Renewing your Carte De Sejour in France?

As an expat in France who hasn’t quite mastered the beautiful language of love, even the simplest of tasks can become eventful. With Brexit looming, for the large number of expats who have become resident in France, the tide is changing. From 2019 it is likely that if you are a British expat (and already if from outside the EU) you will have to renew your Carte De Sejour.  Other areas such as pension legislation are likely to be affected but we will focus here on just the CDS.

So how should you go about it?

The first thing required is to book an appointment at a Prefecture which is easier said than done. It is possible to just who up however highly recommended to not take the risk. The official service advises doing this 2 months prior to it expiring – however, is it possible for renewal less than 60 days in advance? What is the minimum time required? It really depends on the prefecture in question regarding booking an appointment as they appear to run independently of each other with different offices requiring different documentation so always check and never assume. The official service public site says to apply for renewal during the 2 months prior to the expiration date. Some prefectures may stick to that pretty strictly – others not so much.

Once you’ve booked in for your appointment be aware that this is not a set time and you will be given a number and have to wait, so as all Brits abroad love to do, you can find yourself queuing/waiting for some time. My advice, unsurprisingly, is getting there early and get out. Subject to having all the correct documentation it can be a fairly quick – 1 hour!
The French government have further information on visas and residency permits.

Do you have any Questions about CarteDeSejour? Give us a shout! As well as being France’s leading international online broker of expatriate financial service products and expat financial advice, Harrison Brook partners with a number of agencies and services so get in touch today for some free advice on a variety of subjects.