Residence permit — France: requirements, steps and timelines

Main Types of Residence Permit in France

French law (the CESEDA — Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile) defines three main tiers of residence document for non-EU nationals. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens benefit from a simplified right-of-residence regime and may obtain an EU Citizen Residence Certificate at their local prefecture.

Temporary Residence Card (Carte de séjour temporaire — CST)

Valid for one year, renewable. Issued for a specific purpose. Key categories include:

• Salaried worker (Salarié) — for employees holding a work contract validated by the DREETS (regional labour authority).
• Student (Étudiant) — for enrolment in a recognised French higher-education institution.
• Private and family life (Vie privée et familiale) — for spouses of French nationals, parents of French children, persons born in France, etc.
• Visitor (Visiteur) — for persons proving sufficient financial means who do not intend to work.
• Seasonal worker (Travailleur saisonnier) — for seasonal employment contracts.

Multi-annual Residence Card (Carte de séjour pluriannuelle)

Valid for 2 to 4 years depending on the category. Issued after a first year of regular residence. Key sub-types:

• Passeport Talent (formerly "compétences et talents") — for highly qualified workers, researchers, artists, entrepreneurs, investors, intra-company transferees, and their families. This multi-track card was simplified under the 2024 immigration reform (Law of 26 January 2024).
• Employee on assignment (Salarié détaché ICT) — for intra-corporate transfers.
• Family reunification (Regroupement familial) — after the OFII procedure.
• Working-holiday (Vacances-travail) — for nationals of countries with bilateral agreements.

Resident Card (Carte de résident)

Valid for 10 years, automatically renewable. Granted to non-EU foreigners after 5 years of regular and uninterrupted legal residence in France, or immediately for certain categories (spouses of French nationals after 3 years of marriage and community of life, refugees, etc.). This card grants virtually unrestricted access to the labour market.

Official reference: service-public.fr — Residence cards and permits

Eligibility Conditions

Eligibility varies by permit category, but all applicants must satisfy a set of general conditions on top of category-specific requirements.

General conditions (all categories)

• Hold a valid national passport.
• Have entered France legally (with a long-stay visa — visa de long séjour — for first applications).
• Reside habitually and regularly in France (minimum 183 days/year of effective presence, enforced more strictly since the 2024 reform).
• Have no threat to public order.
• Comply with the Republican Integration Contract (CIR) signed with the OFII upon first admission; since the Law of 26 January 2024, adherence to republican principles and a demonstrated level of French (at minimum A2 for the 10-year card, B1 for naturalisation) can be verified at renewal.

Category-specific conditions

• Salarié: Valid employment contract (CDI or CDD) with an employer established in France; the employer must have fulfilled the obligation to declare a job vacancy; salary at least equal to the SMIC (minimum wage).
• Étudiant: Proof of enrolment in a recognised French institution; proof of financial resources (approx. €615/month); health insurance coverage.
• Vie privée et familiale — spouse of French national: Valid marriage certificate; proof of genuine community of life; French language level A2.
• Passeport Talent — Highly Qualified Worker: Employment contract or confirmed job offer with a salary of at least 1.5× the annual average gross salary (approx. €53,836.50 as of 2024) OR recognised professional expertise in a strategic sector.
• Carte de résident: 5 years of regular, uninterrupted legal residence; proof of integration (civic and linguistic); stable and sufficient resources; health insurance.
• Family reunification: Sponsor must hold a permit of at least 1 year and have resided in France for at least 18 months; stable and sufficient resources; housing meeting minimum surface standards.

Required Documents

The exact list depends on your permit category. Always consult the official checklist for your specific situation on service-public.fr or the ANEF portal. The following documents are required for virtually all applications:

Universal documents

• Valid national passport (all pages, original + copy).
• Current residence permit or long-stay visa (original + copy).
• Proof of address in France less than 3 months old (EDF/gas bill, rent receipt, or host attestation — attestation d'hébergement with host's ID and proof of address).
• Biometric photographs (format ICAO — 35×45 mm, white background).
• Birth certificate — full copy (copie intégrale d'acte de naissance), translated by a certified translator if not in French.
• Proof of payment of the fiscal stamp (timbre fiscal) — purchased online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr.

Additional documents by category

• Salarié: Signed employment contract; employer's URSSAF registration proof (KBIS or SIRET); employer's letter; last 3 payslips (for renewal).
• Étudiant: Proof of enrolment (certificat de scolarité); proof of financial means (scholarship letter, bank statements, parental guarantee); health insurance certificate (CPAM or private).
• Vie privée et familiale — spouse of French national: Full marriage certificate (apostilled and translated); French national's ID/passport; joint proof of community of life (joint lease, common bills, bank accounts); French language certificate (DELF A2 or equivalent).
• Passeport Talent: Employment contract or job offer; proof of salary ≥ 1.5× average salary; diplomas (translated + apostille); employer's KBIS; for entrepreneurs: business plan, proof of financial investment.
• Carte de résident: Proof of 5 years of regular residence (all previous permits); last 3 years' tax returns (avis d'imposition); French language certificate (minimum A2 level); proof of stable resources.
• Family reunification: OFII decision letter (décision OFII favorable); proof of adequate housing (DPE + floor plan + lease); last 3 months' payslips and latest tax return of the sponsor.

Step-by-Step Procedure

Since 2020, residence permit applications in France have been progressively fully digitalised through the ANEF portal (Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France). As of 10 July 2024, a new online procedure via the ANEF teleservice handles additional renewal categories, and any file submitted by post after that date is returned to the sender.

Step 1 — Check your eligibility and gather documents

Use the official simulator on service-public.fr to identify your exact permit category and download the corresponding official checklist. Ensure all foreign documents are translated by a certified translator (traducteur assermenté).

