Visas and residency cards

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Who can I complain to over French Brexit card renewal issues?

Authorities asked for cards to be renewed two months before expiry date

Hand drawing a red line between the UK and EU

Brexit campaign group closes down 10 years after formation

Brexpats – Hear Our Voice was created the day after the referendum

Two smiling colleagues seated on a sofa in a bright office.

How to get a French talent visa: American arts couple share their experience

Their first visa application was rejected

practical

What are penalties for overstaying 90-day allowance in France?

People who overstay their authorised time in the Schengen area risk penalties.

How can I get a suitable photograph in France for my carte de séjour renewal?

Licenced photographers can take shots for official French documents

Close-up of a France Schengen visa sticker in a passport.

What it is really like to apply for a French long-stay visa

Writer Matthew Jackson describes experience dealing with French bureaucracy

Brexit 10 years on: campaigners say 'we'll go on until everyone has their cards'

On anniversary of referendum advocacy group pledges to continue work

Man holding a blue French passport beside a small shaggy dog indoors.

‘Last straw’: UK dog owner to sell French home over new pet passport rules

Reader says the extra cost of a UK Animal Health Certificate (AHC) for every trip is too much

Couple face France residency issue over marriage documents

Pair must find ‘transcription’ of South African documents

a French residence permit or brexit withdrawal card inset against Lyon departmental prefecture

My experience renewing a five-year French ‘Brexit card’

The application process was quick… but the queues were not

Demonstrators with signs stand outside a large historic building flying the French flag.

Protests held outside French prefectures over residency card issues

Digitisation, delays, and lack of staff all highlighted as stumbling blocks

French residency cards: Rights group welcomes deadline to fix renewals process

The government has been given six months to remedy problems with the Anef website and other ongoing issues

How do new language tests affect Americans moving to France?

Immigration bill changed requirements for several residency card types

A stock photo of a WA residency card and a red line drawn between the UK and the EU on a map

Post-Brexit rights still cause problems for Britons in France

However France performs better on residency card waiting times than neighbouring countries

French residency card and citizenship fees to rise from May 1

Foreign driving licence exchanges are also to become fee-based for the first time

French Interior Minister reveals ‘big plans’ to reduce residency card delays

Plan involves recruiting 500 temporary staff to speed up processing time and especially for renewals

How far in advance should we apply for visa to visit second-home?

Visa applications are often made through third parties

How long does récépissé for Brexit card renewal last?

Holders of five-year cards are now renewing document

French residence card graphic overlaid on a bright Eiffel Tower riverside scene in Paris

Brexit cards give Britons in France similar - but not identical - rights to EU citizens

The WA residency card aimed at allowing Britons to continue living in France as they did before 2020 - with some exceptions

Border checks at Charles de Gaulle airport

I have overstayed the 90 day rule in France - what will happen?

Rules limit how long travellers can remain in EU without requiring a visa

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

Among those renewing residency cards, Britons stood out with a 38% increase in renewals in 2025

A mayor backs British woman ordered to leave France over low income

Briton ordered to leave the country after her small business failed to generate enough income in its first year

Passport being handed over an approved application with EU flag on desk

Hope for Britons visiting France as MPs call for more flexibility on 90/180 days rule

There are calls for issue to be raised at the next UK-EU annual summit in May

40,000 residency card renewals proceed smoothly in the main

There is a standardised process for prefectures to use but not all are doing so

90/180 days rule: readers tell of impacts on health and on family and working life

Rule affects Britons post-Brexit as well as other non-EU citizens such as Americans

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Explained: French civic tests for residency and citizenship

Cultural sessions now offered to newcomers undergoing the Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) process via the Ofii immigration service

Five-year WA card holders in France reminded to apply for renewal in good time

If you obtained your card in 2021, you should apply to renew it two months before the expiry date

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Can you offer rentals in France when staying on visitor visa?

There are different thresholds for rentals before they are deemed as ‘professional income’

A woman speaking to someone with a clipboard at a desk

'Visitor' card holders: what to do if refused 10-year card

Problems arise sometimes when people apply after having had five years in France under cartes de séjour ‘visiteur’

French visas, cartes de séjour and removals of foreign nationals in 2025

The number of foreigners in France hits its highest level ever

How did George Clooney obtain French citizenship despite speaking little French?

Were 'double standards' involved, or did he follow standard procedure?

11% more first French residency cards issued in 2025 than in 2024

Some 15,000 first-issue permits were granted to Americans and 7,870 to Britons, provisional figures show

French justice minister supports freeze on immigration: who would be affected

Plan could halt dream of moving to France for tens of thousands, but how likely is it?

Travelling during a residency card renewal: how can I show I am exempt from EES?

Tens of thousands of ‘Brexit’ cards are nearing expiry this year

Is there shortcut for six-month French visa application?

