--- title: "French Residence Permit (Titre de Séjour) for Non-EU Nationals" country: france service: "titre-de-sejour" category: immigration difficulty: complex estimated_time: "2-4 months" cost_range: "EUR 0-350" last_verified: 2026-05-11 canonical: https://publicservices.guide/france/titre-de-sejour/ status: current confidence: low tags: - "residence-permit" - immigration - "non-eu" - anef - prefecture sources: - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2208 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2209 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35799 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15898 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16162 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15763 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F17048 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R59398 - https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110 - https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/ - https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/tarifs --- # French Residence Permit (Titre de Séjour) for Non-EU Nationals **Country:** 🇫🇷 France **Last verified:** 2026-05-11 **Estimated time:** 2-4 months **Cost:** EUR 0-350 ## Required documents - **Passport** *(Passeport)* - Required: Original — identity pages, long-stay visa (if applicable), entry stamps - Where uploaded: ANEF online portal (scan) - _Note:_ Biometric pages first; include the page bearing the long-stay visa sticker if you arrived under VLS-TS. - **Proof of residence** *(Justificatif de domicile)* - Required: Less than 6 months old - Examples: Utility bill, lease, attestation d'hébergement - **Digital identity photo** *(e-photo)* - Required: ANTS-compliant (QR code from accredited photographer) - Where to get: ANTS-accredited photo booth or photographer - _Note:_ ANEF rejects standard JPEGs that lack the ANTS QR code. - **Full birth certificate** *(Acte de naissance (copie intégrale, mentions récentes))* - Required: Recent (mentions à jour) - Translation: Sworn translation into French if not issued in French - **Long-stay visa** *(Visa long séjour)* - Required when: First delivery via VLS-TS validation, or first application after VLS-TS expiry - _Note:_ VLS-TS arrivals validate the visa on ANEF within 3 months — see Step 1. - **Proof of category invoked** *(Justificatif de la situation invoquée)* - Examples: Marriage certificate (vie privée et familiale), employment contract (salarié), researcher hosting agreement (passeport talent) - _Note:_ The exact list varies by category; consult the per-category service-public.gouv.fr page (F2208 / F2209 / F35799 / F15898 / F16162) before uploading. ## Costs - **Carte de séjour temporaire — vie privée et familiale (first delivery):** 350 EUR — 300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F2209. - **Carte de séjour temporaire — salarié / travailleur temporaire (first delivery):** 350 EUR — 300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F15898. - **Carte de séjour temporaire — salarié / travailleur temporaire (renewal):** 250 EUR — 200 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F15898. - **Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (CSP) générale — first delivery:** 350 EUR — 300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F35799. - **Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (CSP) générale — renewal:** 250 EUR — Per service-public.gouv.fr F35799. - **Carte de séjour pluriannuelle — étudiant / catégories réduites (first delivery):** 150 EUR — Reduced rate per service-public.gouv.fr F35799 (renewal 100 €). - **Carte de résident (10 years) — first delivery and renewal:** 350 EUR — 300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F2208. - **Vie privée et familiale — protection subsidiaire / apatrides:** 50 EUR — Reduced rate per service-public.gouv.fr F2209. - **Vie privée et familiale — victimes de violences:** 0 EUR — Gratuit per service-public.gouv.fr F2209. - **Bénéficiaires accident du travail (≥20% invalidity):** 150 EUR — 50 € droit de timbre + 100 € taxe per service-public.gouv.fr F2209. - **Late renewal — droit de visa de régularisation (optional):** 180 EUR — waived if Renewal filed within the 4-to-2-month window before expiry — Added on top of the standard renewal fee per service-public.gouv.fr F15898. - **Régularisation — entry without long-stay visa (optional):** 300 EUR — waived if Applicant arrived on a valid long-stay visa — Additional charge per service-public.gouv.fr F2208. - **VLS-TS validation taxe:** 0 EUR — Composed of a droit de timbre plus a taxe that varies by VLS-TS category. The exact figure is published on the France-Visas tariffs page — consult france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/tarifs