There has been a lot of news in the past few days about the future of Travel to Europe from the UK, will there be new rules, a possible visa to apply for etc.

I hope I can help ease the confusion over what is actually changing and when with this timeline, hope it helps you understanding.

- 10th November 2024 (confirmed)

EU entry-exit system comes into effect, requiring British Passport holders to be fingerprinted and provide a facial biometric on entry to the European Union and wider Schengen Area 9but not Ireland or Cyprus).

- May 2025 (not confirmed, but no earlier):

Etias online permit becomes available, with a transitional period of at least six months during which Etais is optional.

- November 2025 (not confirmed, but no earlier):

Etias transitional period ends. A period of grace begins this gives travellers without an Etias a one-time only pass.

- May 2026 (not confirmed, but no earlier):

Grace period ends and all British passport holders must have an Etias.

I hope this helps.

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Blog submitted by: David at The French Property Network - Cle France.

No Hard Sell, No Pressure, just a Heads-Up For You.

Now is a good time to...

Read our Property Guides, Why ?

Have you seen the Pounds strong performance today?

The exchange rate is topping 1.19 Euro to £1.00 today.

Some reasons could be -

New UK Government?, Inflation dropping?, Interest rate cut on the cards?, Banks looking to reduce mortgage rates?

There is a lot happening so as you are thinking about buying property in France in the future then our popular and helpful Property Guides are free for you to download, they are in plain English and ideal for people who want to Buy, Sell, Holiday and of course Live in France Post Brexit.

Get expert advice about the Buying & Selling process in France, Post Brexit rules, Healthcare, Currency Exchange and much more.

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Do You Need More Detailed Information ?

Perhaps you are planning a viewing trip soon or thinking of making an offer on a property.

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Kind regards, 
David Evans 
Co-Founder of Clé France.

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Qui était saint Valentin? (Who was Saint Valentine?)

Today is a day that is both loved (and possibly loathed) around the world. However, in France, a Saint-Valentin is particularly a holiday for lovers and only means one thing, Love.

Valentines Day has its origins in the life of the real Saint Valentine, who lived in the third-century. According to some Catholic tradition, Saint Valentine was martyred on a road to Rome in 269 AD. However, very little is known about him and stories about his life–and death–diverge. According to the French Catholic website Nominis...  

“Il était, dit-on, évêque de Terni en Italie et jouissait du renom de thaumaturge. Un miracle le fit connaître comme chrétien et le préfet de Rome fit mettre à mort celui qui avait mis ses pouvoirs de prêtre et ses talents de médecin au service des chrétiens prisonniers pour leur foi.”

(He was, it is said, the bishop of Terni in Italy who was renowned as a miracle worker. One miracle in particular made him known as a Christian and the Roman government put him to death because he had used his powers as a priest and his medical knowledge to help Christian prisoners for their faith.)

According to another story, the Roman emperor Claudius admired Saint Valentine for his talents. Claudius told his fellow Romans, “Romains… écoutez comme cet homme parle avec sagesse et droiture.” (Romans, listen to how this man speaks with wisdom and righteousness.) However, despite his earlier admiration, Claudius felt threatened by Saint Valentine after he healed one of Claudius’ soldier’s daughters, who was blind, and decapitated him in 280 AD.

Whatever the circumstances of his life and death, why is Saint Valentine commemorated on February 14 around the world? In 495, Pope Gelasius decreed that February 14 would be consecrated to Saint Valentine. We don’t know exactly why, however. According to some traditions, it’s because mid-February was believed to be the time of year, in the Middle Ages, when birds paired off.

It, thus, became associated with romantic love. How did Saint Valentine become associated with romantic love? That’s more difficult to trace. However, English author Chaucer is typically credited with popularising the holiday in the fourteenth century–over one thousand years after the real Saint Valentine lived.

Joyeuse Saint-Valentin!

Psst: Did you Know...

• We have created a selection of Free PDF Guides for you to download covering many aspects of buying property abroad, visit our PDF Guides Page today or download our "Buying A Property in France" Guide PDF document.

• Want to Live in France Post-Brexit? download our "PDF Guide to Living in France Post-Brexit" document.

  

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

Valentine's Day in France.

The origins of Saint Valentine’s Day are unclear. Ancient Rome celebrated the 14th February as a day of worship to the god Juno, and there are three different Saint Valentines in the Catholic Church. Tradition states that people began to notice that birds began their mating rituals half way through the second month of the year and so the 14th was designated as a day for exchanging love letters and tokens of esteem.

As you would expect from a country whose capital city is so strongly associated with romance, Valentine’s day has throughout history played a part in the love lives of the French. A former Valentine’s Day custom, which was officially banned, was that of ‘la loterie d’amour’, translated as ‘lottery of love’. Single people, both young and old, would go into their houses, (the houses all facing in on each other during this period), and call out until they were paired off with each other. However, if the gentleman was displeased with his ‘prize’ he would simply abandon her, hoping for better luck next time! Those women abandoned by their suitors would build a large bonfire and burn images of their men, cursing and abusing them as the flames burnt. However, due to fears of public disorder the government issued a decree banning the practice.

The origins of the first Valentine cards to be sent also have a French connection: the first known ‘carte d'amitié’, was believed to have been sent in 1415 by the Duke of Orleans who was imprisoned in the Tower of London following the Battle of Agincourt, to his wife.

The village of Saint Valentin, situated in the central department of Indre was traditionally a place of pilgrimage. Nowadays the village holds a number of fêtes to celebrate its association with this patron saint, where people can renew their marriage vows.

Today St Valentine's Day is celebrated in France in much the same way as in the UK where it is an opportunity to exchange cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts. It has a similar commercial feel also as retailers will stock up on these traditional gifts and cards, and hearts and roses will be the order of the day in shop windows and displays.

Blog submitted by: Alex at Cle France.

How to minimise currency risk for your French property purchase

What is currency risk?

Geoff Lambourne, Director at Key Currency has shared with us this analogy:

If you walked into a casino with £10,000, would you risk putting it all on red or black?

If you’re not okay with the possibility of losing it all, then currency risk is something to consider when buying a French property.

The exchange rate for Pounds to Euros moves on average 10% in 12 months.

That means; for a £100,000, the price of your dream home overseas could fluctuate as much as £10,000 either way.

So, if you’re not prepared to pay an additional 10% of the property price, perhaps it’s time to speak to a currency specialist?

How can I protect my property budget?

Well, the first step is connecting with a trusted currency specialist. If possible, opt for one with experience helping individuals manage overseas currency transactions.

We recommend Key Currency to all our clients, they have years of experience in foreign exchange and specialise in overseas property.

The first step in protecting your overseas property budget would be to register with Key Currency, it’s free and there’s no obligation to trade.

Register with Key Currency today.

Then, we can schedule a call with your assigned account manager to discuss the best options for you and your budget.

The "forward contract" is possibly Key Currency’s most popular service for overseas property buyers. It’s a legal contract that allows you to lock in an exchange rate for up to 12 months at a time.

This provides peace of mind, knowing that you’ll pay the same price you agreed to pay for your overseas home by the time you complete the transaction.

For example - if you agree to buy a €100,000 property abroad when £1 = €1.15, it will cost you £86,956.

But it’s possible that by the time you come to complete the transaction, £1 only buys you €1.08, so the price has shot up to £93,592, costing you another £5,633, a 'forward contract' can avoid this happening.

Click below for a free quote from Key Currency.

Kind regards, 
David Evans 
Co-Founder of Cle France.

Cle France / Key Currency

Key Currency is the currency exchange department of Cle France Ltd, 'Cle' being the French word for 'Key', did you see what we did there?

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