d'acceuil required for visits to France?

[boobashka]

Hoping someone can help me with what is required to enter France in these post brexit days. We are doing a home exchange holiday in July. According to this French govermnment website www.demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/attestation-accueil we should ask our exchange partners to ask for and validate an attestation d'acceuil. However the French family have been to their local mairie who have told them that this document is only required for stays of over 3 months. Has anyone recently entered France with or without such a document? Any light you can shed on this would be amazing as I'm going round in circles at the moment! Merci 😊

We had to do one for my sister who came here to France recently for 3 weeks. It cost 30 euros I think- no problem to get it signed at the mairie. We had to supply the mairie with recent tax returns, proof of address... standard requirements for French admin. Nobody asked to see it at the border though!

I’ve been to France this year and I didn’t have to fill it in, they stamp your passport so they know you aren’t overstaying. It would be unworkable for the number of brits that go to France on holiday. The fact you are doing a house swap has no bearing as you are still a tourist.

I take it back, you do need it. However, they aren’t checking all tourists are they, how could they?

Thank you @flowersun2 - that's really helpful. Annoying to go to all this trouble then for nobody to ask for it at the border though!
@superram I suspect that no-one will ask for it at the border even if I do manage to get one 😖

@flowersun2 our exchange family have hit back to us and apparently their mairie know nothing about the attestation d'acceuil instead it's called the attestation d'hebergement. Do you know anything about that? Thank you so much 😃

The one we filled in in February is definitely called une attestation d'accueil . Cerfa document no. 10798*04.
It is for stays up to 3 months

You're a star - thank you so much 💐

So from that link it sounds as if it's only if you are staying in a private house, not a holiday rental or similar?

AFAIK if you are in a rental or hotel you have your reservation documents which cover the dates of your stay.

Yes we'll be staying in a private house.

Thanks, we are doing a rental this year in France but need an overnight stop on the way up and down, we will pre-book but in the pre DC days we would have just turned up at a campsite without booking for an overnighter, sounds as though that wouldn't work now.

It just seems so over the top for a 2 week home exchange! Surely seeing my return flight tickets is enough... .?😑

I think you need to read the page more clearly - if you are European its not needed;

European, Andorran or Monegasque
If you are a European , Andorran or Monegasque national, you are not concerned by the reception certificate.

Really you don't need it, we've had visitors from the UK and no-one asks.

If you're visiting a town no-one will notice and if it's rural no-one will care.

You absolutely won't need one. It's one of those things that is technically required but never asked for. I live in France and don't know anyone who has been asked for one. I also belong to several FB travel groups and have never seen a single post about one being required. Most Mairies have never heard of them!

Your Mairie got it wrong, the attestation d'accueil is only valid for stays up to 90 days. For stays longer than 90 days there are different obligations (usually involving applying for a long term visa).

And yes they rarely ask for it, up to you if you want to follow the law or risk it.

@weemouse we are not classed as European for the purposes of this form. If you look at the countries covered

The FCO has pretty clear information on this. I think most people travelling through France will not need one.

That's really helpful @Dogsandbabies , thank you. I think we'll just have to take a credit card to prove that we'll have enough funds for the duration of our stay and hopefully that will be good enough to get thru passport control🤞

Merci @DiDonk and @Parpophone - your experiences are giving me confidence to ignore what it says on the website 😁

Hi @boobashka , would you please be so kind to update me on what happened in the end? We are in a similar position! Thank you!

I made sure my host filled one out for me when I went to France in July. (I was very anxious about post-Brexit travel!) No one asked for it anywhere.

But who knows when things might change …

Hi @kimikoi , In the end we were not asked for any evidence of finances or the attestation - all the border police did was stamp our passports and have a chat! It was a small, quiet airport, not sure if that makes any difference. Bon voyage!