Reader question: How long should I expect to wait for my post-Brexit residency card?
As tens of thousands of Brits in France have now submitted their applications for post-Brexit residency cards, one question that we've been asked repeatedly is how long it takes to get the card.
What's the process?
Thanks to Brexit, all British people who were living in France before December 31st 2020 need to apply for a residency card, known as a carte de séjour. This applies to everyone, including people who have been here a long time, those who are married to a French person or who previously had a carte de séjour.
In order to simplify this process, the French Interior Ministry has launched an online portal for applications for the roughly 200,000 British people who live in France.
You can find more about how this works HERE.
This applies to British people who were resident in France before December 31st 2020 only, Brits who move after that date will need a visa - find out the visa requirements HERE.
All applications must be done online, there is no facility to apply directly to your local préfecture. If you do not have internet access or are not confident with online procedures, you can find extra help HERE.
READ ALSO Where can Brits in France get help with post-Brexit residency applications?
How long will it take?
French bureaucracy is not renowned for its speed, so unsurprisingly one of the questions that we have been asked most frequently is how long the whole process takes.
We can't give a definitive answer on this, and there are a lot of variables, but here's what we know:
Are applications being processed?
Yes, the site went live on October 19th 2020 and applications are now being processed by préfectures. People who had applied on the no-deal site that was briefly live in October 2019 have been automatically transferred to the new site.
How long does it take to make the application?
The online portal represents a simplified, more user-friendly process that requires a lot less in the way of supporting documentation.
It varies depending how long you have been here and whether you already hold a carte de séjour, but most people only need to supply fairly basic supporting documents like passports, proof of address and proof of work/pension status.
You can find out more about the documents needed here.
If you get halfway through filling out the form and realise you are missing a crucial piece of paperwork you can save what you have done so far and go back to it.
How long until I get the acknowledgement of my application?
This is an automated email so should arrive in your inbox within half an hour or so - check your junk or spam folders if it does not arrive.
The email acknowledgement is important for two reasons - it gives you a reference number that you can use if you need to make any queries about your application and the email itself acts as interim proof of your residency status.
Until your card arrives, you can use this email as proof that you are a resident for all official purposes, including at the border if you need to travel, so we recommend printing it out and tucking it into your passport.
How long until my application is processed?
It depends.
Although all applications are done on the same website, each application is then passed to the préfecture where you live for processing.
Once your application is processed, you will then receive an email from the préfecture, giving you an appointment to come in and provide fingerprints and a passport-sized photo for your card, as well as showing original versions of the documents submitted in some cases. Most people report that this is a very straightforward process and takes about 10 minutes.
Préfectures and their staffing levels vary widely. Some will get thousands or even tens of thousands of applications from Brits, others just a few dozen, so processing speeds will be different.
One of the speediest areas is Dorodgne where, due to the large number of UK nationals living in the area, the préfecture was given extra staff to process requests. They have already issued cards to 5,000 people.
Paris, where applications are processed by the Préfecture de Police, is also moving pretty speedily through applications with many people receiving their card already.
In other areas processing times vary, some people have already had their appointments, some have received an appointment date and others have as yet heard nothing.
This survey from citizens rights group Remain in France Together (RIFT) has an area breakdown.
Then when do you get the card?
Once you have had your appointment at the préfecture, the card will be posted out to you.
The Interior Ministry says this will be a couple of weeks after the appointment and most people who have received their card say it took no longer than three weeks after the appointment date to arrive.
When is the deadline?
The deadline for you to make your application on the site is September 30th - extended from June 30th, 2021.
For more on residency, healthcare, driving and travel after Brexit, head to our Preparing for Brexit section.
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What's the process?
Thanks to Brexit, all British people who were living in France before December 31st 2020 need to apply for a residency card, known as a carte de séjour. This applies to everyone, including people who have been here a long time, those who are married to a French person or who previously had a carte de séjour.
In order to simplify this process, the French Interior Ministry has launched an online portal for applications for the roughly 200,000 British people who live in France.
You can find more about how this works HERE.
This applies to British people who were resident in France before December 31st 2020 only, Brits who move after that date will need a visa - find out the visa requirements HERE.
All applications must be done online, there is no facility to apply directly to your local préfecture. If you do not have internet access or are not confident with online procedures, you can find extra help HERE.
READ ALSO Where can Brits in France get help with post-Brexit residency applications?
How long will it take?
French bureaucracy is not renowned for its speed, so unsurprisingly one of the questions that we have been asked most frequently is how long the whole process takes.
We can't give a definitive answer on this, and there are a lot of variables, but here's what we know:
Are applications being processed?
Yes, the site went live on October 19th 2020 and applications are now being processed by préfectures. People who had applied on the no-deal site that was briefly live in October 2019 have been automatically transferred to the new site.
How long does it take to make the application?
The online portal represents a simplified, more user-friendly process that requires a lot less in the way of supporting documentation.
It varies depending how long you have been here and whether you already hold a carte de séjour, but most people only need to supply fairly basic supporting documents like passports, proof of address and proof of work/pension status.
You can find out more about the documents needed here.
If you get halfway through filling out the form and realise you are missing a crucial piece of paperwork you can save what you have done so far and go back to it.
How long until I get the acknowledgement of my application?
This is an automated email so should arrive in your inbox within half an hour or so - check your junk or spam folders if it does not arrive.
The email acknowledgement is important for two reasons - it gives you a reference number that you can use if you need to make any queries about your application and the email itself acts as interim proof of your residency status.
Until your card arrives, you can use this email as proof that you are a resident for all official purposes, including at the border if you need to travel, so we recommend printing it out and tucking it into your passport.
How long until my application is processed?
It depends.
Although all applications are done on the same website, each application is then passed to the préfecture where you live for processing.
Once your application is processed, you will then receive an email from the préfecture, giving you an appointment to come in and provide fingerprints and a passport-sized photo for your card, as well as showing original versions of the documents submitted in some cases. Most people report that this is a very straightforward process and takes about 10 minutes.
Préfectures and their staffing levels vary widely. Some will get thousands or even tens of thousands of applications from Brits, others just a few dozen, so processing speeds will be different.
One of the speediest areas is Dorodgne where, due to the large number of UK nationals living in the area, the préfecture was given extra staff to process requests. They have already issued cards to 5,000 people.
Paris, where applications are processed by the Préfecture de Police, is also moving pretty speedily through applications with many people receiving their card already.
In other areas processing times vary, some people have already had their appointments, some have received an appointment date and others have as yet heard nothing.
This survey from citizens rights group Remain in France Together (RIFT) has an area breakdown.
Then when do you get the card?
Once you have had your appointment at the préfecture, the card will be posted out to you.
The Interior Ministry says this will be a couple of weeks after the appointment and most people who have received their card say it took no longer than three weeks after the appointment date to arrive.
When is the deadline?
The deadline for you to make your application on the site is September 30th - extended from June 30th, 2021.
For more on residency, healthcare, driving and travel after Brexit, head to our Preparing for Brexit section.
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