Obtaining a 10-year resident card (carte de résident) in France is a decisive step for any foreign national wishing to secure their long-term life project on French territory. This long-term residence permit offers unparalleled legal, professional, and personal stability, while also paving the way, for those who wish, to French naturalisation. However, faced with the complexity of the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit de l'asile (CESEDA, the French Code of Entry and Residence of Foreigners and Right of Asylum), the eligibility criteria and administrative procedures can seem daunting. This comprehensive guide, written by our experts, explains in detail who can claim this administrative Holy Grail, how to obtain it, and which pitfalls to avoid.
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The carte de résident is a secure residence permit with a validity period of 10 years, renewable as of right. Unlike temporary residence cards (1 year) or multi-year cards (2 to 4 years), it grants its holder the right to engage in the professional activity of their choice (salaried or non-salaried, commercial, independent/liberal profession) across the entirety of French territory, without having to request prior work authorisation.
This permit is governed primarily by the provisions of Book IV of the CESEDA. The granting of this card can be either as of right (the administration is obliged to issue it if the conditions are met) or discretionary (subject to the assessment of the préfet (regional governor/prefecture head) regarding the applicant's integration).
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French law distinguishes several categories of foreigners who can claim the resident card, depending on their family situation, their professional background, or their international protection status.
In several specific situations, the law provides that the resident card must be issued to the foreigner who requests it, as long as they meet the legal criteria.
Article L. 426-17 of the CESEDA provides that any foreigner who has resided regularly in France for at least 5 years uninterruptedly, under a residence permit that authorises work, can apply for a resident card.
This grant is not automatic. The préfet evaluates the applicant's republican integration, which is based on two major criteria:
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To assess the condition of stable and sufficient resources, the prefectures study the average income over the last few years (generally 12 to 36 months).
> Example 1: The case of Amine (Salaried Employee)
> Amine is of Moroccan nationality, holding a multi-year "salaried" residence card. He has lived in France for 5 years and wishes to apply for the resident card. His average monthly net salary is 1,650 €. His rent is 650 € per month. Since his resources are higher than the net SMIC and stable (on a CDI (permanent employment contract) for 2 years), and his level of French is validated by an A2 level diploma, Amine perfectly meets the resource and integration conditions to obtain his 10-year resident card.
> Example 2: The case of Lina (Self-Employed Worker)
> Lina, of Tunisian nationality, has been established as a micro-entrepreneuse (self-employed sole trader) in France for 5 years. Her net taxable professional income fluctuates: she declared 12,000 € of net profit in year N-2, 19,000 € in year N-1, and projects 18,500 € for the current year. Her monthly average over the last two years is approximately 1,291 € net. Since this amount is lower than the required net SMIC, Lina risks having her resident card application rejected for insufficient resources, even though she is in a regular legal status and integrated. It would be in her interest to wait until her accounting balance sheets show an average higher than the SMIC before submitting her application.
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The application for a resident card is made at the préfecture (prefecture) or sous-préfecture (sub-prefecture) of your place of residence. Depending on the department, the procedure is digitalised (via the ANEF portal - Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France) or is done via an in-person appointment.
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[Step 1: Preparation of the file]
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[Step 2: Submission of the application (Online or Desk)]
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[Step 3: Processing and examination by the Prefecture]
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[Step 4: Notification of the decision and Collection of the permit]
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You must gather the following supporting documents:
The submission must imperatively be carried out within the 2 months preceding the expiration of your current residence permit. If the process is done online on the ANEF website, you will receive an attestation de dépôt (proof of submission), followed by an attestation de prolongation d'instruction (extension of processing certificate, which replaces the old récépissé paper receipt).
The prefecture services verify the completeness of your file, the absence of any threat to public order (by consulting Bulletin No. 2 of your casier judiciaire (criminal record)), and the reality of your integration. The legal processing time is theoretically 4 months, but in practice, it can vary from 6 to 12 months depending on how busy the prefectures are.
If the decision is favourable, you will receive an SMS inviting you to collect your resident card at the prefecture. You will have to pay a tax in the form of an electronic timbre fiscal (tax stamp) amounting to 225 € (comprising a tax of 200 € and a stamp duty of 25 €).
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To avoid any unpleasant surprises, here is a summary of the essential figures regarding the resident card:
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The procedure for obtaining a resident card is rigorous. A simple oversight can lead to a refusal at the desk, or even a refusal of the permit accompanied by an Obligation de Quitter le Territoire Français (OQTF, an order to leave French territory).
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No. Years spent in France under a residence permit marked "student" or "job search/business creation" are generally not counted towards the 5 years of regular residence required for the general resident card. These permits are considered temporary and do not grant the right to permanent establishment, unless you change your status to a "salaried" or "private and family life" permit.
Yes, in very specific cases provided for by law. The resident card can be withdrawn if you represent a serious threat to public order, if you committed fraud to obtain it, or if you are absent from French territory for an uninterrupted period of more than 3 years (unless agreed otherwise by the administration).
The "classic" 10-year carte de résident is a purely national permit. The EU long-term resident card (bearing the mention résident de longue durée - UE) is harmonised at the European level. It also requires 5 years of residence, but it greatly facilitates relocation and the right to reside in other countries of the European Union (excluding Denmark and Ireland).
If the préfet rejects your application, the decision generally takes the form of a arrêté préfectoral (prefectoral decree). You have a period of 2 months to file an administrative appeal (a recours gracieux to the préfet or a recours hiérarchique to the Minister of the Interior) or a contentious appeal before the competent Tribunal administratif (Administrative Court). It is highly recommended to be assisted by a lawyer specialising in foreigners' law (droit des étrangers) in this process.
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