Carte de séjour: This is how the residency card website works for Brits in France
Since Brexit, Brits living in France need to acquire a residency card if they want to stay - and they have until September 30th to make the application. Here's how the process works.
Who needs to use it?
The online portal is ONLY for British people who were full time residents in France before December 31st 2020 (the end of the Brexit transition period) and their family members. Anyone moving to France after that date needs a visa - details HERE.
Of those living here pre-December 31st, pretty much everyone needs to use the site to get a residency card, known in French as a carte de séjour. There are two exceptions, if you have dual nationality with an EU country such as France or Ireland you do not need a carte de séjour, although you may use the site if you wish.
Anyone who made an application on the no-deal portal that was briefly online in October 2019 does not need to make a new application, their application will be transferred automatically to the new system - this covers around 9,000 people.
Everyone else needs to use it, including those who already have a carte de séjour permanent (10 years) and those who are married to a French national.
Under 18s do not need a carte se séjour but families and married couples apply separately, there is no joint carte de séjour.
The deadline for applications was originally June 30th but this was extended until September 30th, 2021. Anyone who has not made their application before then becomes an undocumented migrant.
Where is it?
You can find the portal HERE.
How does it work?
The site has been made as simple and user-friendly as possible, with only the minimum of supporting documents requested. Those who have used it have mostly been pleasantly surprised by its simplicity. It is also available in English.
It includes a flowchart explaining what information and documents are needed for each type of application - on the welcome page click on 'lien tableau' in the third section to access the chart.
Graphic: Interior Ministry
The site can also save your application, so if you get started then realise you are missing a crucial document you can save your application for up to 20 days and go back to it later - to do this click 'code de suivi' at the top of the welcome page then fill in your email address so the half-completed application be sent to you.
All supporting documents such as your passport and proof of address must be scanned and uploaded to the site - there is no facility to send these separately by post.
In good news there is no need to buy an expensive scanner, if you have a smartphone you will find plenty of free scanner apps in the app store and all will produce documents of high enough quality to be used with your application.
What do you need to do?
When you first access the site you will be asked to tick the box saying you accept the terms and conditions then asked if this is your first application. This question refers only to applications made on the site - any previous applications made directly at the préfecture are not included in this.
You will then be asked whether you are British or the family-member of a British person and how long you have lived in France. Depending on your answers to these questions, you will then automatically be sent to the relevant bit of the site.
More than five years - if you have lived in France for more than five years you will be asked if you already have a carte de sejour permanent (10 years). If you do, the process then becomes extremely simple as you are essentially just swapping your old card for a new one. Input the details of your current carte de séjour, then your personal information such as name, address, date of birth and contact details and submit your application.
If you don't have a carte de séjour permanent, then the process is still pretty simple, you will be asked for your passport, proof of your current address such as a utility bill, the date you arrived in France and some documentation relating to your arrival date - this can be a work contract, rental contract or utility bill. It's worth pointing out that there is there no difference in the type of card you get if you have lived here for six years or 26 years, so if you don't have documents relating to your exact arrival date any document that proves you were resident in France more than five years ago will be accepted. You don't need to provide proof of your income or employment status.
Less than five years - For more recent arrivals the application process is a little more complicated. You will be directed to a page that asks you what category you are applying under. These categories are; employed or self-employed, student, job-seeker, economically inactive (including pensioners), the family member of someone who meets the above conditions or the spouse, registered partner or concubin (ie live-in partner) of a French person.
People married to a French person get a carte de séjour permanent, while those pacséd (in a civil partnership) or living together get a five-year card.
READ ALSO Are you a concubine in French law?
If you tick the employed/self-employed box you will be asked which category you fall into - salaried employee on either a temporary (CDD) or permanent (CDI) contract, self-employed or business owner, cross-border worker working in another country but living in France, corporate officer or investor or researcher.
Students, job-seekers and employees will be asked to provide proof of their status such as an employment contract, details of registration with the Pôle emploi (unemployment office) or details of a study course.
You will then be asked for your passport and proof of your address - documents accepted include utility bills, rental contracts or rent receipts or a taxe d'habitation notice from the last six months. If you live in someone else's house and have none of these documents, you will need a signed and dated document from your host stating that you live there and your host will also need to provide ID and proof of address.
Only those who are applying as economically inactive will also be asked to provide proof of medical cover (and being registered in the French health system and having a carte vitale is enough for this, you do not need a mutuelle or other top-up private health insurance) and proof of having sufficient resources. Documents accepted for this include your most recent tax declaration, bank statements or details of pension payments.
For full details of what is counted as sufficient resources, click here.
Then what?
Once you have provided the relevant details, everyone then needs to fill in their full name, nom d'usage (name you are known by, for most people this will be the same as the surname but it can be different for married women), date of birth, place of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry date, full address (be careful this is the full address as it determines which préfecture deals with your application), phone number and email address.
