Non-EU citizens living in an EU country as a close family member of an EU citizen can acquire long-term resident status, the European Court of Justice has ruled.
In France, people moving here with a membre de famille d’un Européen residency card may apply for a permanent residency card after five years. However, this is a national card and not the ‘EU long-term resident’ card, which is available to many other immigrant categories.
The carte de résident de longue-durée – UE makes it easier to move to a new EU country later on, as no visa is needed, though you will still need to apply for a residency card once you have moved.
It may be of interest if you think you might want to move to another country later. The EU is currently seeking to reinforce and clarify benefits associated with this status.
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