The 10-year resident card: when can you apply?
Pick the ground and the start date: the calculator gives the day the length condition is met and checks your absences.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Length condition met on
2 November 2026
5 years required
| Absences (6 months in a row, 10 in total) | acceptable |
| Stamps on first issue | €350 |
| French level (first card, under 65) | B1 |
| Civic exam | 32 correct out of 40 |
EU long-term resident: income at least equal to the minimum wage, housing and health cover are also required.
Rules and sourcesThe carte de résident is valid for 10 years, renewable, and lets you work without any authorisation. It is not automatic: first you must meet a length condition that depends on the ground. 5 years of lawful, uninterrupted residence for the EU long-term resident card (absences capped at 6 months in a row and 10 months in total), 3 years of marriage for a French national's spouse (1 year for Tunisian nationals), 3 years of residence for a spouse admitted through family reunification with a resident, 4 years of multi-year cards for subsidiary-protection holders and stateless people. An employee who arrived on 2 November 2021 meets the period on 2 November 2026; a French national's spouse married on 1 April 2024 meets it on 1 April 2027. Since 1 January 2026, a first card also requires B1-level French and the civic exam, unless you are over 65. First issue costs €350, renewal €250.
What the calculator works out
It adds the period for your ground to the start date: the date of your first permit for the five-year route, the wedding date for a French national's spouse. It then compares your absences with the EU long-term card's limits and shows the price of the first card. The result tells you from when the length condition is met; it says nothing about the other conditions, which the prefecture checks on the documents.
| Ground | Period required | Example start | Condition met on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawful residence (EU long-term) | 5 years | 2 November 2021 | 2 November 2026 |
| Spouse of a French national | 3 years of marriage | 1 April 2024 | 1 April 2027 |
| Spouse of a French national, Tunisian | 1 year of marriage | 1 April 2024 | 1 April 2025 |
| Family admitted by reunification with a resident | 3 years | 15 September 2023 | 15 September 2026 |
Conditions on top of the period
The "republican integration" condition covers your commitment to the principles of the Republic, actually respecting them, B1-level French and the civic exam; the prefect takes the republican integration contract (CIR) into account and consults the mayor. For the EU long-term card you also need stable income of at least the minimum wage, €1,867.02 gross a month, excluding family benefits and RSA, plus health cover. The language rule rests on article R413-15 of the CESEDA; the EU long-term card on article L433-7. The official 10-year resident card page covers each ground in detail.
Filing at the right time
The application goes in on the ANEF portal (the Interior Ministry's online service) at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before your current permit ends. Filing late adds €180. With no answer after 4 months, the application counts as refused and you have 2 months to appeal. The EU long-term resident card has its own page, with the absence check.