Last Updated on: October 04, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
French administration has been making a gradual transition from offline to online applications via the ANEF portal. So, the temporary paper extensions called “récépissé” have been replaced by online attestations in PDF format. You are required to download these documents and present them wherever required.
This article explains the various rights of these online attestations and tries to answer the following questions often asked by our readers.
- Can I stay in France legally with these attestations?.
- Can I travel outside France/Schengen area?.
- Can I study or work?.
The attestations are given in the following order based on the status of your resident permit application or renewal.
Note: Applications submitted via ANEF portal can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months for processing. In some cases, even longer too.
Confirmation du Dépôt
- This document is just a confirmation that you have submitted your online application. You will receive it immediately after submitting the application.
- Does not extend your legal stay in France, including the right to study or work here.
- Do not travel. If you leave France, you won’t be able to return without a return visa called “visa de retour” or an entirely new visa.
- If your online application is incomplete, you will be asked to provide additional documents. If these documents aren’t submitted in the mentioned duration, your application will be closed.
- If your resident permit is expiring soon, contact ANEF and request for the prolongation attestation explained in the next section.
- Between the expiry date of your resident permit and starting date of prolongation attestation, you will be in an irregular situation with very limited rights.
- For example: Your employer can temporarily suspend your employment contract.
Attestation de Prolongation de l’Instruction
- This attestation means that you have submitted all the required documents but the administration needs more time to process your application.
- You can legally stay in France. As this attestation just extends the previous Titre de Sejour, it will extend your current rights including the right to work or study. Students can work part-time.
- The holder of this attestation can travel outside France and return to the country, but must carry the expired visa/resident permit too. For example, you will be able to visit India and return to France.
- This attestation is valid only for a period of 3 months. Also, it can be issued as many times as required until a favorable decision is taken on your application.
- If your resident permit has expired and you haven’t received this attestation, you can contact ANEF and Prefecture for the attestation.
- If this attestation has expired and not renewed automatically, contact ANEF and your local Prefecture for another prolongation attestation.
- Some Prefectures allow people to submit an application for the renewal of this attestation. So, check the website of your Prefecture about this possibility.
Exception: Attestation de prolongation de l’instruction d’une première demande de titre de séjour
- Allows a legal stay in France.
- Does not allow any social rights.
- No work rights except when a « autorisation de travail » was obtained.
- Does not allow travel outside France. If you leave, a visa de retour is required for the return trip.
Attestation de Décision Favorable
- This attestation means that your application for the new resident permit has been successfully validated, your new card will be fabricated and you will soon be notified by an SMS or email.
- The prefecture usually takes 2 to 6 months for issuing the card.
- The attestation will have the same validity as the resident permit card to be issued.
- You can legally stay in France, including the right to work or study. Students can work part-time.
- The holder of this attestation can travel outside France and return to the country. For example, you will be able to visit India and return to France. However, the attestation must be accompanied by the expired visa/resident permit.
- An SMS will ask you to take an appointment at your prefecture. So, you can pay the applicable tax (stamp), submit your fingerprints and collect the new card.
- For appointments, you can visit the prefecture’s website and take one, except when a link is sent by prefecture via SMS/Email.
- Try to collect your card asap. If you aren’t able to collect it within a few weeks especially when you are abroad, inform the prefecture about it. However, we have seen cases in which the card was available even after 4-5 months.
- Sometimes, the prefectures forget to send the SMS even when the card is ready. So, you can start looking for prefecture appointments, 90 days after receiving this attestation.
- Don’t keep waiting for a long time expecting the SMS or e-mail.. Please be proactive and avoid any unnecessary complications.
Additional Information
- If your attestation has the text “premier demande”, you are not supposed to leave France. If you leave, you can return only with a visa de retour.
- Take printout of these attestations and present them everywhere including during immigration check.
- These attestations must always be accompanied by their previous visa or resident permit card (valid or expired).
- If you encounter any delays and other issues, please use the messaging option on the ANEF portal.
- You can also write to the prefecture via the Contact Us page on its website.
Experiences from the expat community
A few points based on the actual experiences from the community.
- As long as there is an ongoing resident permit application, you can stay in France.
- But staying without a valid récépissé or prolongation attestation or favorable décision attestation means that you cannot study, travel, work, social rights, etc in France. Basically, you will be struck wherever you are in France except the option to travel to your home country with a valid passport.
- People holding these online attestations should avoid transits/transfers outside the Schengen area. If not, you may not be able to board the flight.
- Air France and it’s partner airlines understand these documents well. Travelling via gulf carriers might create some issues. So, consult your airlines before booking the flight and a few days before departure.
- Transits via UK are not allowed.
- If the need for traveling isn’t urgent, it’s better to wait until receiving a favorable decision.
References
- Qu’est-ce qu’une attestation de demande de carte de séjour? servicepublic.fr
- Code de l’entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d’asile: Article 431-15 legifrance.gouv.fr
