Lost your residence permit? Getting a replacement
A replacement (duplicata) is requested online; its price matches a first issue, depending on the card you held.
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Lost or stolen card: price of a replacement
Replacement
€350
| Renewal, for comparison | €250 |
A foreign national who loses a residence card in France requests a replacement (duplicata) on the ANEF portal; if the card is lost abroad, the loss is first reported to the local police and to the French consulate, which issues a return visa after checking with the prefecture, and the replacement is requested once back in France. Requesting a replacement cancels the original card for good, even if it turns up later, and the replacement keeps the same validity dates as the lost card. Since 1 May 2026 it costs the price of a first issue: €350 at the standard rate, for instance for a private and family life or employee card, and €150 at the reduced rate, for a student, trainee, seasonal-worker, job-search, au pair or family-reunification card. A retiree card or a refugee's family card costs €50. A replacement is free for a refugee, subsidiary-protection, stateless-person card, or a card issued to a victim of domestic violence, trafficking or pimping.
Replacement price, permit by permit
Since 1 May 2026, the official notice on the fee increase aligns the replacement with a first issue: €350 at the standard rate and €150 at the reduced rate. Before that date, a first issue cost €225. The increase stems from section 128 of the 2026 Finance Act. The official page on losing a residence card lists the special cases.
| Card lost | Replacement | Renewal, for comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Private and family life (spouse of a French national) | €350 | €250 |
| Employee | €350 | €250 |
| Student | €150 | €100 |
| Seasonal worker | €150 | €100 |
| Retiree | €50 | €50 |
| Refugee’s family member | €50 | €50 |
| Refugee | free | free |
A replacement costs more than a standard-rate renewal: €350 against €250. A replacement keeps the lost card's dates: if it expires soon, a renewal will follow shortly. The renewal timetable shows when its filing window opens.
Example: a family that loses its cards
A couple and their adult son lose their papers during a house move. The mother holds a private and family life card as a French national's spouse, the father an employee card, the son a student card. Each replacement is paid separately: €350 for the mother, €350 for the father and €150 for the son, €850 for the household. Each files a separate request on ANEF with their own documents, and each original card is cancelled the moment the request is made.
While you wait
A replacement request, like a renewal, entitles you to a temporary document: the official receipt page expressly lists replacements among the requests that produce one. Carry it until you collect the new card, because it is what proves your stay is lawful in the meantime, for instance with an employer. The stamp is bought on the same online service used for first applications and renewals, or from an approved tobacconist (bureau de tabac), and shown at the counter on collection day. Do not buy it too early: like any stamp, it should match the card actually issued. If you are unsure which rate applies to your card, the calculator above reads it from the official schedule, and the text message from the prefecture announcing that the card is ready also states the amount due.
Lost in France: the online procedure
The request is filed on the ANEF portal. The documents to upload are:
- a sworn statement of loss (déclaration sur l'honneur);
- a photocopy of the lost permit, if you kept one;
- your passport: identity page, validity dates and entry stamps;
- a proof of address under three months old, more recent than for an ordinary card application;
- the e-photo code from an approved photographer or photo booth.
Proof of payment of the tax or stamp duty is handed over when you collect the new card. The ANEF filing page explains how to scan documents and which certificates you will receive.
The stamp for your procedure
Tax stamp to buy
€350
| of which tax | €300 |
| of which stamp duty | €50 |
Lost abroad: get back first
Without your card, getting back into France is not automatic. The official page sets out three steps: report the loss to the local police, then to the French embassy or consulate; ask for a return visa, which the consulate issues after checking with the prefecture that granted your permit; and once back, request the replacement online exactly as for a loss in France. Keep a digital copy of your card and passport somewhere other than your phone: it speeds up the report at the consulate.
Steps by place of loss
| Step | Lost in France | Lost abroad |
|---|---|---|
| Report | sworn statement attached to the request | local police, then the French embassy or consulate |
| Getting back to France | not needed | return visa after a check with the prefecture |
| Replacement request | online on ANEF | online on ANEF, as soon as you are back |
| Effect on the old card | cancelled for good | cancelled for good |
One practical point follows from the table: abroad, the return visa comes before anything else, and its timing depends on the consulate's check with your prefecture. If you travel often, keep scans of your card, passport and latest receipt in an email or cloud folder you can open from any device.
When the replacement is free or reduced
The official page makes the replacement free for the card of a refugee, a subsidiary-protection holder or a stateless person, and for a card issued to a victim of domestic violence, human trafficking or pimping. The stamp duty alone, €50, applies to the retiree card and to a refugee's family card. For Algerian nationals, some one-year residence certificates (visitor, employee, trader, craftsperson, scientist, artist) have a €50 replacement under the same page.
Theft of a card follows a similar procedure, described on a separate Service-Public.fr page; read that page before filing if your card was stolen rather than lost. General information, not legal advice; an independent site, not run by the French administration.