The email address is also crucial as this is how your préfecture will communicate with you about your application.
READ ALSO What's in a name: How to fill our forms in France
There is also an optional box for 'any other comments' which you can use if you feel you don't fit neatly into a category or want to add more information. Even if you are using the English version of the site, it's better to do these comments in French if possible.
You then again tick that you agree and to the terms and conditions and answer a simple maths question - don't panic, this isn't complicated algebra, it's just so that the site can determine that you are not a robot - then submit your application.
What happens next?
First you receive a confirmation email. This attestation d'enregistrement is important because it acts as proof that you are a resident and have applied for the card. It can be used for all official purposes such as at the border, for employers and for social benefits until you get your card, so keep it safe and print out a couple of copies just in case.
This is an automated email and should arrive within a couple of hours of you submitting the form - check your spam or junk folders if it has not arrived.
The next communication you will get is an email from your préfecture, usually several weeks or months later but response times vary (see below) with the status of your application.
If your application is complete they will then invite you to the préfecture for an appointment to provide your fingerprints, show your passport (and old carte de séjour permanent if you have one) and provide a new passport-sized photo. If documents are missing, you may be asked for extra information.
Applicants are reassured that the appointment at the préfecture is a simple administrative appointment to provide the above things, and will not involve any kind of interview. In most cases it takes about 10 minutes.
Applicants are asked not to phone or turn up at their local préfecture asking about progress, you will be contacted by email.
Once you have been to the préfecture, your card will then be posted out to you, usually within a month of the appointment.
How long does the application take to process?
Application times vary according to different préfectures, some areas get a lot of applications, some not very many. In some areas where a lot of Brits live, préfectures have been given extra staff to help process the applications but préfectures have to make do with their usual staffing levels.
Some people have started to get appointment dates and others have received cards, but plenty are still waiting to hear from their local préfecture. There are more details on the timeframe HERE.
What is the deadline?
You have until September 30th, 2021 to make the application - extended from the original deadline of June 30th - and from October 1st 2021 it will be compulsory for all British people in France to have a carte de séjour.
What if I don't have internet access or don't feel confident using the online system?
The application must be made using the online portal, but there is help available for people who either don't have internet access or don't feel confident using the online process.
If they don't have friends or family who can help there are four organisations which have been given funding by the UK government to provide support to British people with the applications - click here for more details.
Still have questions? Head to our Dealing with Brexit section for more details on residency and healthcare or email n[email protected] and we will do our best to answer them.
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See Also
Who needs to use it?
The online portal is ONLY for British people who were full time residents in France before December 31st 2020 (the end of the Brexit transition period) and their family members. Anyone moving to France after that date needs a visa - details HERE.
Of those living here pre-December 31st, pretty much everyone needs to use the site to get a residency card, known in French as a carte de séjour. There are two exceptions, if you have dual nationality with an EU country such as France or Ireland you do not need a carte de séjour, although you may use the site if you wish.
Anyone who made an application on the no-deal portal that was briefly online in October 2019 does not need to make a new application, their application will be transferred automatically to the new system - this covers around 9,000 people.
Everyone else needs to use it, including those who already have a carte de séjour permanent (10 years) and those who are married to a French national.
Under 18s do not need a carte se séjour but families and married couples apply separately, there is no joint carte de séjour.
The deadline for applications was originally June 30th but this was extended until September 30th, 2021. Anyone who has not made their application before then becomes an undocumented migrant.
Where is it?
You can find the portal HERE.
How does it work?
The site has been made as simple and user-friendly as possible, with only the minimum of supporting documents requested. Those who have used it have mostly been pleasantly surprised by its simplicity. It is also available in English.
It includes a flowchart explaining what information and documents are needed for each type of application - on the welcome page click on 'lien tableau' in the third section to access the chart.
Graphic: Interior Ministry
The site can also save your application, so if you get started then realise you are missing a crucial document you can save your application for up to 20 days and go back to it later - to do this click 'code de suivi' at the top of the welcome page then fill in your email address so the half-completed application be sent to you.
All supporting documents such as your passport and proof of address must be scanned and uploaded to the site - there is no facility to send these separately by post.
In good news there is no need to buy an expensive scanner, if you have a smartphone you will find plenty of free scanner apps in the app store and all will produce documents of high enough quality to be used with your application.
What do you need to do?
When you first access the site you will be asked to tick the box saying you accept the terms and conditions then asked if this is your first application. This question refers only to applications made on the site - any previous applications made directly at the préfecture are not included in this.
You will then be asked whether you are British or the family-member of a British person and how long you have lived in France. Depending on your answers to these questions, you will then automatically be sent to the relevant bit of the site.
More than five years - if you have lived in France for more than five years you will be asked if you already have a carte de sejour permanent (10 years). If you do, the process then becomes extremely simple as you are essentially just swapping your old card for a new one. Input the details of your current carte de séjour, then your personal information such as name, address, date of birth and contact details and submit your application.
