How long do French residency rights last if you move away?

A Connexion reader with a 10-year residency card reports being told he could live outside France for a maximum of three years before losing his rights to live here, and asks if this is correct.

The rules on this vary, depending on the type of 10-year card. For example, an ordinary carte de résident, such as can be issued in some cases as a first card to those with certain family links in France, is invalid if you leave France for more than three consecutive years, according to French government information.

Read also: French Residency Rules and UK Border Changes: What You Need to Know in 2025

In the case of a carte de résident de longue-durée - UE (EU long-term resident card, which foreign people can apply for after five years of living in France), official sources state that the card expires after you have either lived outside the EU for three consecutive years or lived outside France in any country for six years consecutively.

Rights expire after five years’ absence from France for holders of 10-year Withdrawal Agreement (WA) cards. EU sources previously told The Connexion that ‘absence’ means literal absence from French soil, rather than, for example, tax residency or where you live habitually.

Jane Golding, chair of British in Europe and an expert in EU law, said the WA does not define the term. However, she said there is case law relating to the EU long-term resident status.

Read also: French 10-year residency cards: The three types and who can apply for them

She said this is comparable to the status of Britons with 10-year WA cards, which shows it can indeed be taken literally. We are not aware, however, of any specific ruling on this in France.

For more information on visas and residency cards consult The Connexion's guide, available here: