To renew your card, you need to contact your local prefecture a maximum of two months before your card’s expiry date (our advice is not to leave it that late – there will potentially be thousands of others applying for renewals at a similar time). Each prefecture will follow a slightly different procedure, but you will typically be asked to submit documents either in advance by email or to bring them to an appointment at the prefecture. Make sure you clearly state that you are applying for a Withdrawal Agreement card – it should say ‘article 50’ or ‘accord de retrait du royaume-uni de l’UE’.

Renewals follow a simplified process with minimal paperwork, but expect to be asked for:

  • Your current 5-year carte de séjour
  • Your passport
  • Proof of address (justificatif de domicile) less than three months old
  • 3 x passport-style photos

When you apply, you will be issued with an official “récépissé” (receipt) while you are waiting for your new card.

How much does it cost to renew my post-Brexit carte de séjour?

While application fees typically cost €200 for a residency card in France, there’s good news for those covered by the Withdrawal Agreement. All post-Brexit WA/Article 50 TUE cards are free, and you won’t be charged any fee for subsequent renewals either.

Can I renew my card via the ANEF website?

No, it’s not currently possible to renew your Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA) card online via the “Étrangers en France” website – the immigration portal known as ANEF or Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France, which is responsible for handling all long-stay visa validations, carte de séjour, carte de residence, and French citizenship applications and renewals. Attempts to renew your card via this portal will lead to an automatic refusal as your card is not registered in the online system.

There is hope that a dedicated online portal (like the one set up to handle the initial applications back in 2020 and 2021) will be set up to process the renewals. With just under 50,000 5-year cards all coming up for renewal in the next 12 to 18 months, this would probably be a smart move. However, for the moment, it’s only possible to renew your card through your prefecture.

Can my renewal be refused?

It is our understanding that under the Withdrawal Agreement, those who were resident in France prior to Brexit and were issued a 5-year card should now have the right to unconditional permanent residency in France. In other words, you shouldn’t have to provide proof of work, income, or tax returns as you would have presented back in 2020/2021. The only condition is that you must have been continually resident in France for the past five years – individuals who have spent more than six consecutive months outside of France or more than 10 months total may have their request denied. Exceptions are made for certain situations, such as a work commitment or training abroad.

What happens if my card expires?

The European Commission advises that individuals covered by the Withdrawal Agreement do not lose their rights upon expiry of their card. However, under French law, you are required to keep your documentation up to date, and there are many administrative processes that will require you to have a valid residency permit. If you do miss the deadline, you should take steps to renew your card as soon as possible.