Updated October 2026. File your titre de séjour renewal on ANEF between four and two months before it expires, ideally the day the window opens. Since 1 May 2026 a renewal costs €250 (reduced €100) and a first card €350, and filing late adds €180. With about 930,000 files pending, keep the attestation de prolongation: the attestation de dépôt is not proof of legal stay. A first multi-year card now also requires A2 French and the civic exam.
Key takeaways
- File on ANEF from four months before expiry, never later than two months.
- Renewal costs €250 (reduced €100), a first card €350, late filing +€180.
- The attestation de dépôt is refused by the CAF, France Travail and landlords; the attestation de prolongation is not.
- About 930,000 files were pending, with a 117-day mean in 2025; Paris-area renewals take 6 to 12 months.
- Since 1 January 2026 a first multi-year card needs A2 French and the civic exam.
When should you renew your titre de séjour?
The renewal window for a titre de séjour runs from four months to two months before expiry, per Service-Public. Two months is the deadline, not the target. Expat guides that compile user reports converge on filing 90 to 120 days ahead, because sworn translations of birth certificates alone take two to six weeks and processing now runs for months.
Filing after the two-month mark adds a €180 taxe de régularisation, which students in particular confuse with the old €75 renewal price. If your permit has been expired for more than nine months, ANEF treats you as a new applicant and you must start again from the consulate in your home country. A lapse also interrupts your right to work and makes re-entry after travel risky. Put the four-month date in your calendar the day your card arrives.
How much does a titre de séjour cost in 2026?
| Step | Before May 2026 | Now | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| VLS-TS validation, general rate | €200 | €300 | +€100 |
| VLS-TS validation, students and reduced rate | €50 | €100 | +€50 |
| First titre (CSP, talent card, carte de résident) | €225 | €350 (reduced €150) | +€125 |
| Renewal | €225 (reduced €75) | €250 (reduced €100) | +€25 |
| APS graduate job-search permit | Free | €100 | +€100 |
| Naturalisation | €55 | €255 | +€200 |
| Foreign licence exchange (non-EU) | Free | €40 | +€40 |
| Late renewal (after the 2-month mark) | +€180 | +€180 | None |
Immigration fees rose on 1 May 2026 under article 128 of the loi de finances 2026. A renewal now costs €250, or €100 at the reduced rate, and a first card €350. You pay online with a bank card when ANEF asks; a newcomer without a French card can buy an electronic timbre fiscal at a tobacconist.
One official page gets it wrong. The Préfecture de Police page on the new fees says the renewal went from €250 to €225, an inversion. Immigration lawyers and the Service-Public notice give €225 to €250, and Service-Public governs. The student validation rate is €100, not the €150 some sites quote, which adds a stamp duty not due at validation.
How do you renew online via ANEF?
Renewals run through ANEF, the Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France, launched in 2020. You log in, open the renewal for your status, upload your documents and pay the tax. ANEF then issues an attestation de dépôt and tells you when to attend the Préfecture for biometrics or to collect the card.
User reports describe three recurring glitches. Safari breaks the payment step, so use Chrome or Firefox. Files above the size limit fail silently and leave the dossier pending. Some files are transferred to the legacy AGDREF system or closed without any email or SMS. Take a dated screenshot of every step and of the final confirmation, and check your ANEF space every week. If you move, declare the new address on ANEF within three months; the service-public.fr "Je change d'adresse" tool updates the CAF, CPAM and tax office in one go.
Keep digital copies ready
How long does a titre de séjour renewal take in 2026?
About 930,000 files were pending on ANEF nationally, with a mean instruction time of 117 days in 2025. An Interior Ministry instruction of April 2026 set a 55-day target, but Paris-area renewals still take 6 to 12 months in practice. Students in Lille report answers months after filing four months early.
The courts have stepped in. On 5 May 2026 the Conseil d'État(decision n° 502860) ordered the state to fix ANEF within 6 to 12 months and confirmed that the attestation de prolongation d'instruction carries full rights. Since March 2026 these attestations have been renewed automatically while a file is pending, which ends most of the rights gaps that cost people jobs and benefits. Préfecture appointment practice still varies by département: some accept postal files, others require an in-person slot that may take weeks to find.
What people in France report
- − ANEF glitches to screenshot: User reports collected by an immigration help site describe Safari breaking the ANEF payment step, oversized uploads failing silently, and files closed or transferred without any email or SMS. The advice is to keep dated screenshots. (demarchesetrangers.fr, February 2026)
- − Attestation de dépôt refused: Renewal applicants report the ANEF attestation de dépôt being refused as proof of legal stay by the CAF, France Travail and landlords. Only a récépissé or an attestation de prolongation was accepted. (demarchesetrangers.fr, February 2026)
- ○ File at 120 days, not 60: Expat guides that compile user reports converge on filing 90 to 120 days before expiry. Sworn translations of birth certificates alone take two to six weeks, and proof of address older than three months is often refused. (demarchesetrangers.fr, February 2026)
- − No slots for weeks: Forum members describe préfecture booking pages showing no slots for weeks. Some départements accepted postal files while neighbouring ones required an in-person appointment, so practice is not uniform across France. (Survive France, May 2022)
Paraphrased from public posts, each dated and linked. A small sample, not a representative survey.
What proves you are legal while your renewal is processed?
| Document | Proves legal stay? | Accepted by CAF, France Travail, landlords |
|---|---|---|
| Attestation de dépôt (ANEF) | No, only that you filed | Refused in practice |
| Attestation de prolongation d'instruction | Yes, full rights (CE n° 502860) | Yes |
| Récépissé | Yes, per its wording | Yes |
The attestation de dépôt that ANEF issues on filing is not a residence document. The CAF, France Travail, landlords and banks refuse it in practice, which has suspended benefits and blocked leases. The document that keeps you legal after your card expires is the attestation de prolongation d'instruction, or a paper récépissé where your préfecture still issues one.
Check the wording before you travel or start a job: a récépissé or attestation usually allows work and re-entry to France, but some do not. Keep it with your expired card until the new titre arrives. Since 1 May 2026, a job-search APS after a French master costs €100.
Carte pluriannuelle or carte de résident: what is the difference?
A carte de séjour pluriannuelle is a multi-year permit of up to four years, tied to your status such as salarié, étudiant or a family route. It usually follows a first one-year card. The carte de résident is a ten-year permit with broader rights, generally open after five years of regular residence with stable resources.
Language and civics now gate both. Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year card requires French at A2 and the examen civique, and the carte de résident requires B1 and the civic exam. Check on service-public.fr whether your category is exempt, and see our French language guide for certificates. The next step, naturalisation, now carries a €255 stamp duty, up from €55.
EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens
How do you renew step by step?
A titre de séjour renewal takes six steps on ANEF, and the first one starts four months before expiry.
- Step 1: Note the date four months before expiry; the window closes two months before.
- Step 2: Order sworn translations, e-photos and a proof of address under three months old.
- Step 3: File on ANEF the day the window opens and screenshot each step.
- Step 4: Pay €250 (reduced €100) online, using Chrome or Firefox.
- Step 5: Download the attestation de prolongation once issued; keep it with your card.
- Step 6: Attend the Préfecture for biometrics and collect your new titre de séjour.
What documents do you need?
Most renewals share a common core: your passport, your current titre de séjour, a birth certificate with a sworn translation (about €40 to €80), e-photos with a digital code, a proof of address under three months old, and proof of resources. Renewals also ask for your recent tax notices. An older justificatif de domicile is often refused, and a bill in a partner's name fails; see our proof of address guide.
On top of this core, add status-specific documents: a work contract and payslips for employees, an enrolment certificate for students, family documents for family routes. Students must also show the €877.50 a month resource floor in force since 1 August 2026. Confirm the list for your category on service-public.fr, because ANEF rejects files that miss one item and asks for it in a separate message.
Sources: ANEF, Service-Public (N110, A17599, F2651), the Conseil d'État decision n° 502860 and loi de finances 2026, as of October 2026. Fees and procedures change, so verify the current rules for your permit category before filing.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should you start renewing your titre de séjour?
File on ANEF as soon as the window opens, four months before your permit expires, and no later than two months before. Service-Public sets this 4-to-2-month window. Filing late adds a €180 taxe de régularisation, and a permit expired for more than nine months means a full new application from the consulate.
How much does renewing a titre de séjour cost in 2026?
Since 1 May 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128), a renewal costs €250 at the full rate or €100 at the reduced rate, up from €225 and €75. A first card costs €350 (reduced €150), up from €225. The Préfecture de Police web page shows the renewal change inverted; Service-Public is the authoritative source.
Is the ANEF attestation de dépôt proof of legal residence?
No. The attestation de dépôt only shows that you filed. The CAF, France Travail, landlords and banks refuse it in practice. A récépissé or an attestation de prolongation d'instruction proves legal stay, and the Conseil d'État confirmed on 5 May 2026 (n° 502860) that prolongation attestations carry full rights.
Do you renew online via ANEF or at the Préfecture?
Renewals start online on ANEF, the Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France. You file, upload documents and pay the tax there. The Préfecture still calls you in for biometrics and to collect the card. Use Chrome or Firefox, because Safari has broken the ANEF payment step.
What is the difference between a carte pluriannuelle and a carte de résident?
A carte de séjour pluriannuelle is a multi-year permit of up to four years tied to your status, such as worker, student or family member. The carte de résident is a ten-year permit with broader rights. Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year card requires French at A2 and the civic exam, and the carte de résident requires B1 and the civic exam.
Do EU, EEA, or Swiss citizens need a titre de séjour?
No. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals need no titre de séjour at any length of stay (Service-Public fiche F2651). They can request a free optional card. This guide is for non-EU nationals; see our guide for EU citizens for the rules that apply to you.
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