Residency changes in France: more Americans, card fees set to rise and test centre update

In 2025, Americans were once again one of the biggest recipients of first residency cards – which includes ‘validated’ visas de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), new interior ministry figures show.

They were in sixth place, after three Maghreb countries with historic links to France, then Afghans (many for humanitarian reasons) and Chinese people. 

Numbers (15,000) for Americans were up 14.3% on 2024, and compared to 7,870 first residency cards issued to Britons, which was down 11.6% on 2024.

As was also the case for Chinese people, just over half of Americans’ cards were issued for study, the next largest heading for Americans being ‘miscellaneous’, which includes ‘visitor’ cards for retirees/early-retirees, then work.

Among those renewing residency cards, Britons stood out with a 38% increase in renewals in 2025, likely due to the expiry of the first five-year Brexit cards.

As in 2024, Britons were, in 2025, the fifth most numerous non-EU foreign nationality living in France (after Maghreb countries and Turkey) with a stock of valid cards of some 172,312 as of December 31, 2025. Bearing in mind minors do not have their own cards, this would suggest that more than 200,000 Britons live in France.

The large Turkish presence reflects a former policy of encouraging Turkish migration during the ‘30 glorieuses’ (post-World War Two boom). 

The statistics do not include EU nationals and the latest available Insee figures show more Portuguese, Italian and Spanish people than Britons in France, putting Britons in about eighth place overall.

Americans were also among the top nationalities for long-stay visas (7%) issued, at 20,166, up 20.2% on 2024, with the largest number being ‘miscellaneous’, followed by students and stagiaires and then workers.

Talent cards and top scientists

Americans are also among the top nationalities receiving ‘talent’ visas, receiving 26% more of these cards than in 2024. These are issued to people such as highly-qualified employees, start-up founders, artists and sportspeople.

President Macron also recently marked on social media the fact that France has attracted more than 40 top international scientists in the ‘Choose France for Science’ programme, launched last year. 

It offers leading scientists with new research projects in areas such as health, climate, biodiversity, AI, space, agriculture and renewable energies, to come to France and benefit from top-up funding from the French state.

It is part of a broader programme called France 2030, aiming to accelerate progress in innovative areas.

But rise in costs confirmed

This comes, however, as rises in costs for many kinds of visa, residency card and French nationality were confirmed in the final version of the 2026 budget, voted at the end of January. These were not yet being applied on going to press.

As a result, the standard cost of a residency card is rising to €300 + €25 admin fee in timbres fiscaux = €325, up from €225. This would include, for example, visitor, employee, self-employed and talent cards. 

The cost of ‘validating’ a VLS-TS visa once a person moves to France is also set to rise from €200 to €300.

The cost of applying for French citizenship is rising from €55 to €255.

Civic tests

Many residents in France, and people applying for French citizenship now have to take a test in French civic values and culture: this includes under-65s applying for a first multi-year residency card or a first 10-year carte de résident. 

Centres offering these tests are in many cases the same ones offering language tests, such as the TEF, run by the Paris CCI (chamber of commerce), and TCF by France Education International (FEI), an agency of the education ministry. 

Centres in the Paris CCI network can be found online. Information on centres in the FEI network has now also been released and can be found here. 

Note that for the latter, to take an exam it is necessary to pre-enroll, whereas with the Paris CCI centres you should enroll directly with the centre.