How To Register Your Address In France: Explained
Ah, you’ve made it to France—now it’s time to make it official, address and all.
No, we’re not talking about updating your Instagram location. We mean registering your address with the French authorities, an essential step in saying ‘Bonjour‘ to your new life here.
Resident Card
Have you been living in France for several years and want to stay for an extended period?
You could get a resident card. The resident card authorizes their holder who lives in France to be self-employed or to engage in salaried employment.
According to the Franco-Algerian agreement, Algerian citizens are subject to a specific regime.
Conditions
Upon Being Admitted To Staying In France For The First Time
When permitted to stay in France for the very first time, the resident card can be issued under the following conditions:
- To spouses of French nationals who have been married for at least three years, or one year if they are Tunisians;
- Children below the age of 21 who are non-European citizens and are dependent on a French national;
- To a French national’s or their spouse’s dependent ascendants;
- Non-European citizens who entered France as a result of a family reunion with a foreign national who has a resident card in France;
- Non-European citizens who acquire French nationality as a result of being born in France;
- To refugees or stateless people and their families;
- To non-European citizens with a workplace accident or occupational illness pension and their families;
- To non European veterans and legionnaires.
The provision of a first resident card is contingent on republican integration into French society. This course covers the French language and the principles governing the French Republic.
The conditions for obtaining a resident card for one of these reasons can be found on the Service-public website.
Foreign Nationals Who Have Been Living In France For At Least Three Years
After three years of residence in France, you can benefit from a resident card if:
- You benefit from the bilateral agreement signed with France because of your nationality.
- You have joined a family member who has a resident card under the framework of family reunification (except an Algerian national)
You are the parent of a French citizen child and have regularly resided in France for three years. So, you have lived in this capacity according to the terms of a temporary residence permit for “private and family life” (except an Algerian national).
A Foreign National Living In France For A Minimum Of Five Years – EU Long-Term Resident Card
To be eligible for the “long-term resident – EU” resident card, you must demonstrate the following:
- Being associated with health insurance,
- At least five years of continuous residence under the terms of one of the eligible residence permits,
- Satisfactory means of subsistence combined with resources at least equal to the minimum wage, for example, €20,147.40 as of August 1, 2022,
- Your republican integration into French society.
The Residence Permits Are Accepted For Five Years.
A talent passport with wording like this:
- “European Blue Card” (highly qualified employee),
- “Qualified employee”
- “Employee in a young innovative company”,
- “Investor”,
- “Company director”,
- “Business Creator,” or
- “Innovative Economic Project Holder”;
- “Entrepreneur/Liberal profession” (temporary residence permit)
- Temporary residence permit for “employee.”
The residence permits that have not passed acceptance as counting towards the five-year residency requirement:
- “Student,”
- “Intern,”
- “ICT Intern,”
- “Beneficiary of subsidiary protection,”
- “Refugee,”
- “Seasonal worker,”
- “Retired,”
- “Spouse of a retired person” residence permit;
- “Employee on assignment” talent passport;
- Multi-year “ICT seconded employee” or
- “ICT mobile seconded employee” residence permit.
The holder of a Talent Passport containing the wording “European Blue Card” (refers to a highly qualified worker) can be issued this resident card on a condition.
It can happen If he or she can demonstrate that he or she has spent at least five years uninterruptedly in the territory of a European Union Member State, which in France is two years before the application for issuance of this card.
If absences from the territory of the European Union do not exceed twelve consecutive months and do not exceed eighteen months in total over the five years. In that case, the calculation of this period is not suspended.
Resident Card And Overseas Departments And Regions
A non-European national can stay on France’s mainland and overseas with a resident card. The other rights associated with this card are determined by where it is issued.
The resident card lets you exercise the profession of your choice. The scope of the work permit, however, may vary depending on where it is issued.
Indeed, only a resident card issued in mainland France allows you to practice your chosen profession in this territory.
As a result, the resident card issued in the departments and regions does not constitute a work permit in mainland France.
