Bermudians travelling to France do not need visas for trips shorter than three months, French Consul Edgar Humann said this week.

But he offered to issue tourists with letters proving that point after admitting those carrying British Overseas Territories Citizen (BOTC) passports were still having problems getting into France.

Mr. Humann said he was flooded with calls from worried travellers after International Air Transport Association (IATA) representative Philip Troake said they needed visas.

He said: "I've had about a hundred phone calls. People are terribly confused.

"So I am doing a `to whom it may concern' letter in both French and English.

I will give it to travel agents.

"I have had a number of complaints about unnecessary delays for hours before immigration finally admitted there should have been no delay.'' He said the French government was forced to reimburse one Bermudian traveller after he was sent to Britain to get a visa after turning up in France without one.

"I know of two cases this summer. In one case a young lady was detained unjustly for seven hours at Charles DeGaulle airport.

"And a young student was kept for about five hours a month ago.

"It's worrying, particularly in that Charles DeGaulle airport really should be up to date.

"It's the same in Germany. At Frankfurt you can get through but somewhere else you may have a problem.

"We are all working together to address that situation. It's very unfortunate.'' He said the confusion arose because French authorities either needed a visa or an endorsement saying a holder of the BOTC passport had the right of either abode or entry into the UK.

But he said the latter was implicit in the passport, but was not actually stated anywhere.

He said: "It's an automatic right but some people use this as an excuse to turn Bermudians away. It's totally incorrect.'' He said American Airlines were checking passengers through to France but BA were refusing.

But Mr. Troake, who is also the local manager for British Airways, said his staff would still go by the IATA rules or risk a fine if a passenger turned up at the airport and was found not to have the necessary documents.

He said: "I don't know they don't need a visa. I can't ignore what the requirements say.

"They have got to be changed and I have been trying to get them changed with no success for four years.

"Our people in London have got nowhere with the French government.'' He said, even if Mr. Humann was right, hard pressed airport staff would not be bothered about the "niceties'' of the BOTC passport if documentation required by their computer was not being offered up by Bermudian visitors.

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