10 year certificate of residence
Themes
Date of update
You are an Algerian national and wish to live in France for an extended period of time.
You may qualify for a 10-year certificate of residence. This residence permit allows any professional activity to be carried out in compliance with the rules for carrying out the planned profession.
As an Algerian citizen, you are covered by the provisions of the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement. Please check the information on the conditions of eligibility of the 10-year certificate of residence below.
Conditions
The conditions for obtaining a 10-year residence certificate depend on the reason for your stay.
You have been legally resident in France for at least 3 years
In order to apply for a 10-year residency certificate, you must prove that during this 3-year period, you held:
- A one-year certificate stating: “Visitor“, “Employee“, “Merchant, artisan, liberal profession”, “Temporary worker“, “Scientific or artistic and cultural profession“. For a regular stay of between 3 and 10 years: the decision to grant you the 10-year certificate of residence belongs to the Prefect. The Prefect will take into account proof of your means of existence and your intention to settle in France on a long-term basis. For a regular stay of more than 10 years: you must not have held a “Student” certificate of residence during this period;
- A one-year certificate with the wording “Private and family life”;
- Or another type of certificate of residence, if you prove that you have been resident in France since at least the age of 10.
You have private and family ties in France
In order to apply for the certificate of residence of 10 years, you have to provide evidence that you :
- Have been the spouse of a French national for at least 1 year;
- Are a child under the age of 21 of a French national or are dependent on your parents;
- Are the ascendant of a French national or his/her spouse;
- Are the parent of a minor French child residing in France after an initial one-year certificate of residence;
- Are the spouse or adult child of an Algerian holder of a 10-year certificate and who entered France in the context of family reunification.
You hold a workplace accident or occupational illness pension or are a successor of an Algerian national who benefits from such
If you hold a workplace accident or occupational illness pension or are a successor of an Algerian national who benefits from such, please check the conditions of application on the Service-public website.
Authorised length of stay
This residence permit is valid for 10 years, renewable.
Good to know
The certificate of residence of an Algerian national who has left France for a period of more than three consecutive years will no longer be valid.
However, this period may be extended before departure from France or through the French consular authorities.
Procedure
Who to contact?
You reside abroad
If you live outside France, the consulate of your usual place of residence issues a long-stay visa with the reason that allows you to benefit from the 10-year certificate of residence once you are in France.
This visa is valid for 3 months and authorises you to engage in paid employment as soon as you arrive in France.
Once in France, you will have to contact the Prefecture or Sub-prefecture of your place of residence to get the certificate of residence of ten years.
Find the appropriate Prefecture
You already live in France
If you already reside in France under the terms of another residence permit, you must request a change of status from the Prefecture or Sub-prefecture of your place of residence.
You will be given a certificate of residence valid for ten years, renewable if you meet the above eligibility conditions.
When to start the procedure?
The procedure must be initiated at the earliest 3 months before the date of arrival in France.
The procedure must be initiated 2 months before the expiry of the previous residence permit.
What documents are required?
The precise list of documents to be provided in support of a residence permit application is made available to the applicant on the website or on the premises of the authority responsible for processing his/her file.
For information, you can find the list of documents required in support of an application for a 10-year certificate of residence on this website.
Cost of a residence permit
A certificate of residence valid for ten years is issued free of charge.
The cost of the long-stay visa authorising entry into France is €99.
Extend your stay
Renewal
You must submit the application for renewal of your certificate of residence to the Prefecture or Sub-prefecture of your domicile, in the 2 months prior to its expiry date.
You must provide the same documents as for the 1st application and present your expiring certificate of residence.
Find the appropriate Prefecture
Administrative cost: free of charge.
Is your family travelling with you?
Families accompanying an Algerian national with a certificate of residence of 10 years can apply for a residence permit independent of that of the primary applicant (visitor status, employee status if the person in question has found a job in France for example).
Otherwise, families may apply for residency in France under family reunification terms. Family reunification concerns Algerian nationals who have been regularly residing within the national territory for at least 12 months who wish to bring their spouse and children into the country. If the family enters within the framework of family reunification in order to join an Algerian national holding a certificate of residence of 10 years in France, they may benefit from a certificate of residence valid for 10 years.