Authorized Length Of Stay
The resident card is valid for ten years and can be renewed.
After at least three years of continuous residence, a non-European national’s resident card expires.
- For the resident card (Outside of France),
- Outside the territory of the European Union’s Member States for the resident card with the phrase “long-term resident – EU.”
However, this period can be extended before leaving France or through the French consular authorities.
Procedure
Who To Contact -You Reside Abroad
For applicants residing outside of France, the French diplomatic and consular authorities of their usual residence are qualified to issue the long-stay visa. They can do this with the justification that lets them benefit from the resident card once in France.
This visa is only valid for a period of three months and allows the holder to begin working in a salaried professional capacity as soon as they arrive in France. Jump to this link here for French Visa details.
Once in France, you must get in touch with the Prefecture or Sub-prefecture of your place of residence to obtain the ten-year residence certificate. Locate the appropriate Prefecture here.
You Already Live In France
If the applicant is already a resident in France, he or she must apply for a change of status through the Prefecture or Sub-prefecture where he or she resides.
Subject to eligibility, they will be issued a ten-year renewable residence permit (resident card).
When To Start The Procedure?
If the applicant is not in France, the procedure must be started at least three months before the date of arrival.
If the applicant is present in France, the procedure must be initiated two months before the expiry of the previous residence permit.
What Documents Are Required?
An elaborate list of the documents required to support a residence permit application is available from various sources.
The applicant can find them on the website or at the office of the authority in charge of processing his or her file, as well as here.
The documents required for an application for a “resident card” are listed below as an example:
Cost Of A Residence Permit
Upon delivery of the permit, you will be required to pay a €200 tax to the OFII. A stamp duty of €25 is added to the tax amount on residence permits.
The cost in € of the long-stay visa authorizing entry into France, which is €99, is added to the administrative fee of €225.
Extend Your Stay
Renewal
The application for renewal must be submitted within two months of the expiration date of the residence permit. This is relevant to the Prefecture of the place of residence.
An indefinite resident card may be issued if the resident card with the words “long-term resident – EU” expires.
The Service-public website lists the various requirements for obtaining an indefinite resident card.
Administrative cost: €225
Is Your Family Traveling With You?
The term “responsibility” refers to determining whether or not a person is responsible for his or her actions (employee status, visitor status, if the applicant in question has found a job in France, for example).
Otherwise, families can apply for residency in France under the terms of family reunification. Non-European nationals who have been regularly living within the national territory for a minimum of 18 months and wish to bring their spouse and children into the country are eligible for family reunification.
Suppose the family enters the framework of family reunification in order to join a non-European national with a resident card in France. In that case, they may be eligible for a 10-year resident card.
Visit the service-public.fr website for more information on the family reunification procedure.
3 Methods For Obtaining A Registered Address In France
Do you have a business idea and wish to start it in France? If that is the case, you have probably also wondered what the procedures are to do so.
To begin, regardless of your choice, one of the first things you have to decide is your company/business address.
To enter the enterprise details in the Commercial Court registry, it is required to have one within French territory. In France, you have three options for establishing your company’s headquarters or secondary location.
Domiciliation In Your Own Home
This option allows you to use your private address as your registered business address if you live in France. If you’re a freelancer or a one-person business, it’s relatively simple and quick to use your home as your headquarters.
However, your activity may be restricted by your rental agreement if you aren’t the landlord, in which case you’ll need the authorization to exert your activity.
Furthermore, if you have more than one member in the company, there may be limitations on the number of years you can use your private address for business. In that case, you should be aware that only the director’s address can be registered.
Doing otherwise is not legal. You should also keep in mind that if you change your address, you have the compulsion to notify the Commercial Court and re-enter the new one in the registry, as well as pay the subsequent office address modification charges.
Renting Or Buying The Emplacement Of Your Office
If you prefer a more traditional establishment, you might consider renting or purchasing your premises in France. This would provide your company with an office solely for your activity and reserved only for your company.