Step 2 — Apply online via the ANEF portal

Go to administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr. The categories currently eligible for full online processing include: family reunification beneficiaries (after prior OFII procedure), change of personal details, EU citizens and their family members, duplicate permits, circulation documents for minor children, foreigners born in France, foreign students (including VLS-TS holders), and family members of French nationals (spouse, parent of a French child, child of a French national, ascendant of a French national or their spouse). Create or log in to your France Connect / FranceConnect+ account, complete the online form, upload all required documents in PDF/JPEG, and submit.

Step 3 — Attend your prefecture appointment (if required)

For categories not yet fully managed online, or for biometric data collection, you will receive a convocation to your local prefecture or sub-prefecture (préfecture ou sous-préfecture of your department of residence). Physical prefecture appointments are increasingly reserved only for biometric collection or complex cases. Book your appointment via the prefecture's own online scheduling system (each prefecture manages its own slots — check your department's prefecture website).

Step 4 — Pay the fiscal stamp (timbre fiscal)

Purchase your timbre fiscal electronically before or during your ANEF application at timbres.impots.gouv.fr. Keep the payment receipt number — it is entered directly into your ANEF file. Never pay at the prefecture window.

Step 5 — Receive your receipt (récépissé)

Once your file is accepted as complete, you receive a récépissé de demande de titre de séjour. This document legally authorises you to remain and, in most cases, to work in France during the processing period. It is renewable if your permit has not yet been issued.

Step 6 — Collect your card

You are notified by email or SMS when your biometric card is ready. You collect it in person at the prefecture, after presentation of your identity documents and récépissé. A fingerprint scan is taken at this stage if not done previously.

Timelines and Costs

Processing timelines

Costs (fiscal stamp — timbre fiscal)

Important: From 1 May 2026, the standard fiscal stamp (timbre fiscal) for a first carte de séjour — whether temporary, multi-year or the 10-year carte de résident — rises from €225 to €350. The separate droit de timbre — payable on issue, renewal or replacement — also doubles to €50, pushing the total outlay for a mainstream card to €350. The reduced student and seasonal-worker fee doubles to €100.

Always verify the current fee on the official page: service-public.fr — Fees for residence permits. Fees are also subject to annual revision in the Finance Act.

Renewal

The ANEF portal has progressively digitalised all "séjour" (residence) procedures since 2020, and renewal is now the primary use case of the platform.

When to apply for renewal

• Apply at least 2 months before expiry — and ideally 3 months before — to avoid any gap in legal status.
• If you apply before expiry, your current permit remains legally valid during processing (by law, it is extended automatically until a decision is made).
• Late applications may result in a gap in legal status or require a new long-stay visa from the consulate.

What changes at renewal under the 2024 reform

The Law of 26 January 2024 tightened the requirements for republican integration and French language proficiency. In practice, at renewal, adherence to the Republican contract of engagement may be verified and, in serious cases, motivate a refusal or non-renewal. Specifically:

• French language level A2 (CECRL) is required for multi-annual card renewal.
• French language level B1 is required for 10-year Resident Card.
• The 183-day habitual residence rule is more strictly enforced.
• The Passeport Talent tracks were simplified and partly merged.

Renewal procedure

1. Log into your ANEF account at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr.
2. Select "Renouveler mon titre de séjour" and choose your category.
3. Upload updated documents: new proof of address, recent payslips or study enrolment, updated passport pages, new fiscal stamp.
4. Submit the file; receive your récépissé electronically.
5. Attend a biometric appointment at the prefecture if prompted.
6. Collect the renewed card in person.

For categories not yet on ANEF, contact your prefecture directly. Any file submitted by post after 10 July 2024 for ANEF-eligible categories will be returned to the sender.

FAQ

Can I work while my renewal application is being processed?

Yes, in most cases. Once your application has been accepted as complete, your récépissé de demande de titre de séjour serves as a temporary authorisation to remain and, if your current permit allows work, to continue working. Always carry both the récépissé and a copy of your expired permit. The récépissé is typically issued for 3 months and is renewable at the prefecture if processing is still ongoing.

What happens if my residence permit application is refused?

If you believe you have compiled your application correctly and your file is not accepted, there are several recourse options that vary depending on whether you are an EU or non-EU national. These include lodging a gracious appeal (recours gracieux) with the prefecture, a hierarchical appeal (recours hiérarchique) to the prefect or minister, or a contentious appeal before the Administrative Tribunal (Tribunal administratif) within 2 months of notification of the refusal. An Obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF) may be issued simultaneously; it can be challenged before the administrative court within very short deadlines (typically 15 to 30 days).

Do I need to go to the prefecture in person, or can everything be done online?

As of 2026, almost all renewals are processed through the ANEF online portal. Physical appointments at the prefecture are increasingly reserved only for biometric data collection or complex cases. First-time applications for categories not yet fully integrated into ANEF (certain worker categories, some exceptional admission cases) may still require an in-person appointment. Always check your prefecture's website for the specific procedure applicable in your department, as practices can vary.

What is the difference between the Passeport Talent and a standard Salarié permit?

The Passeport Talent is a multi-annual card (up to 4 years) targeting high-value profiles: highly qualified employees earning at least 1.5× the average gross salary, researchers, artists of international renown, innovative entrepreneurs, and intra-company transferees. It is valid for the duration of the activity and grants broader rights. The standard Salarié (employee) temporary card lasts only 1 year, is tied to a specific employer and job, and must be renewed annually. The Passeport Talent therefore significantly reduces administrative burden and is the preferred route for international talent. For the complete list of Passeport Talent sub-categories, see: service-public.fr — Passeport Talent.