What is the difference between a French carte de séjour and a titre de séjour?
The terms are often used interchangeably, we explain why
The carte de séjour is a physical document you can present
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Reader Question: I often see The Connexion mention needing a 'titre de séjour' to apply for things in France, but my residency card says carte de séjour. Is there a difference?
This can be confusing, because the terms are often used interchangeably in France and have closely related meanings.
In essence, titre de séjour is the broader, more formal term. It is commonly used by officials and refers to any document issued by the French authorities that proves a foreign national’s right to reside in France.
Broadly speaking, any document held by a non-French national that attests to their right to live in the country is a form of titre de séjour.
Most non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals staying in France for more than a short visit will need one. A key exception is the VLS-TS (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour), which is valid for up to one year and is considered equivalent to a titre de séjour during that period.
The term séjour refers to a ‘stay’ in France (the right to remain in the country), while titre refers to the document proving that right.
Carte de séjour is the everyday term
A carte de séjour usually refers to the physical card itself – typically a credit card-sized plastic document.
In The Connexion, we also sometimes use the general English terms ‘residency card’ or ‘residency permit’.
These cards may be required for various administrative procedures where proof of your legal right to live in France is needed.
However, the official names of residency documents do not always include the term carte de séjour.
For example, several types of permit are explicitly labelled carte de séjour, often issued to people who have relatively recently moved to France and valid for one or several years before renewal.
Others are called carte de résident (literally ‘resident’s card’), which emphasises a more settled status.
These are typically valid for 10 years and may be granted to people who have lived in France for at least five years, or who have certain family ties to French citizens.
All of these fall under the broader category of titre de séjour.
We also note that residency cards issued to Britons under the Withdrawal Agreement following Brexit are labelled carte de séjour, even though the 10-year version confers rights similar to those of a carte de résident.
