Long-term stay of a European in France
Verified 01 janvier 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
As a citizen of a the European Economic Area (EEA) or if you are Swiss, you have the possibility to settle in France beyond 3 months. The residence card giving effect to your rights is not mandatory, but may be useful. You can then acquire a right of permanent residence after the first 5 years of a regular and uninterrupted stay in France.
The stay of a citizen of the European Economic Area or a Swiss beyond the 3-month period is not completely free. A refusal to stay may be pronounced.
Entry into France
To enter France, you must comply with the following 2 obligations:
- Have a valid identity document or passport
- Do not pose a threat to public order.
Conditions of stay
To have a right to stay as a worker, you must be able to justify the exercise of a professional activity in France.
However, even if you no longer work, you may still have the right to stay in certain situations, including:
- Temporary incapacity in case of illness or accident
- Involuntary unemployment.
FYI
You may pursue any professional activity as an employed or self-employed person (except certain public jobs and, under certain conditions, certain regulated professions).
Request for residence card
You do not have to have a residence permit.
However, you have the right to request a Residence card EU/EEA/Switzerland citizen - All professional activities.
Right to permanent residence
After 5 years of legal and uninterrupted residence in France, you get a right to permanent residence.
You can prove your right to stay for the previous 5 years by any means (employment contract, unemployment certificate, registration in the trade and businesses register, etc.).
You then no longer need to justify the conditions of your stay (worker status or not).
You can stay permanently in France, provided you do not represent a serious threat to public order.
You can request a residence card EU/EEA/Switzerland citizen - Permanent residence - All professional activitiesBut it's not mandatory.
You lose your right to permanent residence if you are absent from France for more than 2 consecutive years.
Some absences are allowed:
- Temporary absences not exceeding 6 months per year
- Absences for the performance of military obligations
- Absence of up to 12 consecutive months for a major reason such as a serious illness, studies or a professional secondment abroad for example.
Please note
In some situations, you can obtain a right to permanent residence before the 5-year period. This is the case, under certain conditions, if you are a frontier worker or if you stop working as a result of a permanent incapacity for work or in order to receive your pension.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by phone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
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- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Right to stay and work for the first 5 years
Right to permanent residence after 5 years
Retention of the right of residence