‘Carte de Séjour’ or Residency Permits

[Mamajb]

EU citizens no longer need a work permit or visa, just a valid passport in order to live and work in France and can apply for a ‘Carte de Séjour’ (a residency permit), which many still like to use as a form of ID, from the local ‘Préfecture’, an administrative police station. In order to obtain a ‘Carte de Séjour’, EU nationals must present the following documentation:

- valid passport
- birth or marriage certificate
- proof of accommodation
- proof of payments made to the French Social Security scheme
- 3 passport photographs

AND for workers
- work contract or for self-employed, authorisation from the Chamber of Commerce

OR for pensioners
- proof of pension received from France or country of origin

OR for students
- proof of registration with a French University

OR for persons married to French nationals
- marriage certificate

For EU nationals intending to stay permanently in France, a 5-year ‘Carte de Séjour’ will be issued and can be renewed for a further 10 years if the person is still working on a permanent basis. If the stay is short-term, the residency permit will be valid only for the specific period, after which the situation can be reassessed.

The residency permit can be extended to include spouse, dependant descendants under 21 and dependant ascendants of both permit holder and permit holder’s spouse.

Citizens from non EU-member states must obtain an ‘Autorisation de Travail’ (work permit) before coming to France if they wish to work. This permit can be obtained through the prospective employer.

Information obtained from the French Consulate in UK

[dpat2b]

I am a non-EU citizen (American), widower of a French citizen. My three children were born in France. It is my understanding that I am entitled, by virtue of my children's French citizenship, to obtain both a Carte de Séjour and Autorisation de Travail in France. That is, rather than obtain the latter from a French consulate in the U.S., I may relocate my family to Paris and register with the local Prefecture to start the process rather than having to deal with a French Consulate abroad.

Is this correct? And, if so, once I have a French work permit, have I the same rights as an EU citizen (again by virtue of my children's citizenship) to work in any EU country?

[Marcus]

I'll send you answear on Monday... It's not as easy as it seems.

But you'll find an answear.
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Semper Fidelem

[Marcus]

Hi...

I've look around, and found here here some helpfull informations...

You're indeed imbued to obtain the French "Carte de sejour" that will also function as a "Autorisation de travail" (if i've well understood). I know because of my girlfriend that is foreigner too, you can get these card after coming in France. But, my girlfriend was allowed to come in as she came from EU. I don't know if you shouldn't get a right to come in (so get a carte de sejour).

I'll look for friends in the same cases (i've known a bresilian woman in the same case, exept she had always lived in France since her wedding).

Cheers.
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Semper Fidelem

[dpat2b]

Thank you. If I ever succeed in speaking with someone at the consulate (they specialize in being unavailable), I will share what I learn.

[Florenceto]

[mfuhrer]

Does the exemption from a visa/work permit/carte de sejour apply to Swiss nationals as well? What about Swiss nationals who do not reside in Switzerland or the EU?

My reason for asking is that I am a Canadian resident with dual nationality: Canadian and Swiss. The company I work for in Calgary, Canada is actually a French-based company, and I've been given the opportunity to spend 12 weeks at the head office in Paris this summer. After my stay in Paris, I would like to take another several weeks to travel through France. My understanding is that if I enter France with my Swiss passport, there would be no limit on my stay.

I've tried contacting the French consulate in Vancouver all last week to determine if I am set to go with just my Swiss passport, but have only been able to reach answering machines and have not yet received a reply. Their webpage <www.consulfrance-vancouver.org/visas/anglais/france_ensemble_du_territoire/visiteurs_en.htm> about long-stay visitor visas seems outdated as well in that they state that EU and Swiss nationals are exempt from a visa but still need to apply for a carte de sejour within two months of their arrival in France (the top post of this sticky suggests that the carte de sejour is optional).

So I am still wondering if I can arrive in France for a long-term stay with my Swiss passport (and without requiring a carte de sejour?), and whether my status as a Canadian resident would complicate matters. Thanks for any info!