France’s 2026 Budget proposes a giant hike in the price of residency and citizenship charges for foreigners, rising to €350 for a carte de séjour or €255 for citizenship.
As a part of France’s draft 2026 funds, the federal government has proposed considerably rising the charges utilized to purposes for residency permits, visas and French citizenship.
The authorities estimates that rising these charges would generate €160 million in further income and “carry France nearer to the European common” relating to visa and residency request processing charges.
The proposal, which is contained in Article 30 of the draft 2026 Budget, nonetheless must be debated by the Senate.
There have been a number of amendments tabled that have to be examined as effectively, with one proposing scrapping Article 30 solely and one other proposing even larger charges than listed within the authentic model of the textual content. It stays to be seen whether or not the 2026 draft Budget will cross in its present type – or in any respect. If it’s handed, the brand new charges may take impact from 2026.
Here are the proposed modifications;
Residency playing cards (cartes de séjour) – These are utilized for in France by way of your native préfecture. You pay related charges by buying a timbre fiscal of the quantity required. You can buy a timbre fiscal on-line or in particular person at a tabac.
The price, which consists of a tax and stamp obligation (droit de timbre) is utilized each for renewals and first-time purposes.
As of 2025, the price for many carte de séjour purposes was €225 – €200 tax and €25 stamp obligation.
If the draft 2026 Budget passes, the tax for first-time purposes and renewals might be elevated by €100, that means it could rise to €300. The draft Budget additionally proposes rising the stamp obligation for residency card purposes and renewals by €25, bringing it to €50.
As such, a typical residency card software or renewal would value €350 as an alternative of €225.
The draft Budget does reference some exceptions for sure classes, corresponding to college students and the post-graduate job-seeking standing, in addition to au pairs, and sure family-related statuses, who would pay a decreased tax of €100.
Meanwhile, some statuses (eg refugees and ‘humanitarian’ statuses), that are at present not topic to charges for residency allow requests, would stay exempt.
The post-Brexit ‘Article 50 TUE’ (WARP) card for Brits who had been resident in France previous to 2021 is free and would stay so, as outlined within the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Citizenship purposes – People making use of for French citizenship should additionally pay the timbre fiscal to submit their software. If you might be making use of exterior of France (by marriage), then the embassy or consulate web site will give directions for methods to pay it.
Currently candidates are requested to buy a timbre fiscal price €55 (though related prices like getting skilled translations of paperwork implies that the true value of making use of for citizenship is way larger).
If the draft 2026 Budget passes, this might be raised by €200, making the price €255.
READ MORE: How a lot it actually prices to turn into French
Visas – For most long-stay visas (that means for durations over 90 days), there may be the usual value utilized by the French authorities, in addition to the price utilized by the visa processing centre.
The embassy or consulate communicates its strategies of cost, however usually, cost is made in particular person on the day of your appointment to submit your paperwork.
As of 2025, the usual software value was €99 for many long-stay visas.
The draft 2026 Budget would alter this for long-stay visas that may be renewed as a carte de séjour.
For instance, this might have an effect on the VLS-TS ‘visiteur’ (the 12-month visa that may be renewed for a French residency card), however in concept it could not have an effect on the VLS-T ‘visiteur’ that can’t be renewed.
READ MORE: VLS-T or VLS-TS: What are the important thing variations between France’s customer visas?
The new price utilized could be equal to the charges of the corresponding residency card, as referenced above.
As issues stand, there are some exceptions relating to visa charges, corresponding to for college students and spouses of French nationals. It stays to be seen if these could be affected by the modifications.
The draft funds wouldn’t have an effect on the charges utilized by visa processing centres, like TLS Contact within the US and UK. In the US, TLS Contact fees €220 for all long-stay visas. Then, you additionally need to pay any mailing or courier prices to ship your passport.
On prime of that, folks on visas that may be renewed as residency playing cards should additionally pay a validation price upon arrival in France, the price of which varies primarily based on the kind of visa. The draft funds doesn’t point out altering the validation price.
Other modifications – The draft Budget additionally proposes rising the regularisation price from €200 to €300.
READ MORE: GUIDE: The modifications to the principles round French citizenship you want to know
