News Digest: Remote Working NOT Allowed on Visitor Visas & Is This the End of France’s Renovation Grants?

Remote working has often been a grey area when it comes to French visas, with some handholding companies and visa specialists advising that it is possible to work remotely from France on a long-stay visitor visa (a visa which, crucially, does not permit you to work in France) and others advising against this. At FrenchEntrée, we’ve always warned that you must consider the bigger picture, reminding you that being as all French residents must file a tax return and declare all worldwide income in France, it’s likely that working in any capacity on a visitor visa will cause problems further down the line.

Thanks to the reporters over at The Local, we now have official confirmation from the French tax office that this is the case. They confirmed that working remotely in France (i.e. from a French address) does count as “working”, even if all of your clients are located overseas. They stated clearly that: “If you are in France on a “visitor” visa: you are not allowed to work, even freelance, for a foreign company”, and confirmed that this could well lead to problems with the French tax authorities, as well as possible refusal of your resident permit renewal. Read The Local’s full article on this here.

The popular government renovation grants known as MaPrimeRénov are set to temporarily close applications in the coming weeks. The scheme, which enables households to access grants of up to €20,000 to assist in funding energy-efficient renovations on their French property, has been around since 2021 and has helped hundreds of thousands of households across France. The grants are means-tested and only available to French tax residents (so they aren’t available to second-home owners), and can be used for various home improvements, including ventilation systems, insulation, and heating systems that will improve the property’s energy efficiency rating.

Despite the popularity of the scheme, funding has been reduced in recent years, and it’s also been plagued with delays, fraudulent claims, and administrative issues, leading to mounting complaints from users.

In an attempt to combat this, as well as get on top of the huge backlog of applications, MaPrimeRénov has announced that applications will be suspended from July 1st, 2025, through to September 2025. If you do want to get your claim in prior to the suspension period, there are just a couple of weeks to go!

France’s Property Renovation Grants or MaPrimeRénov: What Changes in 2025?

After storms hitting several parts of France at the end of last week, temperatures are set to soar across the country from tomorrow (Wednesday, 18th June). Average temperatures of 30°C are predicted throughout France, with the heatwave peaking on Thursday and Friday.

The southwest will see the most extreme heat, with highs of 36°C predicted around the Bordeaux region and 35°C in Pays de la Loire to the north. Comparatively cooler areas like the coast of Brittany and the Haut de France region will still see highs of 27°C and 28°C, respectively.

Temperatures will start to cool off over the weekend, but make sure to follow the heatwave advice, which includes staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, keeping shutters closed, staying hydrated, and planning physical activity for the cooler early morning or late evening periods.

Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming webinar! Join us during your lunch break on Tuesday, July 1st, at 12:30pm UK / 1:30pm France for our free Where to start with moving to France – UK webinar. I’ll be joined by a panel of experts to answer all your questions on visas, healthcare, taxes, and removals to France.

Sign up here or by clicking the button below, and don’t forget to send me your questions in advance to [email protected]