Your professional and private lives are thus separated, though this is not highly recommended if your company has only recently begun operations and having a physical space isn’t critical to carry out your professional activity.
Due to the fact that it will consume a significant portion of your monthly budget, with prices in some areas of Paris reaching € 10,000 / sq meter/year, and that only accounts for the surface.
Furthermore, keep in mind that the size of your company will change over time, and thus your spatial requirements may change, requiring you to relocate to a different address.
This is especially problematic in France, where rental agreements require a minimum stay period. In this regard, you must be extremely cautious with the administrative procedures to avoid having to pay the rent for a maximum of three years, even if you are not using the premises.
You should consider financing options if you want to buy your own facilities. By purchasing your premises, your company may miss out on some investment opportunities because the available budget will be significantly reduced.
As a result, this step will slow your progress. Furthermore, it is possible that, similar to renting the space, your facilities will be ineffective. This can happen if your company’s size changes and you require more space.
Domiciliation In A Business Centre
If you opt to register your enterprise by using the services of a business center, you’ll have almost the same ease to do so as if you were registering your own address without even having to have a residence in France.
All you have to do is contact the center, and they will handle the administrative procedures for creating and registering your company quickly.
You can get an official address for your company in a generally prestigious area by using a domiciliation service. This is where you will also receive all your correspondence.
It will provide you with some space other than your home address. Not only do business centers make the process quick and easy, but they also provide secretariat and timely office rental services in their facilities.
This occurs when you request them. This is practically useful if you want to meet with some clients or have a company reunion.
The Key Values Of The French Republic And Society
Every year, France gets over 100,000 foreign nationals from third-world countries of the European Union. These nationals come to France from all over the world and wish to settle permanently in France.
So, France is a country with thousands of years of history. The French land has a highly rich culture. France is associated with fundamental values to which the French are deeply committed.
Values exist in all countries and allow people to coexist as a society: some are universal and shared by all humans, while others are specific to a country’s culture and are the result of a nation’s shared history.
It is even more critical that people of different backgrounds adhere to these values in order to unite around shared rules.
These values are reflected in the French Republic’s motto: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. Secularism is also included.
They match the principles that inform the laws all individuals must abide by, including French citizens and any person living in or visiting France. Democratic institutions elected by the people enact the laws.
On the basis of these principles and values, these institutions organize the relationship between citizens and day-to-day life.
These are not merely abstract concepts; they have concrete consequences in everyday life through the rights and obligations of citizens and residents.
Welcome To Foreigners
France places a high value on the quality of welcome extended to foreigners wishing to settle permanently on its soil. This is why a tailored Republican integration process was created.
The term “responsibility” refers to determining whether a person is responsible for their own actions.
Modern France is the result of a long history, as well as the events and choices of the French people over time. The struggle for the democratic values of liberty, equality, and fraternity has shaped its shape.
France is also very committed to the principle of secularism, which was established by the law of December 9, 1905, regarding the separation of church and state.
The Values Of France
These values are the foundation of all the laws and institutions that organize the life of the country. Respect for the law and civil society is essential for group life.
The Republic guarantees the equality and rights of all French citizens. Rights cannot be separated from obligations simply because they exist. Thus, living in France entails both rights and obligations.
The values defined by the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, dated August 26, 1789, are liberty, equality, and fraternity.
This document, upon which the French Republic was founded, defines each individual’s rights and liberties and upholds the principle of gender equality, which the 1958 Constitution guarantees.
These values are the foundation of both the Republic and French law and the source of rules that define rights, obligations, and prohibitions.
Liberty
The fundamental freedoms are guaranteed, including freedom of conscience, belief, expression, organization, and marriage.
In the 1880s, the law guaranteed press freedom. Public education became mandatory, and public schools became free and secular.
Equality
All citizens, regardless of gender, origin, religion, opinions, or sexual orientation, have the same rights and obligations. In every way, men and women have the same rights and obligations.
