European in France: refusal of entry and removal

Verified 03 May 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are European, your freedom of movement and residence in France (and that of your family) may be affected in limited cases. You may be subject to an administrative ban, an obligation to leave France or an expulsion decision.

You may be refused entry to France if your behavior (or that of a family member) constitutes a threat to public order and security.

This threat must be real, present and sufficiently grave for a fundamental interest of business.

You are then subject to a administrative inadmissibility (IAT) .

This prohibition is open to challenge.

You can make a administrative appeal to the Minister of the Interior.

Who shall I contact

You can also to lodge an appeal before the Paris Administrative Court and the to enter for interim purposes.

You (or a member of your family) may be subject to a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) in any of the following cases:

  • No right of residence in France : if you do not have (or no longer have) a right of residence.
  • Abuse of the right of residence : for example, if you live in France for the main purpose of receiving welfare and social benefits. This is also the case if you multiply the stays of less than 3 months when you do not fulfill the conditions to stay more than 3 months (absence of work or resources).
  • Serious threat to public order during the first 3 months of stay in France : your behavior represents a real, present and sufficiently grave threat to a fundamental interest of the French business.

However, if you have a right to permanent residence in France (more than 5 years of regular and uninterrupted residence), you cannot be the subject of an OQTF or your family.

You can to be expelled if your behavior represents a real, present and sufficiently grave threat to a fundamental interest of the French business.

The same measure can be taken against a member of your family if he or she also poses such a threat.

You cannot be deported if you have been living in France for 10 years with a residence permit. However, deportation is possible if you are endangering state security or public safety.