France in Focus

I’ve just read an article in France 3 about renewing cartes de sejour.
Many Brits will have 5 year cards that start needing renewal this year.
Charente seem geared up for this. They have 2000 people needing to renew this year.
I hadn’t realised that you are supposed to make the demande 4 MONTHS before your card expires.
Not sure how other departments are handling this but I’m sure it’ll be completely different in each department.

Headers wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 7:20 am I hadn’t realised that you are supposed to make the demande 4 MONTHS before your card expires.

This is probably because they are likely to be very slow in reissuing them !

I am on a one year carte de sejour (for my first 5 years). I fill in the paperwork 4 months before it is due for renewal & it usually takes 6 weeks to get approval & then I can make the appointment to collect it from the prefecture.

The Haute-Marne Préfecture says only apply 2 months before old card expires.

Loup-garou wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 10:07 am The Haute-Marne Préfecture says only apply 2 months before old card expires.

you make my point

Mine must have been a 10 year as it expires in 2031, hopefully I won't need it in Canterbury.

2000 in 4 months is 25 renewals per day or one every 15 minutes plus loo breaks for the lady or gent on the guichet. Given the bureaucratic hoops I don't think that is bad.

Different periods for different departements probably reflects different expected demand.

I have another 5 years before it is a problem for me, he said smugly.

exile wrote: ↑Thu Feb 05, 2026 11:37 am I have another 5 years before it is a problem for me, he said smugly.

Likewise for us, Exile !