before paying. Pay via ANEF or timbres.impots.gouv.fr. ## Steps ### 1. Confirm Your VLS-TS Status (If Arriving on a Long-Stay Visa) _Applies when: If you arrived on a Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour (VLS-TS)_ - Inspect the visa sticker in your passport — it must mention 'VLS-TS' or 'valant titre de séjour' - A visa labelled 'VLS' only (without TS) requires a CST application at the Préfecture instead of online validation - Note your date of entry into France — the 3-month validation clock starts on that date > **Tip:** VLS-TS categories include étudiant, salarié, époux de Français, visiteur, and certain talent variants. If unsure, check your visa decision letter from the consulate. _Useful phrases:_ - "Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour" — long-stay visa serving as residence permit — use when Reading your visa sticker ### 2. Validate the VLS-TS Online (Within 3 Months of Arrival) _Applies when: If you arrived on a VLS-TS_ - Open the ANEF portal at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers - Authenticate via FranceConnect or create an ANEF account - Provide visa number, date of entry, intended residence address, working email - Upload e-photo and the entry-stamp page if requested - Pay the validation taxe online — composed of a droit de timbre and a category-specific taxe; consult france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/tarifs for the current figure - Save the electronic validation attestation returned by ANEF > **Tip:** The deadline per F16162: 'Dans les 3 mois suivant votre arrivée en France, vous devez valider votre VLS-TS et payer une taxe.' Missing it places you in séjour irrégulier — see the failure-paths section. > **If this fails:** Missed the 3-month deadline → file régularisation via the Préfecture. Expect the 300 € droit de visa de régularisation (F2208 framing) plus standard CST fees and likely an in-person convocation. _Links:_ - [ANEF online portal](https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/) - [service-public.gouv.fr F16162 — VLS-TS validation](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16162) - [France-Visas tariffs](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/tarifs) ### 3. Identify Your CESEDA Category _Applies when: If you are filing a first titre de séjour (non-VLS-TS arrival or change of status), or renewing_ - Open the service-public.gouv.fr index N110 to see the full list of titre de séjour categories - Read the per-category page to confirm eligibility and document list - Note the validity period and renewal fee for that category > **Tip:** Common categories: vie privée et familiale (F2209) — spouse, parent of French child, ≥10-year ties; salarié or travailleur temporaire (F15898) — CDI / CDD; passeport talent (researcher, qualified employee, founder). Each links to its own per-category page. _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr N110 — titre de séjour index](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110) ### 4. Open the ANEF Dossier and Upload Documents - Log in to ANEF at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers - Pick 'Demandes concernant certains titres de séjour' and select your category - Upload passport, justificatif de domicile, e-photo, acte de naissance, and the category-specific justificatif - Re-upload any document ANEF rejects as non-conformant - Submit the dossier — ANEF returns the attestation de dépôt electronically > **Tip:** Apatrides and work-accident beneficiaries still require Préfecture in-person deposit per F2208 — ANEF will redirect those categories to the Préfecture rather than accept the online dossier. > **If this fails:** ANEF rejects non-conformant uploads at the upload stage with no fee charged. Re-upload corrected documents — the dossier is not formally registered until the attestation de dépôt is issued. _Useful phrases:_ - "attestation de dépôt" — deposit confirmation (electronic, ANEF) — use when Confirming receipt of your online application _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr R59398 — ANEF démarche en ligne](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R59398) - [service-public.gouv.fr F15763 — récépissé and attestation](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15763) ### 5. Pay the Timbre Fiscal - Pay online via the ANEF dossier or directly via timbres.impots.gouv.fr - Use the per-category fee from service-public.gouv.fr (see the costs table) - Save the digital timbre fiscal receipt — the dossier is not complete without it > **Tip:** Standard CST or CSP first delivery: 350 € (300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre). CSP renewal: 250 €. Reduced categories (étudiant, protection subsidiaire) and gratuit