🇫🇷 France · Permanent Residency
Permanent-residence routes: eligibility, required years of residence, and the official application steps — including any investment routes where a country offers them.
Quick answer
France's long-term residence is the carte de résident, typically a 10-year renewable card available after several years of legal residence (or immediately for some family of French citizens). The multi-year Talent Passport is a common step toward it.
France's main long-term residence document is the ten-year carte de résident, which can be issued after several years of legal residence (commonly five, or three for certain family of French citizens) with proof of stable resources and integration including French at CEFR B1. A carte de résident permanent (indefinite duration) is generally available after holding consecutive resident cards. Service-Public.fr is the official guide.
- The carte de résident is valid ten years and renewable; eligibility depends on your route (work, family, EU long-term resident, etc.).
- You must show stable resources, integration into French society, and French at CEFR B1 (with age-based exemptions).
- A carte de résident permanent (indefinite duration) is generally available after consecutive resident cards.
- Applications go through the prefecture / the online foreign-nationals portal (ANEF) — check current steps on Service-Public.
Step-by-step
- 1
Choose your residence-card route
After generally 5 years of regular residence you can seek a 10-year carte de résident, or the EU long-term residence card.
- 2
Meet residence and integration conditions
Show stable, sufficient income, continuous legal residence, and republican-integration and French-language proof.
- 3
Apply at the préfecture
File the application with your local préfecture (often online), providing proof of residence, income and integration.
- 4
Attend appointment and checks
Attend the préfecture appointment, provide biometrics, and undergo document and background checks.
- 5
Receive the resident card
The 10-year carte de résident lets you live and work freely and is renewable; it can lapse with prolonged absence.
- 6
Understand path to citizenship
You can usually apply for naturalization after 5 years’ residence (less in some cases), with a language and civics assessment.
Checklist
- Route (10-year carte de résident / EU long-term)
- Stable income + continuous legal residence
- Integration + French-language proof
- Préfecture application + documents
- Appointment + biometrics + checks
- 10-year resident card (renewable)
- Naturalization after ~5 years
- Avoid prolonged absence (card can lapse)
Official authorities
- Carte de résident (10 years) — Service-Public
Official guide to the ten-year resident card.
- Carte de résident permanent — Service-Public
Official guide to the indefinite permanent resident card.
Frequently asked questions
What is the carte de résident?
A 10-year renewable residence card granting stable long-term residence and work rights in France.
How long until I qualify?
Generally after several years of continuous legal residence (commonly around five), with integration and income conditions; some family routes are faster.
Do EU citizens need it?
No — EU/EEA and Swiss citizens have free movement and acquire permanent residence after five years automatically.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Government of France — Office of the French Prime Minister — government policies, ministers, and key legislation
- France Public Services (Service-Public) — France's unified administrative services — residence permits, taxes, social security, civil records
- French General Tax Directorate (DGFiP) — French income tax, VAT, wealth tax filing; tax residency determination; French tax number (NIF) application