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Renew your residence permit

Proposed by Comité de la Démarche Accessible Updated on 17 днів тому
This sheet is being updated.

When the residence permit expires, that is, the validity date approaches ("valid until"), you must apply for a new card. This is called a residence permit renewal .

  • If you are a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, you must apply online on the Foreigners in France (ANEF) website .
  • If you are stateless , you must contact the prefecture on which you depend.

The renewal request must be made between 4 months (120 days) and 2 months (60 days) before the expiration date of your current document.

After 4 years of residence in France with the subsidiary protection beneficiary card or stateless person status, you can directly apply for a resident card (10 years).
For each residence permit renewal request:
- you must read and accept a contract of commitment to respect the principles of the French Republic.  
Please note, this contract is different from the OFII's Republican Integration Contract (CIR) .
- the birth certificate sent by Ofpra is mandatory.

How to do it?

To apply for a new residence permit, you need these documents:

  • Contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic

    You must read, print, complete, date and sign the written engagement contract in French. This document sets out the principles of the French Republic: personal freedom, freedom of expression and conscience, equality between women and men, dignity of the human person, motto and symbols of the Republic, territorial integrity of France, secularism. When you sign this document, you agree to respect these values while you live in France.

    Everything is explained here .
The engagement contract is available in several languages: English , Arabic , Pashto , Persian/Dari , Tigrinya , Russian , Chinese, Albanian, Comorian, Somali, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali… This helps you understand the text, but you must sign and send the French version.
If you apply for a residence permit directly at the prefecture, you must print, sign and add your commitment contract to your paper file, or send it by post or in PDF format to demarches-simplifiees.fr .
Proof of address is required, which does not mean proof of accommodation.
- If you are without stable accommodation and only have a postal address to receive mail, the usual proof of address is accepted.
- If you are staying with someone (family, friend, volunteer, etc.), you must send: proof of accommodation from the person hosting you, a copy of their identity card (or residence permit) and proof of address in their name (electricity or telephone bill).
To obtain a resident card (10 years), you must provide proof of the regularity of your residence (temporary or multi-year residence card issued as a subsidiary protected person).

If you are a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, you must apply for a residence permit online on this site: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/

  • Log in to your Foreigners in France (ANEF) account, then click on your name at the top right of the home page, and select "Access my account".
  • Or if you've never done so, create your account.

> Read: the Réfugiés.info sheet “Create a personal account on Foreigners in France (ANEF)”.

Stateless persons cannot yet apply on this website. If you have been recognized as stateless, you must go to the prefecture in your area to submit your residence permit application. The required documents are the same as for the online application.

If you are unknown to the administration (family member of a refugee or beneficiary of subsidiary protection or stateless person), and if you do not have a foreign number or visa number, you must go directly to the prefecture to apply for a residence permit.

Once you are logged into your account on the Foreigners in France (ANEF) website, click on “I am applying for or renewing a residence permit”.

You must complete the form and send the documents from step 1.

> Read: the Réfugiés.info sheet “Scan a document”.

The dated, signed and scanned employment contract must be placed in the "Supporting documents" step, under "Proof of address".

After submitting your application online, you will automatically receive a "confirmation of submission" email , confirming that you have successfully submitted your application. This document does not confer any rights; it is only a proof of identity.

If your application is complete and submitted within the requested timeframe, you will receive a "certificate of extension of processing" (API) for a residence permit renewal application. This is a temporary residence document that proves that you have the legal right to be in France and that you can work. This document must be accompanied by your previous permit (even if it has expired). The API also justifies the maintenance of all rights granted by the previously held residence permit. It allows you to travel within the Schengen area. This certificate replaces the receipt and is renewable, as long as the prefecture has not rendered its decision.

Once the prefecture has approved your application, you will receive a "certificate of favorable decision," which is valid until your new residence permit is available. This certificate proves that you can work and authorizes you to cross the borders of the Schengen Area.

Your certificate of favorable decision is only valid if it is accompanied by your old residence permit.

> If you would like to know more about the different types of certificates you can receive during your application, you can read this document.

For stateless persons: After submitting your residence permit application to the prefecture or sub-prefecture, you will receive a temporary residence document called a receipt . This document allows you to remain legally resident in France while your application is being processed. It also allows you to work.

Your residence permit renewal application will be processed by the relevant prefecture or sub-prefecture nearest to your postal address. Processing times vary depending on the prefecture.

To find out the progress of your application, log in to your personal account on the Foreigners in France website , click on your name at the top right of the home page, and select "Access my account".

There are four steps:

  • Application submitted: your application has been received.
  • Processing in progress: the prefecture has begun to examine your request and it is being processed.
  • Decision made: your request has been processed, a decision has been made.
  • Residence permit available: your new card is ready.
The prefecture will send you a message (SMS or email) when your residence permit is available.

The message tells you what you need to do to get your residence permit: log on to your prefecture's website , show up there on a certain day, etc.

Example: Paris Police Prefecture.

If you do not receive any message, you must go to your prefecture's website to find out how to retrieve your manufactured residence permit.

The day you pick up your residence permit, you must prove that you have paid €25 in tax stamps (with proof of payment of the stamp duty).

Tax stamps are sold only on the timbres.impots.gouv.fr website and in tobacconists.

> To read: the Refugees.info sheet which explains how to buy a tax stamp.

What happens next?

Remember to send a copy of your new residence permit to the administrative services to update your files:

  • the CAF if you receive or have applied for RSA, APL and/or family allowances,
  • the town hall of your city if you have applied for social housing,
  • the CPAM of your department for your health insurance,
  • France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) if you receive or have applied for unemployment benefits...

If you change your address, you must declare it online on the Étrangers en France (ANEF) website. This Réfugiés.info sheet explains how to do “Declare a change of situation on Étrangers en France”.

It is not compulsory to issue a new residence permit (subject to a fee) if you change your address (you can choose whether or not to issue a new permit when you register online). To prove your new address, a certificate will be available in your personal account after processing.

If you have a technical problem (blocked page, error message, etc.), you can contact the Citizens Contact Center (CCC):

  • by telephone at 0 806 001 620 (free number),
  • or with the contact form (“Contact” button at the bottom left of the screen). You must clearly explain your problem and send screenshots (site, date and time visible) with the error message if you have one.
If the CCC has not been able to provide you with a solution, you can go to your prefecture to be accompanied by the digital reception point reserved for foreigners present in France. To contact the digital reception point closest to you, you can search on the internet by writing: “digital reception point foreign prefecture” and adding your department.

If you do not have any response from the prefecture or a negative response to your residence permit application, even though you have sent all the documents within the deadline, you can challenge this decision (say you don't agree).

To challenge the decision:

  • You must contact the Administrative Court of your place of residence. To have contact details for the Administrative Court in your department, click here.
  • Seek help from a lawyer . If you don't have a lot of money, you can request legal aid to cover all or part of your legal costs.
    To read: the Réfugiés.info sheet on legal aid .
  • You can reach out to an association helping foreign people.
  • You can contact the Defender of Rights, an administration which helps people in difficulty to access their rights.

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