Renew your residence permit

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

• Civil status documents sent by OFPRA (birth certificate, marriage certificate if you are married)
• Letter with the decision of the OFPRA or the CNDA granting you the status of refugee or beneficiary of subsidiary protection
• Proof of address less than 6 months old (or certificate of residence or certificate of accommodation)

Good to know: Proof of address is requested, which does not mean proof of accommodation. If you are without stable accommodation and you only have a postal address to receive mail, the usual domiciliation certificate is accepted. If you are staying with someone (family, friend, volunteer, etc.), you must send: an accommodation certificate from the person hosting you, a copy of their identity card (or residence card) and proof of address in his name (electricity or telephone bill).

• 3 e-photos

Good to know: To have an e-photo, you must go to a photo booth or to an official "Online Service" photographer (approved to take official photos for identity documents). To find a photo booth or an approved photographer, you can consult the geolocation map on this link. You must indicate the code written on the photo board.

> To read: the Refugees.info sheet "Making and using an e-photo ".

• If you are married: declaration on honor of non-polygamy (the fact of being married to several people) in France if you are a national of a country which authorizes it
• In some prefectures, proof of resources or activity is requested: tax notice, employment contract, Pôle Emploi certificate, etc.
• To renew a residence card (10 years), some prefectures may require a sworn statement confirming that you have not lived outside France for more than 3 consecutive years.

• Connect to your Foreigners in France account: click on your name at the top right of the home page, and select "Access my account".
• Or if you've never done it, create your account.

> To read: the Refugees.info sheet “Create an account on Foreigners in France”.

You need this information:
- foreign number (on the current residence permit, above the signature, called personal number, or on the right side vertically)
- start date of validity of the title
- expiry date of the title.

Good to know: 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 close to your postal address.

Once you are logged into your account on the Foreigners in France website, click on “I request or renew a residence permit”.

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

> To read: the Refugees.info sheet "Scanning a document".

After applying online, you will automatically receive by email a "deposit certificate" which proves that you have sent your file. This document does not grant any rights, it is only a proof.

If your file is complete and sent within the requested time, you will then receive an "certificate of extension of instruction". It is a temporary residence document which proves that you have the right to be in France in a regular situation and that you can work. This certificate replaces the receipt and is valid for a renewable period of 3 months.

When the prefecture has validated your application, you finally receive a "favorable decision certificate" which is valid until your new residence permit is available.

Your residence permit renewal application is studied by the competent prefecture or sub-prefecture close to your postal address. The processing times for applications are different in each prefecture.

To find out how your application is progressing, log into 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 stages:

• Submission of the request : your request has been received.
• Investigation in progress : the prefecture has begun to study your request, its processing is in progress.
• Decision made : your request has been processed, a decision has been made.
• Residence permit available : your new card is available. An SMS will tell you how to recover it. If you do not receive any SMS, you must go to the website of your prefecture to find out how to retrieve your 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.