The conditions for applying for a “carte de résident” or resident card after three or five years in France

If you have been living in France with valid residency rights for at least three or five years, depending on your nationality, and want to settle permanently in France, you can request a “carte de résident” or resident card valid for ten years.

The request must be made at the local French administrative authority known as the “préfecture” or “sub-préfecture”.

A “carte de résident” is not issued automatically: the “préfecture” has discretionary power regarding your application. It will be essential to provide evidence of a stable life in France.

Conditions

If you are a citizen of one of the following countries, the conditions apply after three years of residence in France: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo (Brazzaville), Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia.

If you are a citizen of another country, the conditions apply after five years of residence in France.

The conditions are:

• you have been living in France without interruption and with valid residency rights i.e. with a residence permit or “titre de séjour” for at least three or five years, depending on your nationality
• you have resources that are considered stable and sufficient, such as a permanent employment contract known as a “CDI” and the minimum wage known as “SMIC” (other situations and sources of income might be taken into account)
• you have health insurance in France, state or private
• you have a level of French equal to or higher than level A2.

Please note that some types or residence permits or “titres de séjour” do not count in the three or five-year calculation:

• those with a period of validity of less than one year, for example a provisional residence permit or “l’autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS)”
• and those marked as follows:
  • “stagiaire” or intern
  • “étudiant” or student
  • “salarié détaché ICT” or seconded IT employee
  • “travailleur saisonnier” or seasonal worker
  • “retraité” or retired
  • and “passeports talent”, or talent passports, which are issued to people who come to France to carry out an employed profession, and their family members.

Applicable law: Articles L.426–17 et seq. of the “CESEDA”.

To apply for a residence card or “carte de résident” based on the time you have lived in France, you will need to provide:

• Documents proving that you have lived in France for at least three or five years, depending on the rule that applies to your nationality. For example, legible photocopies of your old “titres de séjour” if you have them, except those that are not taken into account (see Conditions).
• Documents that can prove that you have generated sufficient and stable financial resources over the last three or five years, for example:
  • your last three or five annual income tax notices or “avis d’imposition”
  • if you are an employee: a document proving that you currently have an employment contract, known as a “certificat de travail”, dated within the last three months and your last three pay slips or “fiches de paie" and the “fiches de paie” for the month of December for the last three or five years
  • if you are not employed, documents that can prove your financial resources, such as bank statements, declarations of your turnover to the national service that collects social security contributions called “URSAFF”, etc.
• A document proving that you have health insurance in France:
  • if you rely on the state health insurance system known as “sécurité sociale”: a document known as a certificate of health insurance or “attestation d’assurance maladie” can be downloaded from your Ameli.fr account or collected from a centre of the national health insurance organisation known as the “Assurance maladie”
  • if you have private health insurance: a document known as a certificate or “attestation” of your insurance.
• An official document proving that your French level is above or equal to A2. To do this, you must either:
  • have passed an official French test recognised by the “préfecture”
  • have obtained a diploma proving your knowledge of French, recognised by the “préfecture”. For more information, please visit this website.
• Any document that allows you to demonstrate your willingness to settle in France on a long-term basis: diplomas obtained in France, voluntary assignments, participation in voluntary activities, etc.

You might receive a document allowing you to settle in France for a long period of time, known as a resident card or “carte de résident”. It is valid for ten years. It allows you to work.

If you have obtained a “carte de résident”, you can have it renewed when it expires, even if you no longer meet the conditions that enabled you to obtain it.

However, there are exceptions. For example, if you leave French territory for more than three consecutive years, the “préfecture” might decide to withdraw your “carte de résident” and/or refuse its renewal.