EU long-term resident card (foreigner in France for 5 years)
Verified 31 July 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
If you have resided legally and continuously for at least 5 years in France or if you have a European Blue Card, you can obtain a Resident Mention Card long-term resident - EU under certain conditions. This card allows you to stay in other countries of the European Union. It is valid for 10 years and is renewable. We present you with the information you need to know.
Warning
Different rules apply if you are European or Algerian.
The residence card mentioned long-term resident - EU allows you to continue to stay in France after regularly stayed for five years.
This card allows you to work in France.
It also allows you to stay for more than 3 months, without a long-stay visa, in certain Member States of the European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden). You will need to apply for a residence permit in the host country depending on the reason for your stay.
To obtain the EU Long Term Resident Card, you must be a foreigner no European and meet conditions regarding your length of residence in France. You also need to justify resources, health coverage and your Republican integration.
Regular and uninterrupted stay of at least 5 years
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General case
You must have stayed at least 5 years in France with one or more of the following residence permits:
- Long-stay visa as residence permit
- Temporary residence permit visitor
- Temporary/multi-annual residence card private and family life (excluding subsidiary protection, filing of complaints for certain offenses and testimony in criminal proceedings)
- Temporary/multi-annual residence card salaried worker
- Temporary/multi-annual residence card entrepreneur/professional
- Multi-annual residence permit talent passport (off-mission)
- Resident card.
Your stay in France must have been uninterrupted. However, some absences are allowed (maximum absence of 6 consecutive months for a total absence of 10 months) and are taken into account in the calculation of the 5 years.
Please note
If you are a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, 5 years of regular stay are counted from the date of filing your asylum application.
European Blue Card
If you have a European Blue Card, you must show proof of 5 years' stay with this card in a country of the European Union (EU), including the 2 years preceding your application in France.
The stay in the EU must have been uninterrupted. However, periods of absence over 5 years are allowed.
Health insurance
You must have health insurance.
Resources
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General case
You must have stable, sufficient and regular resources to support yourself.
Your revenues must be at least Smic: titleContent (€1,766.92 monthly gross). All your own resources are taken into account.
The following family benefits and allowances are excluded: Paje, family allowances, family supplement, housing allowance, AEEH, BSO, ARS, PJPA, RSA, SSA.
You get the AAH or the Asi
The means test shall not apply to persons who collect Disabled Adult Allowance (DAA) or supplementary invalidity allowance (Asi).
Integration into French business
To get the long-term resident - EU, your republican integration into the French business is also taken into account.
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General case
This condition shall be assessed in particular with regard to the following:
- Your commitment to respect the principles governing the French Republic (document provided by the prefecture to be signed)
- Effective compliance with these principles
- Your sufficient knowledge of french.
To assess your integration, the prefect asks the mayor of your municipality of residence for an opinion.
You're over 65
This condition shall be assessed in particular with regard to the following:
- Your commitment to respect the principles governing the French Republic (document provided by the prefecture to be signed)
- Effective compliance with these principles
To assess your integration, the prefect asks the mayor of your municipality of residence for an opinion.
You must submit your application within 2 months before your Resident Card expires.
Warning
It is not possible to carry out the procedures in some sub-prefectures. Find out more on your prefecture's website.
If your file is complete, you will receive a receipt awaiting the response of the prefecture.
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Your request is accepted
If your application is accepted, you are summoned to the prefecture for the issue of the title.
Your request is denied
If the prefect has notified you of the refusal
The decision of the prefect is yours notified by reasoned letter (explicit decision). Except in exceptional circumstances, such refusal shall be accompanied by a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) setting the country to which you will be returned.
You can form a litigation before the administrative court (within 48 hours, 15 days or 30 days depending on the type of OQTF). You don't have to have a lawyer.
Who shall I contact
No reply from the prefect on your request
If the prefecture hasn't responded after 4 months, it's an implicit refusal.
You can then train within 2 months from such refusal :
- One administrative appeal (ex gratia appeal before the prefect and/or hierarchical remedy to the Minister of the Interior)
- And/or a litigation before the Administrative Court. You don't have to have a lawyer.
Who shall I contact
Warning
If your receipt reaches the end of its validity period and you do not have a response from the prefecture, it is possible that the processing time will be extended. In this case, you can obtain the renewal of your receipt. Find out more on your prefecture's website.
