France's Multi-Year Residence Card in 2026: From a 1-Year Permit to 4 Years

The short answer: in France, a first residence title often lasts one year. At renewal you can get a multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle), valid for 4 years in principle, if you still meet the conditions of your title and the integration conditions. Since 1 January 2026 those include A2 French and a passed civic exam for a first multi-year card. Prepare them during the first year rather than finding out at the counter.

This guide follows Service-Public and the immigration code (CESEDA) on Légifrance, checked on 2 November 2026. It also exists in French. HR teams moving people to France will find the employer side in our Talent Passport guide and on our page about work permits in France.

Who can get the multi-year card?

The multi-year card is not issued directly: it follows a temporary residence card or a VLS-TS. CESEDA article L433-4 provides for it after a first year of lawful stay.

It is not open to holders of a temporary card marked:

• temporary worker, visitor, au pair or trainee;
• "private and family life" granted to victims of human trafficking or to people under a protection order.

The employee card is the most common case: valid for 1 year and renewable, it leads to a 4-year multi-year card when the renewal is accepted and you still hold the same job.

The conditions in 2026

1. Still meet the conditions of your current title (for an employee, the same job).
2. Have attended the republican integration contract trainings with seriousness, if you are covered by it. That is the OFII integration day and its 4 days of civic training.
3. Sign the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic when you file.
4. Prove French at A2 level, for a first multi-year card.
5. Pass the civic exam at multi-year card level, for a first multi-year card.

Conditions 4 and 5 do not apply if you are over 65. The préfecture can also refuse the card if you ignored an order to leave France, used false documents, committed serious offences, used violence against public officials, or if your presence threatens public order.

How long the card lasts

Situation	Length of the multi-year card
General case (an employee, for example)	4 years
Spouse of a French national, parent of a French child, personal and family ties in France	2 years at most
Medical care	The length of the treatment, 2 years at most
Student	What is left of the course, more than 12 months and 4 years at most

Proving A2 French

Service-Public lists the proof accepted for a first multi-year card:

• A language test: only the TCF and the TEF are recognised, with a certificate under 2 years old. The test is taken in person, on a single day.
• A French language diploma: DELF, DALF, DELF Pro, DCL, DFP, or DUEF at A2 or above.
• A French diploma at level 3 or above (CAP, BEP, CFG or the brevet), or a professional certification registered in the RNCP at level 3 or above.

Diplomas issued by a foreign authority, even in a French-speaking country, are not accepted. People with a disability or a chronic condition can get adjustments to the test, or an exemption on a medical certificate.

The language condition does not cover titles outside the CIR, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and their families, or stateless people and their families.

The civic exam

Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year card needs a passed civic exam: 40 multiple-choice questions, at least 32 right. You take it before filing, and the pass certificate does not expire. Everything is in our guide to France's civic exam in 2026.

When to file, and what it costs

• When: CESEDA article R431-5 sets two windows. For titles applied for online on ANEF, between the 120th and the 60th day before expiry (at the earliest 4 months, at the latest 2 months before); for the others, within the 2 months before expiry. For an employee, Service-Public says "within the 2 months before expiry" on its multi-year card page and "at the latest 2 months before" on its employee card page. The date that works in every case: 2 months before expiry. Details in our guide to renewing an employee residence permit.
• Where: at the préfecture or sous-préfecture where you live, or on the ANEF website depending on your title. Check the procedure on your préfecture's website.
• Fee: €350 in tax stamps in the general case (tax and stamp duty included), €150 for a student among others.

Tip: Start early. A2 French and the civic exam are prepared during the first year: a TCF or TEF test and an exam session are booked ahead, and the exam must be passed before you file.

If a condition is missing

Without a multi-year card you can usually renew your one-year temporary card if you still meet its conditions. But for CIR signatories, CESEDA article L433-1-1 allows no more than 3 consecutive renewals of a temporary card with the same purpose.

If your CIR was closed for non-compliance, for example because you skipped a prescribed training without a legitimate reason, you cannot get a multi-year title at renewal, and that limit applies.

After the multi-year card

Renewing a multi-year card does not need the civic exam a second time. The préfecture can, however, refuse the renewal if you cannot prove habitual residence in France: having moved the centre of your private and family life to France and staying there at least 6 months per calendar year (CESEDA article L433-3-1).

For the 10-year resident card, the language level rises to B1, with the civic exam at resident card level. To become French, see our guide to naturalisation in 2026 (B2 French and the civic exam).

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is France's multi-year residence card valid?

4 years in principle when it follows a first year of stay. It is capped at 2 years for the spouse of a French national, the parent of a French child, a person admitted for personal and family ties, and a person admitted for medical care.

Do I need A2 French for the multi-year card?

Yes for a first multi-year card since 1 January 2026, unless you are over 65, your title is outside the CIR, or you are a beneficiary of subsidiary protection or stateless (and their families). Only the TCF and the TEF under 2 years old count as tests, plus certain French diplomas.

Do I retake the civic exam to renew the multi-year card?

No. Service-Public says the civic exam is not required to renew a multi-year card or a resident card.

How much does the multi-year card cost?

€350 in tax stamps in the general case (tax and stamp duty included), and €150 for a student among others.

What can an employer do to help with the multi-year card?

The integration conditions are personal: only the employee can attend the CIR trainings, prove A2 French and pass the civic exam. An employer or agency can track the expiry date, leave time for the trainings and the tests during the first year, and help gather the documents before the filing deadline.

How Settio helps employers and agencies in France

Settio helps employers and immigration and relocation agencies run every residence permit case in one place, from the first application to the renewal:

• Before and after arrival: a plan for every hire, with each step and its deadline, the OFII appointment included.
• For the employee: the employee portal shows their next steps on their phone, in their language, with no account or password.
• Before the renewal: permit monitoring tracks every expiry date and flags the renewal in good time, which leaves room to gather the training certificate, the French level and the civic exam before filing.

Start with a 30-day free trial, no card needed. See how to start.

Sources

8 official sources

• Service-Public: Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (in French)
• Service-Public: Employee or temporary worker residence card (in French)
• Service-Public: Proving your French for a multi-year or resident card (in French)
• Service-Public: Contrat d'intégration républicaine (CIR) (in French)
• Service-Public: A civic exam from 1 January 2026 (in French)
• Légifrance: CESEDA, article L433-4 (in French)
• Légifrance: CESEDA, articles L433-1 to L433-7 (in French)
• Légifrance: CESEDA, article R431-5, filing deadlines (in French)