What do you need for the French 10-year EU long-term resident card after 5 years?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Service-public.fr says non-EU nationals with five years of legal, uninterrupted stay in France on qualifying permits can get the 10-year EU long-term resident card. You need stable income of at least the minimum wage, health insurance, French at B1 and a passed civic exam (except over 65). A first card costs 350 €.

Key facts

What	The ministry’s guidance says	Source
Who	Non-EU nationals with at least 5 years of legal, uninterrupted stay in France	Service-public.fr F17359, “Qui est concerné”
Qualifying titles	Long-stay visa as residence permit; visitor; private and family life (with exceptions); employee; entrepreneur/liberal profession; talent (except employees on assignment and their family); resident card	Service-public.fr F17359, “Cas général”
Absences	At most 6 consecutive months and 10 months in total over the 5 years	Service-public.fr F17359
EU Blue Card	After 2 years in France with a Blue Card, if you had at least 3 years before in France or another EU country with listed cards	Service-public.fr F17359, “Carte bleue européenne”
Income	Stable, sufficient and regular, at least the SMIC: 1,867.02 € gross a month	Service-public.fr F17359, “Ressources”
Health	Health insurance	Service-public.fr F17359
Integration	Commit to and respect the Republic’s principles; French at B1; civic exam “carte de résident” (not required over 65)	Service-public.fr F17359, “Intégration”
Cost	350 € for a first issue; 250 € if you already hold a valid permit; +180 € if late	Service-public.fr F17359, “Quel est le coût”
Validity	10 years, renewable; lapses after 6 consecutive years outside France	Service-public.fr F17359

Five years of legal stay

Service-public.fr says you must have lived in France for at least five years with one or more of the listed titles: a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit; a temporary visitor card; a temporary or multi-year “private and family life” card (except subsidiary protection, complaints for certain offences and witnesses in criminal proceedings); employee; entrepreneur or liberal profession; a multi-year talent card (except employees on assignment and their families); or a resident card.

The stay must be uninterrupted, but absences of up to six consecutive months and ten months in total are allowed and still count in the five years. For refugees and subsidiary protection beneficiaries, the five years count from the asylum application.

EU Blue Card holders can apply after at least two years in France with a Blue Card, if before that they stayed legally for at least three years in France or another EU country with a Blue Card, a national highly-qualified employment card, a researcher card or a refugee or subsidiary protection card. Absences can’t exceed 12 consecutive months or 18 months in total over the five years.

Income, health cover and integration

Income: stable, sufficient and regular resources of at least the minimum wage (SMIC), given as 1,867.02 € gross a month on the page checked on 1 June 2026. All your own resources count; family benefits and listed allowances (such as housing allowance, RSA and ASS) are excluded. Recipients of AAH at an 80% disability rate or of ASI don’t need to prove resources.
Health insurance.
Republican integration: a commitment to respect the principles of the French Republic and actual respect of them, French at B1 level, and a pass in the civic exam “carte de résident”. If you are over 65, only the commitment and respect of principles are assessed. The prefect also asks the mayor of your town for an opinion.

Applying and cost

You can apply when renewing your current card (online through ANEF between 4 and 2 months before expiry, or in the 2 months before expiry if renewal is at the prefecture), or at any time at the prefecture once you meet the conditions. Proof of resources covers the last five years.

A first card costs 350 € (50 € stamp duty + 300 € tax); 250 € (50 € + 200 €) if you already hold a valid residence permit. Filing late, without force majeure or a valid visa, adds a 180 € regularisation fee.

What the card gives you

The card is valid for 10 years and renewable. Issued in France, it lets you work, and lets you stay more than three months in another EU country without a long-stay visa (you then apply for a permit there). It lapses if you leave France for six consecutive years. On renewal you can ask instead for a permanent resident card.

A refusal comes with an order to leave France (OQTF) in most cases; no answer after 4 months is an implicit refusal you can challenge within 2 months.

Sources

Carte de résident de longue durée-UE (étranger en France depuis 5 ans) (Service-public.fr, DILA, checked by the source 1 June 2026) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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