What residence permits must a foreigners national have to stay in France for more than 3 months?
Verified 08 July 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
If you are a foreigners citizen of full age and wish to stay in France for a period of more than 3 months, you must have a long-stay visa or a residence permit. However, if you are a national of a country of l' where you are swiss, this obligation does not apply to you.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
European or Swiss citizen
If you are a citizen of a country in the - or Switzerland, you do not have to hold a residence permit. However, you can get one if you do request.
The accompanying family members and who are of foreign nationality other than that of an EEE or Swiss country must hold one of the following cards:
Algerian
You must hold one of the following residence permits:
Other nationality
You must have one of the following residence documents:
- Long-stay visa
- Long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS)
- Provisional residence permit (APS): parent of sick child, volunteering mission, temporary protection
- Temporary or multiannual residence card: private and family life, employee/temporary worker, student, intern, trainee family helper "au pair", visitor, entrepreneur/liberal profession
- Multi-year residence card : talent, seasonal worker, ICT posted employee
- Resident card: Resident card, Long-term Resident Card UE, Permanent Resident Card
- Retired residence card.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by telephone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- 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 of residence and work of European citizens for the first 5 years
Residence documents non-European foreigners
Residence of European citizens
Circular on the right of residence of European citizens