Can my spouse with EEA Family Permit (UK) travel visa-free to France (my country of citizenship)?

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UPDATE: After extensive online research and some anecdotal accounts of border control allowing holders of EEA Family Permits to enter France visa-free, we decided to try our luck. My husband was allowed to travel by plane with his EEA FP from the UK to France, and had no issue with border control at either end. We did not get the sense authorities were very informed/concerned - they just glanced at the EEA FP and stamped his passport. I don't know if this is standard practice or we were just lucky, but thought it was worth informing anyone in a similar situation.

Upvote:0

There's lots of confusion because people just don't understand what they are talking about.
If you ask about travel to some Schengen countries visa free you will receive different answers about different requirements because it is not a visa free travel.

EEA family permit actually is a visa. It is not a Schengen visa because not all EEA countries are in Schengen zone.
It is a visa for all EEA countries if you travel with your family member or you travel alone to join your family member who already is in that country. Bear in mind that EEA family permit is not processed by the UK border law, but European laws and officers.
You even have this information when you fill the application for it. For example there's information that if you are unmarried partner and you can prove durable relationship EEA family permit is for free.

If you can't prove durable relationship your application fall down into UK fiance visa and you have to pay the fee and it will be processed by UK law and clearance officers.

So that's what exactly happen in your case. At the France border control you show them EEA visa and they treat it as a visa of multiple entry what is clearly stated on the sticker.

Upvote:1

No, your spouse can only travel visa free with an Article 10 residence card. The EEA family permit is similar to an Article 10 card, but for the purpose of visa-free travel, only the Article 10 residence card will do.

You may be able to apply for the visa at the border, though, if you are not flying to France, but you might have trouble. The process of getting a visa for the spouse of a French citizen is more difficult, not less, than for spouses of citizens of other EU countries.

Your husband should be able to benefit from the simpler EU procedure described in directive 2004/38/EC, because you reside in another EU country. This follows from the Surinder Singh judgment, but I don't see any evidence that the French government has implemented this judgment, so I would not count on it if I were you.

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