France

What changed

The U.S. Department of State issued a Level 1 Travel Advisory for Guadeloupe. It tells U.S. citizens to 'Exercise Normal Precautions'. This means Guadeloupe is generally a safe place to visit. However, hurricanes happen regularly there. The advisory recommends travellers check information about weather and natural disasters. They should also review general travel advice for Guadeloupe. This will help them have a safe trip. This advice is for all U.S. citizens going to Guadeloupe.

What changed

France's Cour de cassation (Supreme Court) says French courts must accept the legal parentage of children. This applies to children born outside France using gestational surrogacy (GPA). Gestational surrogacy means a woman carries a pregnancy for people who then become the child's parents. Courts must accept parentage if the foreign court decision follows international public policy. This means it respects basic fairness and rules that countries generally agree on. It must also offer enough safeguards. The Supreme Court made this decision on 3 July 2026. This changes earlier decisions where courts might only accept parentage through adoption. Now, courts must accept parentage 'as such.' This means it must directly match the foreign court's decision. This is true even though France does not allow gestational surrogacy. This change affects French citizens. It applies to those who had children using legal gestational surrogacy in other countries.

What changed

People who are not citizens of the EU, EEA or Switzerland — legally called third-country nationals — now register their biometrics at every external air, land, and sea border crossing. This replaces manual passport stamping across the Schengen area.