Renewing a residence permit in France

Before you start

• A valid residence document (VLS-TS, temporary card, multi-year card or resident card)
• An ANEF account
• For a first multi-year card, proof of French at level A2 and a civic exam pass certificate (since 1 January 2026)

Documents you need

• Current residence card or validated VLS-TS

  required

• Passport pages with identity

  required

• Proof of address less than six months old

  required

• ID photos with the digital code for online applications

  required

• Signed commitment to respect the principles of the Republic (contrat d'engagement républicain)

  required

• Employment documents for your category

  For example an employer certificate covering the last 12 months

  optional

• Payslips or proof of resources

  optional

• CIR attendance certificate

  For a first multi-year card

  optional

Step by step

1. 1

   Step 1: Note your deadline and check what you are applying for

   Put two dates in your calendar: four months before expiry (the earliest filing date) and two months before (the latest). Then check which document you are moving to:

   • Same card again (for example a renewed multi-year or resident card).
   • First multi-year card after a VLS-TS or one-year card. You must have followed the republican integration contract (CIR) training seriously, prove French at level A2, and have passed the civic exam, unless you are over 65.
   • Change of status, for example from student to employee or talent card, which is treated as a first application in the new category.
   • Ten-year resident card, which since 2026 requires French at level B1 and a passed civic exam, unless you are over 65.
2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare the civic exam and language proof early

   The civic exam is a 40-question multiple-choice test in French on the values and institutions of the Republic, rights and duties, history, geography and culture, and life in French society. You need at least 32 correct answers (80%), in a maximum of 45 minutes, and you must pass it before submitting the application that requires it. Applicants renewing a card they already hold and beneficiaries of international protection are exempt. Study materials and approved test centres are listed on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr.

3. 3

   Step 3: Gather your documents

   Service-Public lists, for most categories, your current residence document, passport pages, a proof of address less than six months old, photos (with the digital code when you apply online) and the signed commitment to respect the principles of the Republic. Add the documents for your category, for example:

   • Employees: an employer certificate or declaration covering the last 12 months and, where needed, a work authorisation for your current job.
   • Students: certificate of enrolment, results, and proof of resources of at least €877.50 a month (from 1 August 2026).
   • First multi-year card: CIR certificate, A2 language certificate and civic exam certificate.
4. 4

   Step 4: Apply online on ANEF

   File on ANEF. As soon as you submit, you receive a dematerialised certificate of deposit (attestation de dépôt). When the prefecture starts processing, it places a certificate extending the processing period (attestation de prolongation d'instruction) in your personal space. Download and keep both: together with your expired card, they prove that you applied on time. A new €100 fee applies when a paper provisional permit (récépissé) is issued or renewed.

5. 5

   Step 5: Pay the fee with tax stamps

   Fees since 1 May 2026:

   • Renewal: €250 at the normal rate, €100 at the reduced rate (for example students).
   • First issue of a card in a new category: €350 normal, €150 reduced.
   • Late application: an extra €180 regularisation fee, unless you can show force majeure.

   Buy electronic tax stamps (timbres fiscaux) on timbres.impots.gouv.fr; you present the proof of payment when you collect the card.

6. 6

   Step 6: Collect your new card

   In Paris, the préfecture de police sends a text message or email when the card is ready. You then book a collection appointment and bring originals of your passport and of your previous card or receipt, plus the tax stamps. If you have had no news four months after filing, contact the prefecture through its online form.

Staying lawful while you wait

If your situation has changed

Long-term options

Watch out

Common mistakes

• Waiting for the prefecture to remind you; it does not.
• Not downloading the deposit certificate and the extension certificate from ANEF, then being unable to prove your status to an employer or the CAF.
• Leaving the A2 language proof and the civic exam until the last month before your first multi-year card.

Tips

• Scan payslips, tax notices and proofs of address as they arrive; renewals ask for recent ones.
• If ANEF does not work for your situation, use the préfecture de police online contact form and the help pages on ANEF rather than paid intermediaries.
• Keep a copy of every application you submit; the next renewal will ask for similar documents.

Frequently asked questions

Editorial answers written by our team, based on the sources below.

Official links

In your plan

• Renew your residence permit on timeAdd to plan
• Check when you can apply for a ten-year resident cardAdd to plan
• Plan your residence status for after graduationAdd to plan
• Collect your residence card when it is readyAdd to plan
• Reach French A2 and pass the civic examAdd to plan
• Reach French B1 or B2 and get it certifiedAdd to plan
• If your job ends, register with France Travail promptlyAdd to plan

Sources

Written and checked by HomiStart editorial against the official sources below. Next scheduled check: 5 Jan 2027.