General Updates
France
The French government has proposed a new requirement for applicants for a multi-year carte de séjour residence permit to pass a French language test.
This would not apply to current carte de séjour holdersor to British nationals living in France under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Multi-year cartes de séjour pluriannuelles, lasting up to four years, are only issued after a first year spent in France on either a visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS) or a one-year carte de séjour temporaire.
In order to obtain a carte de séjour pluriannuelle, applicants must currently agree to fulfil certain conditions regarding integration into French society, involving lessons on French values and civic duties and language classes if required.
Language lessons are only required if the applicant’s level of French is below A1 level (the lowest level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)).
There is currently no requirement to take a French language test.
COVID-19 Updates
Malta
- Effective 25 July 2022, people travelling to Malta without a vaccine certificate or a recovery certificate do not need to present a negative PCR or rapid antigen test before arrival.
- Until 25 July 2022:
- All inbound travellers must present either a recognized valid COVID-19 vaccine certificate; OR a recovery certificate; OR a negative PCR test taken not more than 72 hours prior to arrival; OR a negative rapid antigen test taken not more than 24 hours prior to arrival.
- Children under 12 are exempt from the requirement to prove their COVID-19 status.
- If none of these documents is presented on arrival, a 10-day mandatory quarantine will apply, which is reduced to 7 days following a negative test.
- All inbound travellers must present either a recognized valid COVID-19 vaccine certificate; OR a recovery certificate; OR a negative PCR test taken not more than 72 hours prior to arrival; OR a negative rapid antigen test taken not more than 24 hours prior to arrival.
Russia
- Effective 15 July 2022:
- The government has lifted almost all previously implemented COVID-19 entry restrictions, regardless of nationality, origin, point of entry or purpose.
- Foreign nationals wishing to enter Russia are no longer required to be entered on the lists of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Services.
- Foreign nationals (except nationals of Belarus and the EAEU arriving by land) must still submit a negative result of a PCR test, carried out no more than 48 hours before arrival.
- Restrictions on the issuance of e-visas for short visits have also been lifted.
