Residence permit renewal in France: deadlines, documents and fees

Every year, hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals have to renew their card. One day of delay can cut off a salary, a benefit or a right to work. The calendar therefore matters as much as the file itself. A lawyer reviews your situation in 20 minutes on Avocat20min.fr.

Residence permit renewal: the filing window

Article R.431-5 of the CESEDA, the French immigration code, sets the moment to file. The rule depends on the channel you use.

Channel	When to file
Permit applied for on ANEF	Between the 120th and the 60th day before expiry, so 4 to 2 months ahead.
Permit applied for at the prefecture	Within the two months before expiry.

In practice, file between four and two months before your card runs out. That window satisfies both rules. Some prefectures in fact close an application that arrives more than four months early.

Write the date in your diary as soon as you collect the card. A residence permit renewal filed after the 60th day deprives you of essential protections, as we shall see.

ANEF or prefecture: where to apply?

Most residence permit renewals now go through ANEF, the online platform of the French administration for foreign nationals. That applies in particular to:

• Students, holders of a "talent" card and visitors.
• Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.
• The ten-year resident card.
• Several "private and family life" cards, such as that of a spouse of a French national.

Some cards, however, stay with the prefecture, depending on the department. That often applies to "employee" and "temporary worker" cards. So check the procedure on your prefecture's website.

Stuck with the website? Prefectures run digital assistance points. The citizen contact centre also answers on 0806 001 620, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Note: as soon as you file online, ANEF issues a filing certificate. That document does not prove that your stay is lawful.

The documents to provide

The exact list depends on the ground for your permit. A residence permit renewal generally calls for:

• Your current permit and your passport.
• Proof of address less than six months old.
• An identity photograph, with an e-photo code on ANEF.
• The signed undertaking to respect the principles of the Republic.
• Documents specific to the ground: twelve months of payslips for an employee, enrolment and transcripts for a student.

For students, the required resources rise from €615 to €877.50 a month for applications filed since 1 August 2026. Finally, the tax stamps are paid when the card is issued, not when the file is lodged.

What the 2024 law changed

Law no. 2024-42 of 26 January 2024 added several conditions to residence permit renewal. First, since 17 July 2024, every application requires signature of the republican commitment contract. A serious breach of its principles can lead to a refusal.

Second, a temporary card bearing the same wording can now be renewed only three times in a row, save exceptions. Lawmakers thus push towards the multi-year card, which now requires level A2 and a civic exam. Our guide to the civic exam sets out those rules. A plain renewal, by contrast, imposes no new test.

Finally, renewing a multi-year card requires habitual residence in France: at least six months a year. Our article on residence permit obligations covers that point.

How much does renewal cost?

The 2026 finance act raised the rates for any decision issued since 1 May 2026.

Situation	Before 1 May 2026	Since 1 May 2026
Renewal, standard rate	€225	€250 (a €200 tax and a €50 stamp)
Renewal, reduced rate	€75	€100
Late filing	€180 extra	€180 extra

The reduced rate covers students, trainees and family reunification in particular. Refugees and certain victims of violence remain exempt.

While the file is examined: the extension certificate

A complete residence permit renewal, filed within the window, entitles you to a certificate of extended processing. It lasts three months at most and is renewed as long as the prefecture has not decided. Together with your expired permit, it proves that your stay is lawful. It also lets you keep working if your permit allowed it.

Since a ministerial instruction of 5 April 2026, that renewal happens automatically, up to twelve months. Our article on the residence permit receipt explains the document in detail.

Article L.433-3 of the CESEDA also protects holders of a resident card or a multi-year card. If you have applied for renewal, your expired permit stays valid for three months, with your social rights and your right to work.

Filing late: what to expect

A late residence permit renewal first costs €180 more, save force majeure. Above all, it gives no right to the extension certificate: the Conseil d'État confirmed this on 10 September 2024. You then receive only a simple filing certificate.

Up to six months after expiry, the prefecture still handles your file as a renewal. Beyond that, it treats you as a newcomer, visa included. Our article on the expired residence permit explains how to limit the damage.

And if the prefecture does not answer?

Silence from the prefecture for four months counts as an implicit refusal. Under an opinion of the Conseil d'État of 6 May 2025, that refusal arises even where you received certificates in the meantime. Such an implicit refusal can be challenged. Our guide to prefecture delays sets out the remedies.

The subject is in fact under debate. In December 2025, the National Assembly adopted a bill to renew certain cards automatically. As at 22 September 2026, the Senate has not yet voted on it.

When to consult a lawyer

For a residence permit renewal, a lawyer checks the deadline, the right channel and the documents before filing. They also step in when the prefecture is slow, refuses, or holds a delay against you. An immigration lawyer answers within 20 minutes. The new rates also appear on the service-public page on 2026 taxes.