French residence permit: who needs one and how to get it
Over 18 and staying more than three months: you need a permit. Here are the four levels, the order they come in and what each one costs.
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The stamp for your procedure
Tax stamp to buy
€350
| of which tax | €300 |
| of which stamp duty | €50 |
Every foreign adult staying in France for more than three months must hold a long-stay visa or a residence permit (titre de séjour), unless they are a citizen of a European Economic Area country or Switzerland. The usual route has four steps: the long-stay visa that serves as a permit (VLS-TS), valid for 4 to 12 months and to be validated online within 3 months of arrival; the one-year temporary card; the multi-year card, lasting 2 to 4 years; and the 10-year resident card. Each step is paid for in tax stamps (timbres fiscaux) when the permit is handed over: since 1 May 2026, €350 for a first card at the standard rate, up from €225, €150 at the reduced rate, and €250 or €100 for a renewal. Most applications go through the ANEF online portal, between 4 and 2 months before the current document ends. Proof of address under six months old is always required.
Who must hold a residence permit
The rule is set by articles L411-1 onwards of the CESEDA, the French immigration code: any foreign national over 18 staying in France beyond three months must hold a residence document. The official page on compulsory permits sets out three cases. EEA and Swiss citizens need to apply for nothing. Algerian nationals fall under the Franco-Algerian agreement and receive residence certificates. Everyone else must hold one of the following: a long-stay visa, a VLS-TS, a provisional residence authorisation (APS), a temporary or multi-year card, a resident card or a retiree card.
A stay under three months falls under a short-stay visa or a visa waiver depending on nationality; it gives no residence permit and does not count towards citizenship. The residence permit is therefore for people settling in France: students, employees, spouses, families and retirees.
The four steps of the route
The long-stay visa that serves as a permit (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour, VLS-TS) is the most common way in for students, employees on permanent contracts, spouses of French nationals and talent-card holders. It spares you a prefecture visit in the first year, provided you validate it online within 3 months of arrival and pay the €300 or €100 tax. Arriving on 7 September 2026 with a visa valid until 6 September 2027, you must validate by 7 December 2026.
Next comes the temporary card (carte de séjour temporaire), lasting up to a year, or straight away the multi-year card when the VLS-TS covered year one. The multi-year card (carte pluriannuelle) normally lasts 4 years, 2 years for some family grounds; since 2026 it requires A2-level French and the civic exam. Finally, the resident card (carte de résident) lasts 10 years and is available after a residence period that depends on the ground. The card comparison gives the length and price of each.
| Step | Length | First issue | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLS-TS (validation) | 4 to 12 months | €300 / €100 | - |
| Temporary card | up to 1 year | €350 / €150 | €250 / €100 |
| Multi-year card | 2 to 4 years | €350 / €150 | €250 / €100 |
| Resident card | 10 years | €350 | €250 |
The procedure, from filing to collecting the card
Most applications are filed on the ANEF, the Interior Ministry's online service; a few grounds still require an appointment at the prefecture (the local state office). The timetable is the same: at the earliest 4 months, at the latest 2 months before your current document ends. For a card expiring on 6 September 2027, the window runs from 6 May 2027 to 6 July 2027. After that, the €180 late fee applies unless there is force majeure.
The file common to almost every permit holds your passport, current permit or visa, an e-photo (a digital photo code from an approved booth or photographer), the signed commitment to the principles of the Republic and proof of address under six months old. The official page on proof of address lists what is accepted for tenants, people being hosted and hotel residents. The rest depends on the ground: employment contract, enrolment, marriage certificate, income.
As soon as you file online, the ANEF issues a filing certificate, which is not a residence document. If the file is complete and on time, a certificate extending the review, valid three months, covers your stay until the decision. At a prefecture counter you get a receipt (récépissé) instead: 4 or 6 months for a first application, 3 months for a renewal, under articles R431-12 to R431-15 of the CESEDA. When the card is ready, the prefecture texts you with the amount of stamps to buy.
What the permit costs, and why the rate varies
The price depends on the permit category, not on your income. The official notice on the 1 May 2026 increase lists examples of the reduced rate: seasonal workers, students, job search or business creation, family reunification, au pairs. Replacing a lost or stolen card costs the same as a first issue. The mini-calculator above splits tax from stamp duty; the full calculator costs a route over several years and a whole family.
Changing ground along the way
A permit does not lock you into one ground. A graduate can move to the job-search card and then the employee card; an employee who marries a French national can ask for a private and family life card. At renewal, the multi-year card can be requested on a different ground from the temporary card, provided you meet the new ground's conditions; only the employee and self-employed multi-year cards require a previous temporary card on the same ground. The change is declared on the ANEF with the documents for the new ground.
If there is silence or a refusal
For most cards, four months without an answer count as an implicit refusal; the period is 90 days for students and the EU Blue Card. An explicit refusal usually comes with an order to leave France (OQTF), which can be challenged before the administrative court within 48 hours to 30 days depending on its type. No prefecture publishes its average processing time, so be wary of tables that claim to. This guide is general information, not legal advice; for a refusal, a migrant-support association or a lawyer can help.