If you don't have a carte de séjour permanent, then the process is still pretty simple, you will be asked for your passport, proof of your current address such as a utility bill, the date you arrived in France and some documentation relating to your arrival date - this can be a work contract, rental contract or utility bill. It's worth pointing out that there is there no difference in the type of card you get if you have lived here for six years or 26 years, so if you don't have documents relating to your exact arrival date any document that proves you were resident in France more than five years ago will be accepted. You don't need to provide proof of your income or employment status.
Less than five years - For more recent arrivals the application process is a little more complicated. You will be directed to a page that asks you what category you are applying under. These categories are; employed or self-employed, student, job-seeker, economically inactive (including pensioners), the family member of someone who meets the above conditions or the spouse, registered partner or concubin (ie live-in partner) of a French person.
People married to a French person get a carte de séjour permanent, while those pacséd (in a civil partnership) or living together get a five-year card.
READ ALSO Are you a concubine in French law?
If you tick the employed/self-employed box you will be asked which category you fall into - salaried employee on either a temporary (CDD) or permanent (CDI) contract, self-employed or business owner, cross-border worker working in another country but living in France, corporate officer or investor or researcher.
Students, job-seekers and employees will be asked to provide proof of their status such as an employment contract, details of registration with the Pôle emploi (unemployment office) or details of a study course.
You will then be asked for your passport and proof of your address - documents accepted include utility bills, rental contracts or rent receipts or a taxe d'habitation notice from the last six months. If you live in someone else's house and have none of these documents, you will need a signed and dated document from your host stating that you live there and your host will also need to provide ID and proof of address.
Only those who are applying as economically inactive will also be asked to provide proof of medical cover (and being registered in the French health system and having a carte vitale is enough for this, you do not need a mutuelle or other top-up private health insurance) and proof of having sufficient resources. Documents accepted for this include your most recent tax declaration, bank statements or details of pension payments.
For full details of what is counted as sufficient resources, click here.
Then what?
Once you have provided the relevant details, everyone then needs to fill in their full name, nom d'usage (name you are known by, for most people this will be the same as the surname but it can be different for married women), date of birth, place of birth, nationality, passport number and expiry date, full address (be careful this is the full address as it determines which préfecture deals with your application), phone number and email address.
The email address is also crucial as this is how your préfecture will communicate with you about your application.
READ ALSO What's in a name: How to fill our forms in France
There is also an optional box for 'any other comments' which you can use if you feel you don't fit neatly into a category or want to add more information. Even if you are using the English version of the site, it's better to do these comments in French if possible.
You then again tick that you agree and to the terms and conditions and answer a simple maths question - don't panic, this isn't complicated algebra, it's just so that the site can determine that you are not a robot - then submit your application.
What happens next?
First you receive a confirmation email. This attestation d'enregistrement is important because it acts as proof that you are a resident and have applied for the card. It can be used for all official purposes such as at the border, for employers and for social benefits until you get your card, so keep it safe and print out a couple of copies just in case.
This is an automated email and should arrive within a couple of hours of you submitting the form - check your spam or junk folders if it has not arrived.
The next communication you will get is an email from your préfecture, usually several weeks or months later but response times vary (see below) with the status of your application.
If your application is complete they will then invite you to the préfecture for an appointment to provide your fingerprints, show your passport (and old carte de séjour permanent if you have one) and provide a new passport-sized photo. If documents are missing, you may be asked for extra information.
Applicants are reassured that the appointment at the préfecture is a simple administrative appointment to provide the above things, and will not involve any kind of interview. In most cases it takes about 10 minutes.
Applicants are asked not to phone or turn up at their local préfecture asking about progress, you will be contacted by email.
Once you have been to the préfecture, your card will then be posted out to you, usually within a month of the appointment.
How long does the application take to process?
Application times vary according to different préfectures, some areas get a lot of applications, some not very many. In some areas where a lot of Brits live, préfectures have been given extra staff to help process the applications but préfectures have to make do with their usual staffing levels.
Some people have started to get appointment dates and others have received cards, but plenty are still waiting to hear from their local préfecture. There are more details on the timeframe HERE.
What is the deadline?
You have until September 30th, 2021 to make the application - extended from the original deadline of June 30th - and from October 1st 2021 it will be compulsory for all British people in France to have a carte de séjour.
What if I don't have internet access or don't feel confident using the online system?
The application must be made using the online portal, but there is help available for people who either don't have internet access or don't feel confident using the online process.
If they don't have friends or family who can help there are four organisations which have been given funding by the UK government to provide support to British people with the applications - click here for more details.
Still have questions? Head to our Dealing with Brexit section for more details on residency and healthcare or email n[email protected] and we will do our best to answer them.
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