categories (victimes de violences) follow their own rates per F2209 / F35799. ### 6. Track Your Renewal Window (Earliest 4 Months / Latest 2 Months Before Expiry) _Applies when: If you are renewing an existing titre de séjour_ - Set a calendar reminder 4 months before your titre de séjour expires - Open the ANEF renewal dossier inside the 4-to-2-month window — the service-public directive is 'au plus tôt 4 mois et au plus tard 2 mois avant la fin' - Upload renewal documents — mirrors first-issue list plus the previous carte - CSP générale renewal requires continued-residence proof of at least 6 months/year in France per F35799 - Pay the renewal timbre fiscal (250 € CSP générale, 100 € for reduced categories) > **Tip:** File outside that window and a 180 € droit de visa de régularisation gets added to the standard fee per service-public.gouv.fr F15898. Set the reminder early — once you're inside 2 months you're already in penalty territory. > **If this fails:** Title expired before you filed → application becomes a régularisation, not a renewal. Consult the Préfecture or legal aid (e.g., La Cimade or a permanence d'avocats). _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr F15898 — carte de séjour salarié (renewal window + late penalty)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15898) - [service-public.gouv.fr F35799 — carte de séjour pluriannuelle](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35799) ### 7. Receive Your Récépissé or Attestation - Online deposit on ANEF → attestation de dépôt issued immediately, supports right to remain pending decision - In-person Préfecture deposit (categories that require it) → paper récépissé valid 4 or 6 months on first applications, 3 months on renewals - If the wait extends beyond the récépissé validity, request a renewal of the récépissé from the Préfecture > **Tip:** On certain first-time categories (salarié, recherche d'emploi, vie privée et familiale), the récépissé carries work authorization. On renewals, the récépissé preserves the prior title's work rights. ### 8. Wait for the Préfecture Decision - Watch for additional-document requests on ANEF or by post - Track the 4-month statutory ceiling — service-public does not publish a typical processing time - Préfecture issues the carte (in-person collection or by post per local practice) or sends a refusal > **Tip:** Specific Préfecture or département may impose additional local steps. The 4-month figure is a statutory ceiling for implicit refusal, not a typical processing time — actual time varies by Préfecture, by category, and by season. > **If this fails:** Préfecture silence at 4 months equals refus implicite per F2208/F2209/F35799/F15898. Contest before the Tribunal administratif within 2 months of the implicit-refusal date. ### 9. Collect Your Carte - Receive a convocation from the Préfecture (post or ANEF message) inviting you to collect - Bring your passport, the convocation, and the timbre fiscal receipt if not already paid - Sign for the carte — validity printed on the card itself > **Tip:** CST validity: 1 year, renewable. CSP générale: 4 years (per F35799: 'En principe... a une durée de validité de 4 ans'). CSP vie privée et familiale (spouse / parent of French): 2 years maximum. Carte de résident: 10 years, renewable. Carte de résident permanent: perpetual, issued after two CR renewals. ### 10. Sign the CIR with OFII (If Required by Your Category) _Applies when: If you are a first-time CST or CSP holder on a category that requires CIR_ - OFII issues a convocation after the carte is delivered - Attend the 600-hour linguistic training if below A2 French - Attend the 24 hours of civic training across 4 sessions - Pass the civic exam — 80% required for access to a CSP or carte de résident from January 2026 > **Tip:** Exemptions include students, visitors, and certain work permits — confirm your status with OFII at the convocation. _Links:_ - [service-public.gouv.fr F17048 — Contrat d'Intégration Républicaine](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F17048) ## FAQ ### Do I need a titre de séjour if I am EU, EEA, or Swiss? No. EU/EEA and Swiss nationals have a right of residence in France without a titre de séjour under Directive 2004/38/EC. Voluntary registration via a 'Carte de séjour pour Européen' is possible at the Préfecture but is not mandatory. See the service-public.gouv.fr citoyen-européen pages for that optional path. ### My visa says VLS-TS — what does that mean? VLS-TS stands for Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour — a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit once you validate it. Per service-public.gouv.fr F16162, the VLS-TS dispenses you from applying for a separate carte de séjour at the Préfecture on arrival. You must