The 1 May 2026 stamp increase: what each procedure now costs extra
Choose the rate and the procedure: the mini-calculator compares the old amount with today’s.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Before and after 1 May 2026
Increase
+€125
| Before 1 May 2026 | €225 |
| Since 1 May 2026 | €350 |
| Change | +56 % |
The 2026 Finance Act (section 128 of Act no. 2026-103 of 19 February 2026) raised almost every tax that foreign nationals in France pay in tax stamps (timbres fiscaux), with effect from 1 May 2026. A first residence or resident card at the standard rate went from €225 to €350, up 56 %; a renewal from €225 to €250. At the reduced rate (students, seasonal workers, job seekers after graduating, family reunification, au pairs), the first card doubled from €75 to €150 and a renewal rose from €75 to €100. The VLS-TS visa tax rose from €200 to €300, the regularisation visa fee from €200 to €300, and the stamp for naturalisation or a citizenship declaration from €55 to €255, almost five times as much. A new €100 tax now applies to the temporary residence authorisation (autorisation provisoire de séjour). Over three years, an employee’s arrival now costs €900 in stamps, against €650 before the reform.
Every amount, before and after
The table uses the figures in the official Service-Public.fr notice of 22 April 2026, updated on 12 May, which sets out the effects of section 128 of the 2026 Finance Act. The taxes themselves are provided for in sections L436-1 onwards of the CESEDA immigration code.
| Procedure | Before 1 May 2026 | Since 1 May 2026 | Increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| First card, standard rate | €225 | €350 | +56 % |
| Renewal, standard rate | €225 | €250 | +11 % |
| First card, reduced rate | €75 | €150 | +100 % |
| Renewal, reduced rate | €75 | €100 | +33 % |
| VLS-TS tax, standard rate | €200 | €300 | +50 % |
| Regularisation visa fee | €200 | €300 | +50 % |
| Naturalisation, citizenship declaration | €55 | €255 | +364 % |
| Temporary residence authorisation | no tax | €100 | new |
Two items are missing from the table because no official former amount is quoted: the replacement card, now aligned with the first issue (€350 or €150), and the reduced VLS-TS tax, now €100 (students, seasonal workers, family reunification, job search or business creation). For the regularisation fee, the part paid at filing and kept if you are refused is now €100.
What the increase means over a full route
The amounts add up over the years. An employee arriving on a VLS-TS pays the validation tax in year one, the first card in year two, then a renewal: €900 over three years today, against €650 under the old schedule, €250 more per person. A student pays €350 over the same period at the reduced rate. In a family, each adult pays for their own card, so the increase multiplies with the number of cards.
| Three-year route | Before | After | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee (VLS-TS, first card, renewal) | €650 | €900 | +€250 |
| Couple, both employees | €1,300 | €1,800 | +€500 |
| Naturalisation of a couple (two files) | €110 | €510 | +€400 |
The cost calculator applies the current schedule to your permit, procedure and number of people; the renewal calculator adds the €180 fee for late filing.
Who pays the reduced rate, and what it now costs
The official notice gives as examples of reduced-rate grounds the seasonal worker, the student, the job-search or business-creation card, family reunification and the au pair; each permit’s own page adds others, such as trainees and some private and family life cards. In proportion, this rate rose the most: the first card doubled. A family of three admitted through family reunification pays €450 for its three first cards, against €225 before 1 May 2026. A student who switches to employee status also leaves the reduced rate behind: the renewal as an employee card costs €250.
Budgeting for a long-term move
The increase does not only affect the year you arrive. For a long-term plan, stamps come back at every step: visa validation, first card, renewals, the multi-year card, then the resident card and finally citizenship. Adding these amounts up from the outset avoids the surprise of a renewal costing more than expected, especially since late filing adds €180. Employers who relocate staff, universities that welcome international students and families planning a reunification all face the same arithmetic, multiplied by the number of people. The tax stamp page explains how and where to buy the right stamp, and the mini-calculator at the top of this page shows the change for any rate and procedure in one click.
When the new amount applies
The stamp for a residence card is bought once the application is approved, for the issue of the document: the prefecture tells you by text message that the card is ready and how much tax is due. What you owe is therefore the amount in force when the card is issued. For citizenship, the stamp goes into the file: since 1 May 2026, it must be €255. According to the official page on the citizenship stamp, an electronic stamp is valid for one year from purchase and, if unused, can be refunded through an online request within eighteen months of purchase. A stamp bought at the old amount that no longer covers the fee can therefore be refunded, and a new one bought.
What has not changed
The €50 stamp duty remains the only amount due for some permits: the retiree card, the permit for medical treatment, and the family of a refugee or subsidiary-protection holder. A recognised refugee still receives the resident card free of charge. The €180 fee for a renewal filed late appears on each permit’s official page. Stamps are still bought electronically, online on the tax website or from an approved tobacconist; no intermediary is needed.
Amounts to keep an eye on
Taxes paid by foreign nationals are set every year by the Finance Act. This site uses the amounts in the official notice and each permit’s official page, checked on 13 October 2026, and will update them with the next Finance Act. Sites still showing €225 for a first card or €55 for naturalisation rely on the old schedule. Before paying, compare the amount the prefecture states in its text message with the figure for your permit on this site and on the official page: if they differ, the prefecture’s figure for your specific card prevails, and it is worth asking why. Note also that the French administration only accepts electronic stamps; paper stamps sold in the past are no longer used for these procedures. This is information, not legal advice, from a site independent of the French administration.