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Procedures for staying in France (residence)
Every foreigner must have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour). This permit matches their situation. The sheet explains how to renew it.
Key points of the sheet
- The type of residence permit depends on the length of the stay in France. It also depends on the reason (motif) for settling.
- To find out which residence permit fits you, you can go to a maison France Service. You can also go to a digital reception point (PAN) at the prefecture (préfecture).
- You can also get information online, on the website of the nearest prefecture or of the ANEF. For procedures linked to the ANEF, the citizen contact centre answers by phone on 0806 001 620.
- You must inform the prefecture of any change of address or of domiciliation.
- The renewal request must be made at least 3 months before the permit ends. You can make up to 3 requests for the same reason per year.
- First, contact your prefecture to learn how to submit the file. Then prepare the file with the documents requested, the commitment contract and the certificate of success in the civic exam.
- For a permit of more than 1 year, you also need a language certificate at level A2. Finally, submit the complete file at least 3 months before the permit ends.
Words to know
- residence permit (titre de séjour)
- Every foreigner must have a valid residence permit. Its type depends on the length and the reason of the stay.
- ANEF (digital administration for foreigners in France)
- It is the Digital Administration for Foreigners in France. Its website lets you get information online.
- digital reception point (PAN) (point d’accueil numérique (PAN))
- It is a place at the prefecture. You can go there to find out which residence permit fits you.
- the contract of commitment to respect the principles of the French Republic (le contrat d'engagement à respecter les principes de la République française)
- This contract is part of the file for renewing the residence permit.
- language certificate (certification linguistique)
- A certificate at level A2 is required for a residence permit of more than 1 year.
- the certificate of success in the civic exam (l’attestation de réussite de l’examen civique)
- This document is part of the file for renewing the residence permit.
Test yourself: 3 questions
How many residence permit requests for the same reason can you make per year?
In French, the language of the exam: Combien de demandes de titre de séjour pour le même motif peut-on faire par an ?
The sheet says you can make up to 3 requests for the same reason per year.
What does the type of residence permit depend on?
In French, the language of the exam: De quoi dépend le type de titre de séjour ?
The type of residence permit varies according to the length and the reason of settling in France.
What language level is needed for a residence permit of more than 1 year?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel niveau de langue faut-il pour un titre de séjour de plus de 1 an ?
The file must include a language certificate at level A2 for a permit of more than 1 year.
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Source
Sheet “Les démarches relatives au séjour en France” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.