still validate the visa on ANEF within 3 months of entering France. ### What happens if I miss the 3-month VLS-TS validation deadline? Failure to validate places you in séjour irrégulier (irregular stay). You cannot leave and re-enter the Schengen area, you cannot enrol in PUMA or Carte Vitale on the regular timeline, and you may face an obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF). Régularisation is possible via the Préfecture, typically with the 300 € droit de visa de régularisation per F2208 framing plus standard CST fees. ### When should I start my titre de séjour renewal? Earliest 4 months and latest 2 months before the current title expires. The directive 'au plus tôt 4 mois et au plus tard 2 mois avant la fin' appears across service-public.gouv.fr F2209, F35799, and F15898. File later and a 180 € droit de visa de régularisation is added to the standard fee (F15898). ### What is a récépissé and how does it differ from an attestation de dépôt? Per service-public.gouv.fr F15763, the récépissé is a paper provisional document issued by the Préfecture when an in-person step is required — valid 4 or 6 months on first applications and 3 months on renewals. The attestation de dépôt is the immediate electronic confirmation issued by ANEF on online deposit: 'Si votre demande est réalisée au moyen du téléservice de l'Anef, vous recevrez une attestation.' The récépissé carries work authorization on certain first-time categories; the attestation supports continued residence pending decision. ### How much does a CSP first delivery cost? 350 € — composed of a 300 € taxe and a 50 € droit de timbre per service-public.gouv.fr F35799 for the standard general CSP. Renewal is 250 €. Reduced categories (étudiant, certain protections) pay 150 € first delivery and 100 € renewal. ### What if the Préfecture does not respond within 4 months? Per service-public.gouv.fr F2208, F2209, F35799, and F15898 (consistent across all four pages): 'Si la préfecture n'a pas répondu au bout de 4 mois, il s'agit d'un refus implicite.' You may contest the implicit refusal before the Tribunal administratif within 2 months of the 4-month silence (general administrative-law appeal deadline). Legal aid is available subject to means-testing. ### Do I need to sign the Contrat d'Intégration Républicaine (CIR)? Most first-time CST and CSP holders must sign the CIR with OFII per service-public.gouv.fr F17048 — 600 hours of linguistic training if below A2, plus 24 hours of civic training across 4 sessions. From January 2026, an 80% pass on the civic exam is required to access a CSP or carte de résident. Exemptions include students, visitors, and certain work permits. ### What documents does ANEF require at minimum? Per service-public.gouv.fr F2209: passport, justificatif de domicile less than 6 months old, ANTS-compliant e-photo, acte de naissance (copie intégrale with recent mentions), and the category-specific justificatif. Each per-category page lists additional documents — read the page that matches your motif before opening the dossier. ### May I leave France while my application is being processed? If you hold a valid récépissé, it preserves your right of residence and (on first-time récépissé for certain categories) carries work authorization, but it does not always guarantee re-entry — practice varies by Préfecture and by air carrier. Many applicants avoid travel between deposit and decision. The carte de résident (10 years) becomes invalid if the holder leaves France for over 3 consecutive years per service-public.gouv.fr F2208. ## Local tips - ANEF account credentials and FranceConnect login are equivalent — pick the one tied to your existing French digital identity if you have one. - Specific Préfecture or département may have additional local steps (in-person convocation, document originals on collection). Check your local Préfecture's site after the dossier is filed. - Sworn-translator (traducteur assermenté) listings are published by each Cour d'appel — find one near your département for civil-status documents. ## Sources - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2208) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Carte de résident validity 10 ans renouvelable; eligibility includes B1 French and civic exam mention « carte de résident »; first delivery and renewal 350 € (300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre); refus implicite at 4 mois of Préfecture silence; régularisation sans VLS adds 300 € on top of standard fees; carte de résident becomes invalid if the holder leaves France for over 3 consecutive years. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2209) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Carte de séjour temporaire vie privée et familiale — 1 an renewable; first delivery 350 € (300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre); reduced rates 150 € (jeune adulte regroupement familial), 50 € (protection subsidiaire / apatrides), gratuit (victimes de violences); 150 € for accident-du-travail beneficiaries with ≥20% invalidity (50 € droit de timbre + 100 € taxe); minimum documents include passport, justificatif de domicile less than 6 months old, e-photo, acte de naissance copie intégrale, and category-specific justificatif. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35799) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (CSP) générale — délivrance after a 1ère année de séjour, 'En principe, la carte de séjour pluriannuelle obtenue après une 1re année de séjour a une durée de validité de 4 ans'; first delivery 350 € (300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre); renewal 250 €; reduced category (étudiant) 150 € first delivery / 100 € renewal; CSP vie privée et familiale (spouse / parent of French) 2 ans maximum; renewal window 'au plus tôt 4 mois et au plus tard 2 mois avant la fin'. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15898) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Carte de séjour temporaire salarié / travailleur temporaire — first delivery 350 € (300 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre), renewal 250 € (200 € taxe + 50 € droit de timbre); renewal window 'au plus tôt 4 mois et au plus tard 2 mois avant la fin'; late renewal triggers a 180 € droit de visa de régularisation; refus implicite at 4 mois of Préfecture silence. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16162) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — VLS-TS — 'Ce visa, dit VLS-TS, vaut titre de séjour et vous dispense de demande de carte de séjour en préfecture dès votre arrivée en France'; 'Dans les 3 mois suivant votre arrivée en France, vous devez valider votre VLS-TS et payer une taxe'; missing the 3-month deadline triggers séjour irrégulier — cannot leave and re-enter the Schengen area; validation via the ANEF online portal. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15763) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Récépissé definition — 'Lorsque vous déposez une demande de carte de séjour à la préfecture ou sous-préfecture et que votre dossier est complet, vous recevez un document provisoire'; 4 or 6 months validity on first applications, 3 months on renewals; carries work authorization on certain first-time categories; ANEF online deposit yields an attestation de dépôt instead — 'Si votre demande est réalisée au moyen du téléservice de l'Anef, vous recevrez une attestation'. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F17048) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — Contrat d'Intégration Républicaine (CIR) signed with OFII for first-time CST/CSP holders on most categories; 600 hours of linguistic training if below A2; 24 hours of civic training across 4 sessions; civic-exam 80% pass rate required for access to a CSP or carte de résident from January 2026; exemptions include students, visitors, and certain work permits. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/R59398) — accessed 2026-05-11 — _T1_ — ANEF démarche en ligne — categories handled online include validation VLS-TS, demandes de titres de séjour, naturalisation, autorisation de travail, and changement d'adresse; portal URL administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr. - [service-public.gouv.fr (DILA)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — Index of titre de séjour categories — vie privée et familiale, salarié, talent, talent famille, entrepreneur, visiteur, retraité, étudiant, résident, résident longue durée UE, résident permanent — with link-out to per-category pages and to lost/stolen card replacement procedures. - [Ministère de l'Intérieur](https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — ANEF particuliers portal — handles VLS-TS validation, titre de séjour applications and renewals, naturalisation, autorisation de travail, and changement d'adresse; authentication via FranceConnect or ANEF account; apatrides and work-accident beneficiaries still require Préfecture in-person deposit. - [Ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires Étrangères + Ministère de l'Intérieur](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/tarifs) — accessed 2026-05-10 — _T1_ — France-Visas tariffs — VLS-TS validation taxe is composed of a droit de timbre plus a category-specific taxe; exact figure published on this page (consult before paying); fees payable via ANEF or timbres.impots.gouv.fr. --- Verification pending — see the canonical page for the latest trust state. Canonical: https://publicservices.guide/france/titre-de-sejour/