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Getting your residence permit

Proposed by Comité de la Démarche Accessible Updated on il y a 6 jours

After the positive response from the Ofpra or the CNDA regarding your status as a refugee, stateless person or beneficiary of subsidiary protection, you have the right to settle long-term and work in France.

You need to apply for a residence permit (also called a "residence card"):

  • Refugees can apply for a 10-year "resident" card on the ANEF (Étrangers en France) website.
  • Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection can apply for a "multi-year" residence permit of up to 4 years, on the ANEF (Étrangers en France) website.
  • Stateless persons can apply for a "multi-year" residence permit of up to 4 years at the prefecture.

For all applications and all statuses, you must give your fingerprints to the prefecture, send or drop off your documents, and make an appointment to collect your residence permit.
But the list of documents to provide differs depending on your status.

Since January 1, 2026, there are new requirements for applying for a first multi-year residence permit or resident card:
- A2 level in French to apply for a multi-year residence permit  
- B1 level in French to apply for a 10-year resident card
- the certificate of success in the civic examination (with a mention of a multi-year residence permit or resident card).
Please note that persons with international protection from the Ofpra (refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, stateless persons) and their families are not subject to these obligations.

How to do it?

The documents required for all residence permit applications:

  • Contract of commitment to respect the principles of the French Republic

    You must read, print, complete, date and sign the commitment agreement written in French. This document outlines the principles of the French Republic: personal liberty, freedom of expression and conscience, equality between women and men, human dignity, the motto and symbols of the Republic, the territorial integrity of France, and secularism. By signing this document, you commit to respecting these values while residing in France.

    Please note that this contract is different from the OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) Republican Integration Contract (CIR). See the Refugees.info fact sheet " Signing the CIR ".
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.
  • Proof of address less than 6 months old (proof of address, proof of accommodation, rent receipt, invoice)
- If you do not have stable housing or accommodation, you must send the certificate of residence with the address where you receive mail.
- If you are staying with another person (family, friend, volunteer…), you must send a certificate 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).

The administration may ask you for other documents depending on your situation, for example:

  • If you are married and from a country that allows polygamy: declaration on honor of non-polygamy (not being married to several people in France).
  • If you participated in the Republican Integration Contract (CIR) training with the OFII: the signed CIR

    Read the Refugees.info fact sheet: " Signing the Republican Integration Contract (CIR) "

If you have refugee status or subsidiary protection, you must apply for a residence permit online at this website:https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

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

Read the Refugees.info fact sheet: "Create a personal account on Foreigners in France (ANEF)"

- If you have stateless status, you You cannot apply for a residence permit on this website; you must go directly to the prefecture of your department to submit your application in paper form. The required documents are the same as for the online application, and you must also include the letter with the decision from the OFPRA or the CNDA granting you stateless status.
- If you do not have a foreign number or visa number, you You cannot apply for a residence permit on this site; you must go directly to the prefecture of your department.

1. On your account on the ANEF (Étrangers en France) website, click on " I am applying for or renewing a residence permit "

2. Complete the form and send the documents in PDF or image format.

Read the Refugees.info fact sheet: "Scanning a document"

You need to print, date, and sign the commitment contract , then:
If you apply for a residence permit online, you must scan it and upload it to the "Supporting Documents" section, under "Proof of Address".
> if you apply for a residence permit directly at the prefecture, you must add it to your paper file or send it by mail or using demarche.numerique.gouv.fr .

3. After submitting your application online, you will automatically receive an email inviting you to log in to your personal account to download a "submission confirmation" . This document proves that you have successfully sent your application.
It does not confer any rights, it is only a supporting document.

4. If your application is complete and submitted within the required timeframe, you will receive a "proof of processing extension certificate" (API). This is a temporary residence permit that proves you have the right to reside legally in France and that you are authorized to work. The API also grants access to your social benefits, but does not allow you to travel. This certificate replaces the receipt and is valid for 6 months. The certificate is renewable until the prefecture makes a decision.

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

The different certificates are explained in this document.

Once you have submitted your application for a residence permit to the prefecture or sub-prefecture, you will receive a temporary residence document called a receipt. This document proves that you have the right to be in France legally and that you are authorized to work.

To find out how your application is progressing, log in to your account on the ANEF (Foreigners in France) website, click on your name in the top right corner of the homepage, and then on "Access my account".

There are four steps:

  • Application submitted: Your application has been received.
  • Your application is being processed: the prefecture has begun to study it, and it is currently being processed.
  • Decision made: your request has been processed, a decision has been made.
  • Residence permit available: your card is ready.

