FrancePermanent residence

Resident card in France

Long-term residence status for foreign nationals who meet certain conditions: spouses of French nationals, parents of French children, refugees, stateless people and victims of crime. It requires a conversational knowledge of French, passing the civics exam and signing an undertaking to respect the principles of the French Republic.

Visa term

10 years, renewable.

Work

An unrestricted right to work — the employer does not have to request a work permit.

Source: Service-Public.fr — the official French administration portal

Who can obtain the resident card

The card is issued in several main situations. Check that your family or social situation matches one of the categories below.

Family grounds

The spouse of a French national, with a marriage of at least 3 years (1 year for Tunisian nationals)
The parent of a French child, after 3 years on a «private and family life» card (vie privée et familiale)
An adult child (18-21) of a French national, or their dependant
A parent wholly dependent on a French national living in France

Refugee and protection status

A refugee with officially recognised status
A family member of a refugee, with at least 1 year of living together
A stateless person, after 4 years on a multi-year residence permit
A person with subsidiary protection (protection from persecution), after 4 years of residence

Protection from violence and serious disability

A victim of domestic violence with a protection order or a court decision
A victim of human trafficking (where the offender has been convicted)
A victim of procuring and sexual exploitation (where the offender has been convicted)
A recipient of an industrial accident pension with a disability of 20% or more

When the programme is not a fit

You have no family ties with France and are not a refugee or a protected person

Consider a work visa, a visa for the self-employed (visiteur, profession libérale) or a student visa

You cannot evidence a knowledge of French at level B1

Wait for the results of the language test or exam; people over 65 are exempt from the language requirement

You do not plan to live in France on a settled basis (less than 6 months a year)

The card requires habitual residence; consider short-stay visas (3-6 months)

What it costs

Issue fee (€300 tax + €50 stamp) — spouses, parents, children, stateless peopleThe standard rate for most categories	350 EUR
Issue fee — refugees (all stages)Entirely free for the first issue, a duplicate and renewal	0 EUR
Issue fee — victims of industrial accidents (disability of 20% or more)€50 stamp + €100 tax	150 EUR
Issue fee — victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and procuringEntirely exempt from payment	0 EUR
Issue fee (first issue) — family members of a refugeeThe stamp only, without the tax; family members of a refugee do not get the full exemption	+50 EUR
Renewal fee — family members of a refugee, stateless people and beneficiaries of protection€50 stamp + €200 tax; on renewing the card for a second term	+250 EUR
Regularisation fee where there is no long-stay visaIn addition to the main fee, if you entered without a long-stay visa; €100 is non-refundable if refused	+300 EUR
Fee for filing the application lateIf you filed the application later than 2 months before the current document expires	+180 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Issue fee (first issue) — family members of a refugee” adds 50 EUR; “Renewal fee — family members of a refugee, stateless people and beneficiaries of protection” adds 250 EUR; “Regularisation fee where there is no long-stay visa” adds 300 EUR; “Fee for filing the application late” adds 180 EUR; the “Issue fee — victims of industrial accidents (disability of 20% or more)” branch replaces the “Issue fee (€300 tax + €50 stamp) — spouses, parents, children, stateless people” line — 150 EUR; the “Issue fee — victims of human trafficking, domestic violence and procuring” branch replaces the “Issue fee (€300 tax + €50 stamp) — spouses, parents, children, stateless people” line — 0 EUR. Charges with no official price list are in the list below.	350–1 130 EUR

Paid separately

Medical examination (on referral from Ofii) — Carried out free of charge by the state medical service
Translator's services — Paid for separately by the applicant where an official translation of documents is required

Documents to gather

The full pack depends on your category and grounds, but in general the following is required:

Passport (the original) with a valid visa or current residence permit (and a copy of every page)
Three photographs: one digital in the required standard format (for the card) and two paper ones, 4×3 cm
Evidence of your place of residence (an electricity bill, a tenancy agreement, an owner's certificate) no more than 6 months old
A referral for the medical examination (issued by the French authority; the examination is free)
Documents evidencing your grounds (marriage certificate, birth certificate of the French child, the decision granting refugee status, and so on)
A diploma, certificate, DELF/DALF test or official attestation evidencing a knowledge of French at level B1
A certificate of having passed the civics exam («examen civique mention carte de résident»)
A signed undertaking to respect the principles of the French Republic («charte de droits et devoirs»)
The republican integration contract (if one was concluded earlier);

How the process runs

The procedure starts several months before the current residence document expires and involves dealings with the local authorities.

