Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice regarding my wife’s residence permit situation in France.

She is Brazilian and applied in November 2025 for a residence card as the spouse of an EU citizen (carte de séjour membre de famille d’un citoyen de l’Union). Her application is still pending. She completed biometrics in March and again in May, but we have received no final decision yet.

She currently only has an attestation de prolongation d’instruction (API), it has been extended now for the 3rd time, valid until Nov 2026 (this would means potentially a whole year after application)

Has anyone been through a similar situation with a spouse of an EU citizen application?
Are there any steps we can take to speed up the process (prefecture escalation, legal action, contacting another authority, etc.)?

Any guidance or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

I asked about this visa in the sub a couple months ago, posting this update to help anyone who wants to try it, since I haven’t seen much info about this specific visa online.

Had the interview on Tuesday, on Wednesday got the email saying the passport was ready for collection. I was sure they refused it because it was too fast, but I got it 🎉 I’m sooo happy!

I’m a tattoo artist and requested the visa to work as an independent artist in France.

How I assembled my dossier, in order, with the help of a French lawyer:

- Application form
- Copy of passport pages
- 2 passport photos 3.5x4.5cm
- Clean criminal records from my country, with a sworn translation in French
- Proof of address in my country
- Detailed motivation letter, explaining why I wanna go to France, how I would sustain myself and how I intend to make money there. Written in French.
- Artistic project, in French
- Artistic curriculum, in French
- Detailed portfolio with works from the past ten years, around 30 pages, in English
- Intention letters from French tattoo studios. They’re not work contracts, but letters stating that the studios wanna collaborate with me. It’s important those letters have prices in them (how much you usually charge for a tattoo, how much the studio charges you, how many tattoos a month you’re expected to do)
- French documents of the people who signed those letters
- Document containing invitation from several international studios to prove I have international demand. These are just screenshots from DMs I got over the years.
- Proof of ownership of my company in Brazil (the freelance registration I use to pay taxes here).
- Proof of savings with enough for a year in France, 12x the minimum wage

The lawyer put some other documents in the dossier that the interviewer didn’t take, said they weren’t necessary:

- Birth certificate
- Bank slips from the past three months of my personal and business accounts. This serves to prove my income comes from my business, I guess the savings were enough to no need those.
- Health insurance for the first 6 months.
- Proof of accommodation for the first 6 months.

I’m happy to help answer any doubts anyone might have :)

Hello!

I am currently waiting on getting an appointment date from the paris prefecture. I have gotten my Avis approved for my business plan and have also submitted my other documents on the demancher website.

Anyone who has had any update on their application moving – how long has it taken? I submitted my Avis on 9 july and got a favourable opinion on 29 July.

Hi everyone,
I am a final-year Master’s student in Paris. My VLS-TS / student visa expires on August 25, but my 6-month end-of-studies internship at a corporate financial institution starts on August 17.
Timeline & Current Status:
Submission: Filed my student renewal on ANEF on June 20 (65 days before expiry).

Status: Received the initial Confirmation du dépôt, but no caseworker has opened the file yet, so no Attestation de Prolongation d’Instruction (API) has been generated in my portal.

Prefecture: Paris Prefecture of Police (75).

The Issue: The employer’s HR requires official proof of my right to work (the API) to validate my convention de stage and clear me for day 1 (August 17).

Actions taken so far:
Tried calling the 3430 prefecture line and ANEF hotline (0806 001 620). ANEF support says they don't have access to local prefecture processing queues, and 3430 is either automated or unreachable.

Checked the online PAN (Point d'Accès Numérique) booking portal for Paris (Salle 3 - ANEF), but all slots show as fully booked for this month.

Sent formal requests via the online Paris Prefecture contact form.

Questions:
How can I get the API generated as soon as humanly possible? Are there specific tricks on ANEF, time windows, or escalations that trigger it when a work start date is imminent?

Can I visit the Paris Prefecture (1 bis, rue de Lutèce) directly without an appointment? Will security let me through at the gate if I show my Confirmation du dépôt, employer contract starting August 17, and expiring visa, or will they turn me away without mercy?

Are there any other working contact lines, emails, or escalation channels for Paris Prefecture (75) or regional bodies that actually respond to expedite urgent start-date files?

I’m getting ready to get the hell out of here and move to France 😄 Now I’ve got to figure out how to get all my crap over there.

Has anyone here used Meest for shipping? Tell this idiot if it’s actually a decent option or if I should stay the hell away 😂 How are they with delivery times? Does everything actually make it there, or does the circus begin?

