What does UK-EU 'reset' deal really mean for Brits in France?

Local France

21-05-2025

Media headlines have been dominated by wrangling about fish and re-fighting Brexit battles (UK media headlines that is, the French media didn't give this subject a lot of coverage) - but Monday's joint UK-EU announcement does contain some potentially good news for Brits who either live in France, hope to move here one day or visit frequently.
The first post-Brexit EU-UK summit ended with a press conference full of warm words and vague promises, and a more detailed document showing exactly what had been agreed.
It's worth noting that at this stage not much has been actually agreed - it's more an agreement to discuss certain topics with details to be firmed up later - but there are several topics that are key to the lives of Brits living in the EU.
Pet passports
The document says that 'pets will also be able to travel more easily, with the introduction of 'pet passports' for UK cats and dogs – eliminating the need for animal health certificates for every trip.'
This is potentially a big deal for people who live in the UK but visit France often and bring their pets - especially second-home owners.
Basically pre Brexit British dogs, cats and ferrets could get an EU Pet Passport, which meant frictionless borders.
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Brexit then took the UK out of that scheme, so now pet owners need an Animal Health Certificate in order to visit the EU - they cost around £100, but crucially only cover a single trip. So for example someone who visits France three times a year and has two dogs - faces an annual bill £600 just for the certificates, not to mention the time spent going to the vet in advance of each trip.
The document seems to say that UK residents would once again be eligible for an EU Pet Passport. Brits who live in France can already get an EU Pet Passport for their dogs/cats, while the UK does accept an EU Pet Passport, so this doesn't seem like it would be an especially complicated change to implement.
There is, however, no timeline for this change.
It is included in the section about sanitary and phytosanitary rules which also eliminate the need for veterinary checks for exports of things like British meat and cheese into the EU.
E-Gates
The UK and the European Commission "will continue their exchanges on smooth border management for the benefit of their citizens, including the potential use of eGates where appropriate". The document added that "there will be no legal barriers to e-gates use for British nationals travelling to and from the European Union member states after the introduction of the European Union Entry/Exit System".
At present the EES introduction is scheduled for later this year, likely October, although it has been repeatedly postponed. So this change could not happen before October 2025 at the absolute earliest.
The document also does not say that Brits can definitely use EU passport queues and eGates, just that there is "no legal barrier" to doing so.
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EU member states make the final decision over their border control protocols - so it's possible that these rules will end up being different in different countries.
The France-UK border is the EU's busiest external border in terms of passenger numbers and also has a unique arrangement thanks to the Le Touquet agreement - two things that make the border one of the most problematic when it comes to the rollout of the new EES system.
For this reason, France may be more likely to agree to some flexibility on Brits using eGates.
What we don't know at this stage is what this means for UK nationals who have residency of an EU country, such as Brits living in France with a
carte de séjour
. That kind of detail will come later, if anything gets agreed.
Youth mobility scheme
There's no agreement on a scheme, but the document does state that the UK and EU agree to deepen 'people-to-people ties, particularly for the younger generation' including the development of a 'youth experience scheme'.
The key thing to note here is that this is not a return to pre-Brexit freedom of movement - when Brits could move to France or pay an extended visit without needing a visa or residency permit - for young people.
Although details are yet to be decided, a framework document from the European Commission shows what is meant by this type of programme - and basically it's just an extra type of visa.
It does, however, give young people some advantages over the standard visa system - at present people wanting to spend more than 90 days out of every 180 in France have a choice of visas, but all are tied to a specific purpose such as study or work.
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Under the standard visa system you either need to undertake not to work at all in France - in which case you need to show that you have enough money to support yourself for a year - or you need a working visa in which case you need to have work lined up in advance, either a contract as an employee or a business plan to work as a freelancer or contractor.
This system essentially rules out the 'gap year' kind of trip, where people might holiday for a bit and then get bar work or fruit picking when their money runs out, or perhaps work the ski season.
The youth mobility scheme would be a visa for 18-30 year olds that would allow them to either work, study, holiday or all three - crucially without having to plan in advance.
It would, however, be for a limited period - probably a maximum of four years - and could only be used once. It wouldn't allow them to settle permanently in France and crucially it's still a visa - so young people would still need to apply in advance before coming to France.
It also seems like there will be a cap on the number of such visas issued each year, as the text says the overall number of participants will have to be 'acceptable to both sides.'
Professional qualifications
The mutual recognition of professional qualifications will be the subject of "dedicated dialogues" between the UK and EU.
Although quite vague at this stage, this could be a big deal for Brits who hope to move to France one day and work in a field where professional qualifications are required.
Although Brits living in France pre-Brexit had the opportunity to have their qualifications recognised under the French system, new arrivals do not benefit from the EU's mutual recognition system, which means that people wishing to work in certain sectors in France may have to take a new set of professional exams.
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Erasmus
There will also be discussions on the UK rejoining the Erasmus+ scheme, which allows university students to spend a year in another EU country as part of their course, although details, especially on financial contributions, still need to be agreed.
Imports, fish and defence
The UK-EU agreement also covers other topics, including movements to make it easier to import British produce into the EU, an extension of the deal of fishing rights and agreements on defence spending.
We've picked out elements here that will particularly affect the daily lives of Brits in France, but you can read more on the agreement
here
.