The processing times vary in each prefecture.

When your residence permit is available:

  • The prefecture will send you a message (SMS or email).
  • The message explains whether you need to make an appointment on your prefecture's website or go directly there on a specific date.
If you do not receive any message, you must go to your prefecture's website to find out how to collect your issued residence permit.
For example, the website of the Paris Police Prefecture.

1. Purchase a €25 tax stamp from the website timbres.impots.gouv.fr or from a tobacconist.

2. Bring the stamp and proof of payment on the day you collect your residence permit.

Read the Refugees.info fact sheet which explains how to buy a tax stamp .

Your residence permit is valid:

  • 10 years if you have refugee status, that's the "resident" card
  • 4 years if you have subsidiary protection or stateless status, it's the "multi-year" card.

What happens next?

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

  • by telephone at 0 806 001 620 (free number),
  • or using the contact form (the "Contact" button at the bottom left of the screen). You must clearly explain your problem and send screenshots (showing the website, date, and time) along with the error message if you have one.

If you are unable to apply online, you can get help at a a digital access point of your department, at the prefecture or sub-prefecture. There, you have the possibility to use a computer with internet and professionals provide explanations on the ANEF (Étrangers en France) website.

The CCC and digital reception points can only assist you with technical problems.
In specific cases, the CCC can issue a certificate proving that it was impossible to apply online. This certificate allows you to contact the prefecture to schedule an appointment.

If you do not have any response from the prefecture or if it is a negative one 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 get help from an association helping foreign people.
  • You can contact the Defender of Rights, an administration which helps people in difficulty to access their rights.

You must declare your status on the ANEF (Étrangers en France) website:

  • if you move and change your address
  • if you lose your residence permit
  • if your residence permit is cut, damaged, or difficult to read
  • if your residence permit has been stolen.

This Refugees.info fact sheet explains how to: "Report a change of situation on Étrangers en France (ANEF)" .

Obtaining a new residence permit is not mandatory if you change your address. When you register your change of address, you can choose whether or not to have a new one issued. Your current residence permit remains valid until its expiry date, even with your old address.
To verify your new address, a certificate with your new address will be available on your personal ANEF account.

If you have refugee, stateless person or subsidiary protection status, some members of your family may have a residence permit like you:

  • The person to whom you are married, in a civil partnership, or your partner, if they have been authorized to reside in France through family reunification,
  • The person to whom you are married, in a civil partnership, or your partner, even if the union took place after your asylum application , if:
    - the person is over 18 years old,
    - you have been together for at least a year,
    - you still live together.
  • Your children under 19 years of age.
  • Your parents if you are still a minor and unmarried.

Read: the Refugees.info fact sheet "Applying for family reunification" .

Your family members must provide proof of their identity and the family ties between you (with a marriage certificate, a family record book, a birth certificate for example).

The residence permit issued to your family members authorizes them to work in France.

Minors do not need a residence permit. However, from the age of 16, they can apply for one to work or complete a professional internship. Depending on their circumstances, they may be granted a temporary residence permit or a permanent resident card (find the conditions by clicking here).

To travel, a foreign child (minor) may have one of these two documents:

  • the DCEM (Travel Document for Foreign Minors)
  • or a TIV (Identity and Travel Document).

Read: the Refugees.info fact sheets "Applying for a DCEM" / "Applying for a travel document" .

If the minor in question has a travel document (passport), they can apply for a DCEM. If the minor does not have a travel document, they must apply for a TIV.
A TIV does not need to be accompanied by a DCEM. It allows you to leave and enter France.

The application must be submitted between 4 months (120 days) and 2 months (60 days) before the expiry date of the residence permit:

If you are a beneficiary of subsidiary protection or stateless, you can have a 10-year resident card after 4 years of residence in France with a multi-year card.

If your residence permit has expired, but you haven't yet received the new one, a "certificate of extension of processing of a residence permit renewal application" allows you to maintain your rights in France. Please note that this certificate must be accompanied by your old residence permit.

Everything is explained in the Refugees.info fact sheet "Renewing a residence permit" .

When you receive the birth certificate, if there is a difference with the information on your residence permit, the Ofpra sends you a certificate of concordance.

The certificate of concordance is also called a certificate of equivalence.
It proves that you are the same person even if the information on your documents is different (different first name or last name for example).

If the OFPRA does not send it automatically, you can request it by mail at this address:
Ofpra
Pôle Protection
201 rue Carnot
94136 Fontenay-sous-Bois Cedex.

You can then declare a "change of situation " on the ANEF (Foreigners in France) website and apply for a new residence permit.

In this situation, the application is free.

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