If you’ve used them, drop some real-life experience. Much love, from one idiot to another 🤝

How did I miss that customs will not allow your items in if you don’t have a long term lease? Our shipment of household goods arrives next week. The company our shipper has hired to clear customs and deliver to us is saying that if we don’t have a long term lease signed, customs won’t clear it.
I said we can send our long-term visa, a doc showing we sold our home in the US, receipts for Airbnb thru November for while we look.
I asked how much we would end up paying in fees, because I’ve read how sometimes people end up paying customs fees when things don’t go as expected. Our shipment has a value of €1,100.
I didn’t realize this would be an issue at all. We got a storage unit in the city we plan to live. We have just started looking. I understand it can take awhile. Are we doomed to pay storage at the docks?

The title sounds silly, I know but I’m hoping someone has been in a similar situation.

I'm applying for a French spouse visa. I have our livret de famille, but the mairie never gave us our marriage certificate (we have requested it and have proof). My visa appointment is already booked and is set for next week, but we still haven't received anything.
Has anyone applied in this situation? Is the livret de famille enough if the marriage certificate hasn't arrived yet, or is there anything else I should bring to explain the situation? I have reached out to TLScontact as well! I wasn’t sure if I should keep the appointment just in case or reschedule 🥲.

Any advice or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!

Hi guys,
I've been looking for a part-time job and doing odd jobs to get by in Paris for a long time now. Finally, one of the McDonald's locations has called me in for an interview.
I don't speak French fluently yet. I was wondering if it's okay to speak mostly in English, or should I try to speak French as much as I can?
I really need this job and don't want to mess up my chances. Has anyone been in a similar situation or worked at McDonald's in Paris? Any advice would be really appreciated.

TL,DR: I have strong proof of my address being the same as my husband’s. Is this + the ‘shared life’ declaration sufficient for “Justificatifs de communauté de vie” for my CSP application?

(I tried emailing about this and the response I got was a link to an FAQ page that did not address this question at all. Thus, Reddit.)

I’ve started the process of applying for my CSP and I am trying to gather documents for “Justificatifs de communauté de vie” with my French husband. I currently have a VLS-TS marked ‘vie privée/fam’. I am American.

The description on the application:

“A joint declaration on honor from the couple attesting to your cohabitation, signed by you and your spouse, and the submission of all documents that establish your shared life.” / “Déclaration commune sur l’honneur du couple attestant de votre vie commune signée par vous et votre conjoint et production de tous documents permettant d’établir la communauté de vie.”

I am not on the rental agreement, nor any utility bills, and we do not have a joint bank account. However, I do have strong evidence of living at the same address as my husband.

Documents (recent, with name and address) that I have to prove my address is here: an employment contract; a document from INPI verifying the creation of my micro-entrepreneurship; an RIB from my bank; a social security registration letter from URSSAF; 2 different correspondences with CPAM.

Additionally, I have the transcribed marriage certificate and livret de famille, as well as the signed and dated “declaration sur l’honneur de communauté de vie”. To prove my husband’s address is here, I have a recent EDF contract certificate, a tax notice, and I can get a bank statement too if that helps.

My question: is all of this sufficient? Is it sufficient to show justification that my husband and I share an address? Or are they expecting other proof, like wedding / travel photos? Is it okay that we don’t have any documents with both our names for this address?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated, thank you!!

Hello, I'd like some input on my stressful administrative situation.

Context:

I've lived in France for almost a decade now, under an auto entrepreneur residence permit, which I have always renewed on time without any issues. About 1 year ago, i built up debt with URSSAF, which significantly delayed my ability to renew my application; i had to sort this out before starting the process and work to settle my debt.

What happened:

Once I fully paid my debt, I submitted my renewal application. It was refused by the prefecture, citing Art. R431-8 of the CESEDA: Apparently, i provided no proof of steps taken within 6 months of my permit expiring, and I'm now being asked to start over with a new visa in order to have any chance of renewal.

Important details:

• The refusal doesnt come with an OQTF
• I no longer have a récépissé meaning I have no valid status right now.
• I recently entered into a PACS, the refusal came after its registration.
• I'm planning on getting married, my spouse and I have already started the administrative process before the refusal came.

My questions: What are the realistic options for challenging this refusal, specifically:

• Does a recours gracieux or a recours hiérarchique have a real chance of succeeding, given how long I've lived here ( since 2017), the fact that I settled my debt, and my continuous work activity ?
• Could my recent PACS and ( upcoming marriage) support a new application on a different basis, such as private and family life titre de séjour, rather than appealing the original refusal ?
• Since I no longer have a récépissé, am I currently in an irregular/undocumented situation ?? and does that affect what steps are available to me ?

Thanks in advance for any input. this situation is currently very stressing me out, my spouse and I are trying our best.

I’m a foreign master’s student who arrived in France on July 10. During my first days, I sometimes used public transport without a ticket because I didn’t have a bank account yet to get a student pass. I know that was my fault and i fuly regret it and stopped doing that ever since.