Fraternity
France was founded on the French people’s desire to live together. France is a social Republic that guarantees solidarity, contributes to social cohesion, and oversees the general interest.
Workers have rights that are guaranteed by law, and a social protection system guards against the various risks that can occur in life.
Secularism
France is a secular nation that guarantees religious freedom and freedom of conscience. The separation of church and state is known as secularism.
The state is not religious and does not support any religion. As a result, it is neutral and does not fund any religion. This separation is necessary for the state-protected freedom of conscience, i.e., belief.
This means that, as long as public order is not disrupted, the French state guarantees that any individual can practice any religion of their choice within the confines of the laws in force, change religion, or have no religion at all.
Religious practice is a part of private life. Every individual has the right to choose whether or not to believe and practice any religion they choose.
The French Republic
France is a single and indivisible republic with a single territory, a single official language, and universal laws.
France currently consists of 13 regions, 101 departments, and over 35,000 communes. Its territory includes both the French mainland and eight overseas territories.
France is a republican democracy. Its guiding principle is the government of, by, and for the people.
Political leaders are chosen through universal suffrage, which means that all citizens, men and women alike, have the right to vote.
France is a legal state based on laws that everyone, including public officials, must follow. A text, the Constitution, defines the structure of the state. Our current Constitution is the 5th Republic, adopted in 1958.
The judiciary’s independence is guaranteed.
Political parties can form and exercise their activity freely.
Our institutions are based on separating the legislative, judicial, and executive government branches.
Executive Power
The French Republic President is elected for a five-year term through universal suffrage. He appoints the Prime Minister, who then appoints the members of the government on the basis of the President’s proposals.
Legislative Power
The Parliament, which consists of the National Assembly and the Senate, passes laws and governs.
Deputies in the National Assembly are elected in legislative elections every five years, and senators are elected for a six-year term using indirect universal suffrage.
Judicial Power
Judges exercise the judiciary. It punishes violations of the law with imprisonment or other legal punishments. It settles disputes between individuals or businesses, as well as between citizens and the government.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need To Register Residence In France?
Because France is an EU member state, there is no legal requirement to apply for a residence permit (carte de séjour); however, you may do so if you desire.
It is free and valid for up to five years. You must present your passport or ID card and proof of employment or registered self-employment.
How Is An Address In France Written?
The following is how the address should be written:
- Line 1, identify the addressee (civility, full name, title).
- Line 2, information about the delivery point (apartment number, floor, hallway, staircase).
- Line 3, more geographic information (entrance number, building name).
How Do I Prove My Main Residence In France?
So, how do you obtain the infamous “Justificatif de Domicile”? There is only one way to get it if you have just moved there: get a French person to vouch for you.
To vouch for you, a French resident or your employer can write an “attestation d’hébergement” letter.
Can You Be Resident In France Without Being A Tax Resident?
Strictly speaking, the French authorities state that if your family home is in France, even if you work outside of France and spend most of your time away from the country, you are considered a French resident for tax purposes but not necessarily for social security obligations.
Does Having A Residency Card Mean I Need To Declare Income In France?
Yes, if you are a fiscal resident of France, you must file a French income tax declaration showing worldwide income, though due to the double tax treaty between France and the US, income is only taxable once.
How Long Can You Stay In France If You Own A House?
The temporary long-stay visa is valid for a maximum time of a year, but it is usually granted for stays of four to six months.
If you want and plan to spend longer than six months in France, you will likely be classified as residing in France for tax purposes.
Do I Need A French Bank Account To Live In France?
While a French bank account is not required for daily shopping, it is required if you plan to pay taxes and utility bills, receive a paycheck, or buy property in France.
Can You Be Resident In Two EU Countries?
Yes. If you apply for and are granted a residence permit in a second EU country, you can stay there for more than three months for work, study, or training purposes.
Conclusion
See? Registering your address in France isn’t as complex as assembling a croquembouche.
Armed with this guide, you’re ready to plant your flag—or at least a mailbox—on French soil.
Settle Smoothly!
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