- Full copy of the birth certificate with the most recent entries, accompanied if necessary by the court decision ordering its transcription
- Passport (pages concerning civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular attestation with photo
or photo ID
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality under 6 months with photo
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
- 3 photos
- Proof of payment of stamp duty (to be delivered at the time of delivery of the security)
- Signed copy of a commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Model contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Ministry of the Interior
Pour en savoir plus
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and are a national of a country that allows it
- Proof of legal and uninterrupted residence in France of 5 years (residence permits, renewal receipts, school certificates, tax notices, etc.):
- If you have an EU Blue Card: part of this 5 years can take place in the territory of another EU Member State. However, you must have completed the 2 years of stay before the application for the residence card in France.
- If you are a refugee or subsidiary protection holder: the calculation of the 5-year period begins as of lodging of the asylum application.
- Proof of your resources or those of your couple if you are married:
- Proof of sufficient, stable and regular resources over the last 5 years: pay slips, tax notice, certificate of payment of pension, employment contract. Social benefits and allowances are excluded.
- If you perceive theAAH: titleContent or theAsi: titleContent : you must attach the supporting documents
- Health insurance certificate: health insurance card or health insurance certificate
- Proof of Republican Integration: Declaration on Honor of Respect for the Principles Governing the French Republic (handed over to prefecture) + proof of your sufficient knowledge of the French language (if you are under 65 years of age).
The cost varies depending on whether you apply on time or off time.
General case
€225 : stamp duty €25 + tax €200 payable by tax stamps
Request is out of time
(except in the case of force majeure or a valid visa)
€405 : stamp duty €25 + tax €225 + right of regularization of €180 payable by tax stamps
The map of long-term resident - EU is valid 10 years. It shall be renewable.
Warning
The resident card is no longer valid if you leave France for a period of 6 consecutive years.
Renewing your credit card long-term resident - EU, you can:
- Or renew your credit card long-term resident - EU
- Either make a 1re request for a permanent resident.
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Long-term resident card - EU
Conditions
Your credit card long-term resident - EU must not be out of date. The card is out of date if you are in one of the following situations:
- You have resided outside the territory of the Member States of the European Union for a period of more than 3 consecutive years
- You have resided outside France for 6 consecutive years
- You have acquired the long-term resident status in another european country.
Approach
You must submit your card application on the Internet as soon as possible 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the expiry of your residence document (visa, VLS-TS or permit):
If you submit your application after the deadline, except in cases of force majeure or presentation of a valid visa, you will have to pay, in addition to the cost of the card, a visa fee for regularization of the €180.
Documents to be provided:
- Valid EU long-term resident card
- Full copy of birth certificate with the most recent entries
- Passport (pages concerning civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas)
or consular attestation with photo
or photo ID
or consular card with photo
or certificate of nationality under 6 months with photo
- Proof of domicile less than 6 months old
- If you are married: marriage certificate (full copy or extract with parentage) + declaration of non-polygamy if you are a national of a State which authorizes it
- Signed copy of a commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Model contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Ministry of the Interior
Pour en savoir plus
- e-photo : enter the code of the e-photo (provided by the photographer or the approved cabin on the photo board). If you don't have an e-photo yet, you can locate a digital photo and signature service.
- Proof of payment of stamp duty (to be delivered at the time of delivery of the security)
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and are a national of a country that allows it
- Honor certificate stating that you do not have:
- Stayed more than 3 consecutive years outside the EU or more than 6 consecutive years outside France
- Obtained long-term resident status from another EU country.
Cost
€225 (stamp duty of €25 + tax €200) to be paid by tax stamps. Proof of payment of stamp duty is requested when the card is handed over to the prefecture or sub-prefecture (depending on the place of deposit).
Permanent resident card
You can apply for permanent resident card.
The process varies depending on whether the refusal has been notified to you or resulted from a failure to respond to your request.
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If the prefect has notified you of the refusal
The decision of the prefect is yours notified by reasoned letter (explicit decision). Except in exceptional circumstances, such refusal shall be accompanied by a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) setting the country to which you will be returned.
You can form a litigation before the administrative court (within 48 hours, 15 days or 30 days depending on the type of OQTF). You don't have to have a lawyer.
Who shall I contact
No reply from the prefect on your request
If the prefecture hasn't responded after 4 months, it's an implicit refusal.
You can then train within 2 months from such refusal :
- One administrative appeal (ex gratia appeal before the prefect and/or hierarchical remedy to the Minister of the Interior)
- And/or a litigation before the administrative court. You don't have to have a lawyer.
Who shall I contact
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
For more information on this topic, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Cost: free service
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their status.
The service is available at the following times:
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
Issuance of long-term resident card - EU
Taxes and stamp duty payable
Contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
List of documents to be supplied: points 58 and 64
Service-Public.fr
European Commission