1
Checking the conditions and preparing the documents
Depends on your situation
Make sure you fall within one of the categories. Collect all the necessary documents: passport, evidence of your place of residence, confirmation of your grounds (marriage certificate, decision on refugee status, and so on). If required, take the language test at level B1 and book the civics exam (people over 65 are exempt).
2
Filing the application with the prefecture through the ANEF portal
From 4 months before, and no later than 2 months before, the current document expires
Open the online ANEF portal (Agence nationale des titres de séjour) and file the application with the prefecture for your place of residence. Pay the tax stamp (the amount depends on your category). Obtain the filing confirmation with its registration number.
3
Medical examination and request for the mayor's opinion
1-2 months after filing
Attend the medical examination on referral (free of charge). The prefecture will approach the mairie for your place of residence with a request about your integration and your compliance with the principles of the Republic.
4
The prefecture's decision
Within 4 months of filing
The prefecture will check your knowledge of French, the results of the civics exam, your compliance with the integration contract and the mayor's opinion. It will decide to approve or refuse. If there is no answer within 4 months, that counts as an implied refusal.
5
Collecting the card at the prefecture or sub-prefecture
After approval
If the decision is positive, attend the prefecture for your district or the sub-prefecture to collect the plastic card. The card will bear your name, photograph, number and period of validity (10 years).

Who you can bring with you

Each category has its own requirements on family ties, length of residence and the documents evidencing the relationship.

The spouse of a French national

The marriage has to be valid and registered at least 3 years before the application is filed (1 year for Tunisian nationals). Genuine life together and the spouse's retention of French citizenship are required.

The parent of a French child

You have to have held a residence permit in the «private and family life» category (vie privée et familiale) for at least 3 years before applying for the resident card.

The child of a French national (18-21)

Age: from 18 to 21, living in France. Or: from 16 to 18, if you intend to work. Or: at any age, if you are financially dependent. For Algerian and Tunisian nationals — up to 21 or with dependant status.

The dependent parent of a French national

You have to be wholly dependent financially (materially and economically) on an adult French national living in France.

Refugee

A person granted refugee status by an official asylum decision. The status entitles them to a free card at every stage.

A family member of a refugee

A spouse or partner with at least 1 year of living together (or where the marriage predates the asylum claim); children and other dependants living with the refugee.

Stateless person

Has to have held a long-term (multi-year) residence permit for at least 4 years before applying for the resident card.

A victim of domestic violence, human trafficking or procuring

A final court conviction of the offender or a valid protection order (ordonnance de protection) is required. They receive the card entirely free of charge.

Renewal and the grace period

The card is valid for 10 years and can be renewed for a new term. However, renewal may be refused if you represent a serious threat to public order in France or if you cannot evidence habitual residence in France (meaning that the centre of your personal and family life is in France and you have lived there for at least 6 months during the calendar year). The card automatically lapses if you are outside French territory for more than 3 years in a row. Family members of refugees and stateless people pay €250 on renewal.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

The resident card is itself the long-term residence status in France. Renewal may be refused where there is a serious threat to public order or where there is no habitual residence in France — the centre of personal and family interests plus at least 6 months of stay in the year.

Frequently asked questions about Resident card

Do I have to know French perfectly?

Level B1 (independent user on the Council of Europe scale) is required for the first issue of the card. This is evidenced by a diploma (DELF, DALF), an official language test certificate or a written attestation from an institution. People over 65 are entirely exempt from the language requirement.

What does the resident card cost?

The standard fee is €350 (a €300 tax + a €50 stamp) for most categories. Victims of industrial accidents (disability of 20% or more) pay €150. Victims of domestic violence, human trafficking and procuring receive the card entirely free of charge. Refugees also receive the card free of charge at every stage. Family members of a refugee pay €50 for the first issue and €250 on renewal.

Can I work on a resident card?

Yes, the card gives a full and unrestricted right to work with no limitations at all. The employer does not have to request a work permit or approval from the authorities. You can work in any field, including the public sector.

What happens if I leave France for a long period?

The card lapses automatically if you are outside France for more than 3 years in a row. When applying for renewal you have to evidence that the centre of your personal and family life is in France and that you have lived there for at least 6 months during the calendar year.

How long does the card take from filing to collection?

The application has to be filed from 4 months before, and no later than 2 months before, your current residence document expires. The prefecture considers the application within 4 months. If no answer is received within that period, it counts as a refusal by default.

Do I have to pass the civics exam?

Yes, for the first issue of the card you have to pass the civics exam with the mention of the resident card («examen civique mention carte de résident»). The exam tests your knowledge of the core principles of the French Republic. Exception: people over 65 are exempt from the exam.

Other ways to move to France

Every route in one list — migration programmes: France.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.