Appointments require physical visit to processing centre

Brexit residency card renewals: 12 confusion points and solutions

We look at timing for applications, documents needed (and not needed) and what rights if card is delayed

New 2026 civic tests in France: 50 example questions in French

Candidates must score 80% on tests to pass

New civic tests for foreigners in France launch amid criticism

Applicants for some types of residency cards must now take 45-minute test

Residency rights and border changes: What's new and changing in France in 2026

Including the EU’s launch of travel authorisation scheme ETIAS and the continued ‘phase in’ of its digital borders system, EES

French MPs vote in favour of automatic renewal of long-term residency cards

Multi-year and 10-year cards would be only be refused in case of legal grounds for refusal

Briton’s EU voting rights cancelled in last-minute ruling by France's top appeal court

British civil servant Alice Bouilliez had previously been reinstated

France and UK edge closer on youth mobility deal

Key differences remain but partners have struck a 'warmer tone' over plans

Brexit WA residency card renewals simplified in some departments of France

40,000 five-year documents due to expire before the end of 2026

Cancer treatment at risk due to delays for 18-year-old’s WA card

Situation has now been eased after British consular service intervened

French budget: Plans to increase cost of residency cards in 2026 by €100

Cost of visas and of French citizenship also proposed to be hiked

EU visa-free travel: new suspension rules explained

Reasons allowed for pausing ‘90/180 days’ travel rights are being expanded

Share your stories about visiting France under the 90/180 days rule

Campaign group France Visa Free wants rules to be relaxed

Is there a set date by which I must arrive in France from US on long-stay visa?

VLS-TS visas must be validated within three months

‘Some French residency renewals are so slow they are expired by time received’ - Amnesty International

Charity argues for abolition of precarious one-year cards for non-EU workers and criticises ‘dysfunctional’ residency card system

French MPs back new health fee for ‘visitor visas’ and target Americans

Measure adopted as part of the ongoing 2026 budget negotiations

List: how to apply for Brexit card renewals in different areas of France

An increasing number of prefectures have online procedures, but some are yet to provide information

Groups call for more clarity as France seeks to standardise Brexit WA card renewal process

The first residency cards are due for renewal but not all prefectures are taking up new simple online system

Britons ordered to leave France over bad first year of work lose court appeal

Order was upheld despite their Dordogne gîte business now doing better. They say they have ‘absolutely nothing to go back to in the UK’.

Small drop in percentage of French visa applications being declined

Roughly one in every six visa requests refused in 2024

Could you pass the French civic knowledge exam? Try our quiz

Applicants for certain residency cards and citizenship need to get 80% right after January 1, 2026

Clarity needed on new tests for French multi-year residency cards, say applicants

A pass in a new ‘civic’ test is one requirement; we explain what it will contain

Is biometric information handed over for previous visas used for EES?

Data provided at registration is retained for at least three years

How does EES affect me if I need to travel to France urgently?

Travel authorisation system Etias may pose more problems in this area

Passport control signage in French and English

EES rules in France: How are spouses of EU citizens affected?

New system comes into force on October 12

Americans and Britons in France: long-stay visas and residency trends 2024

Americans are among top nationalities for first-issue residency cards

Retired Britons in France rejected for citizenship over foreign income – what you can do

More readers speak of hardline approach taken on applications

How to renew a five-year Brexit WA residency card online in France

Interior Ministry asked prefectures to set up standardised sites: several, but by no means all, have now done so

A view of a European flag, a passport, and a new visa application

Simplification of French visa process in the pipeline

More 'digitalisation' expected for UK applications as some US applicants now benefit from postal option

Can you remain in France on 90/180 days quota after six-month stay is up?

American citizens benefit from short-stay visa access to bloc without needing a visa

Concern over Christmas travel for those renewing Brexit cards in France

Issues likely if simpler procedures are not put into place, says campaign group

Must VLS-TS visa holders become French residents?

Certain visas need to be validated soon after arriving in France

How long does it take to get a visa for France?

Readers share experiences and tips - please add yours to survey

Couple with a case approaching the front door

How long can a long-stay visa for France last?

Understanding the criteria and their durations for non-residents

Liberal Democrat MPs sign motion over 'damaging' 90/180 limit in France

An early day motion has been put forward, stating that the longstanding rule is harmful

Can ‘visitor’ visa holders in France work remotely for foreign firms?

A review of the laws regarding residency rights, work law, tax and social charges

Who do the new French language tests changes affect - and from when?

Use our handy graphic to see if this applies to you

WA cards ‘renewal’ and expiry in France clarified

Difference between applying for a card ‘duplicate’ with a new address, and renewing a card

Can French Brexit card be renewed early if need to return home?

Five and ten-year cards have different maximum absence periods

Can our adult children join us in France through our Brexit card?

The regroupement familial process does not apply to Britons with WA rights