Brexit Changes for British Students in France: Long-Stay Visa and Higher Tuition Fees
Image: Maldita.es

Brexit Changes for British Students in France: Long-Stay Visa and Higher Tuition Fees

22 June, 2026.Britain.6 sources

Key Takeaways

  • British students in France are now third-country nationals after Brexit.
  • The transition period ended; EU law no longer applies to the UK in France.
  • Britons in Europe face anxiety and administrative hurdles post-Brexit.

Brexit changes for study

Since the United Kingdom's effective withdrawal from the European Union on January 1, 2021, British students are considered third-country nationals for studying in France.

Brexit: What changes for British students in 2021

campusfrance.orgcampusfrance.org

Campus France says the end of the transition period means British students who want to come to France for a duration longer than 3 months must now apply for a long-stay visa.

Image from campusfrance.org
campusfrance.orgcampusfrance.org

For the 2021/2022 academic year, Campus France says admission procedures to study in France do not change, and British students applying to the first year of a Bachelor’s degree must do so via the Parcoursup platform.

Campus France also says British students and students from non-EU nationalities will be subject, from the start of the 2021 academic year, to differentiated tuition fees in public higher education institutions under the ministry responsible for higher education.

Britons in Spain face limits

In Spain, Courrier international describes how paperwork tied to Brexit has discouraged British expats, including a retiree from Essex who said, "We now have to take out private health insurance, and it is expensive."

Courrier international also says retirees and others seeking resident status must prove a minimum income of 2,340 euros per month plus 600 euros per dependent, and that stays for those who used to travel back and forth to benefit from the National Health Service will now be limited to ninety days maximum every six months.

Image from Courrier international
Courrier internationalCourrier international

La Croix says more than 308,000 Britons officially and permanently reside in Spain, and EuroCitizens president Camilla Hillier-Fry adds that if those who reside six months a year are included, "we are almost a million."

El Mundo adds that since the end of the Brexit transition period, stays are limited to a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day rolling period in the 29 Schengen-area countries, including Spain.

Residence paperwork and rights

Maldita.es says the Brexit transition period ends on December 31 and that from January 31, 2020 until June 30, 2021, the rights of European Union citizens remain unchanged under the Withdrawal Agreement.

They say they feel completely forgotten; Spain is their home too, and this is not what the British government promised before or during Brexit

El MundoEl Mundo

Maldita.es reports that a total of 152,291 Spaniards reside in the United Kingdom, and it says the application for the EU Settlement Scheme can be submitted until June 30, 2021.

El Mundo describes the situation of British second-home owners who say they feel forgotten, quoting Jane Pennington-Fryer that "The government promised that our rights would be protected, but it has not been able to look after us".

El Mundo also says that since the end of the transition period, Britons with second homes are limited to 90 days in any 180-day rolling period in the 29 Schengen-area countries, including Spain, and it adds that the non-lucrative visa and documentation can cost more than €3,000 and require a minimum annual solvency of €28,800.

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