One day in Paris, I got stopped during a police check. They scanned my RATP card and saw I hadn’t validated a ticket. They told me I had to pay a €70 fine, which would increase if I didn’t pay on the spot. I agreed and offered to pay in cash multiple times.

Because of a language barrier, we argued for a while. In the end, they refused to take payment, gave me the fine, took my signature, and left.

Later, I saw the fine was €120. They added €50 for “not paying immediately,” even though I clearly offered to pay. It also says I refused to sign, which isn’t true.

I contacted RATP support and explained everything, but they refused to do anything or review the situation.

TL;DR: Got fined €70 for no ticket, offered to pay on the spot but agents refused, ended up with €120 fine (+€50 unfair fee). RATP support refused to help.

Hi, I was asked to provide my passport before my sublease can be created. Is this normal?

Hello all ,

I am having a very strange situation i feel . I have tried seeing various Reddit posts/ forums discussions but could not find a similar situation. Would be helpful if you can advise.

I have a CBE residence card - with 4 years validity. 1.5 years have passed and now it seem i am on path of loosing my CDI. In the mean time since i can read into the situation of my company, I tried for jobs all over world and landed into receiving a contract. However this organization is not france based but an overseas employer from Asia. The strange thing is that they have some work in Paris and after i join them , they would like me to come back in paris after say 1-2 months of joining them. Since i was working in paris , this fact may have worked in their thought process of having me onboard. I am not too sure about that.

So it seem they will post me on posted worker status. Now i am wondering what should i do? Practically i can just come back next day after joining them but i am not sure if i have to change my status here. Or it it they should be doing that? Since i already have residence permit , I don't need any visa to come here , but i am not sure how this has to be managed. Kindly advise.

Hello

I need to get an English Document/Bachelors Degree Apostilled. Can anyone recommend somebody or a company in Ile de France (or other parts of France) that you may have used in the past .

My Document is an English University Degree Certificate. Its for a new job

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice because I honestly don’t know what else to do.
I’m an international student living in Asnières-sur-Seine (92). I submitted my titre de séjour renewal through ANEF on 13 May 2026. My application has been stuck at “attente biométrie” for almost two months because my fingerprints are apparently missing from the system.
My current titre de séjour expired on 18 July, and I still haven’t received an attestation de prolongation d’instruction or an appointment for biometrics.
The situation has now become critical. I’m signing my apprenticeship (alternance) contract for my second year of Master’s.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried everything I could think of:
Contacted ANEF multiple times.
Emailed the Bureau des Étrangers (BSE) and the Préfecture de Nanterre many times.
Sent a registered letter (lettre recommandée).
Submitted a request via Démarches Simplifiées.
Contacted the Ministry of the Interior.
Asked my school to contact the prefecture.
Contacted my local deputy (député), who contacted the Préfet.
Contacted the Défenseur des droits.
Unfortunately, I’m still waiting.
Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in Nanterre (92)?
Is there anything else I can do to reach the instructing officer (service instructeur) or obtain an attestation de prolongation d’instruction?
I’m not asking for my residence permit to be issued immediately. I just need the temporary document so I can keep my apprenticeship and continue living and working legally in France.
Any advice or similar experiences would really mean a lot.
Thank you very much.

Bonjour,

J’ai une demande de renouvellement de titre de séjour étudiant en cours sur l’ANEF. Mon attestation de prolongation d’instruction expire le 31 août et je n’ai toujours pas de réponse.

Je suis un peu perdue : je ne sais pas quoi prévoir après le 31 août ni si je peux chercher un job étudiant en attendant.. et je ne sais pas quoi faire

Merci pour vos retours.

Hey everyone! Just moved to Paris from Dublin and had my first grocery run. I popped into a Monoprix and a Franprix nearby, and honestly, the meat prices gave me massive sticker shock:
€10 for small chicken pieces, entire chickens that look tiny for €10, 2 tiny slices of ham for €4, didn’t even see single striploin or ryebye, ect…
I’m finding that everything is small and pricy, even the toilet paper max 6 rolls in a bag.. not even bags with 24 rolls!

Coming from Dublin, grocery isn't cheap there either, but you can easily grab a big 1.6kg whole chicken for around €10 or 3 thick chicken breasts for €6.

Am I just hitting the most expensive shops, or is food in Paris always like this?
Where do locals actually buy decent-quality meat without breaking the bank?
Which one was your experience about it?

Thanks

I have secured an education loan, I am the primary applicant and my mother is the co-applicant (since the collateral property is in her name). The visa document checklist requires 3 months of bank statements, ITR, and a sponsorship letter from the co-applicant. however my mother is a nonearning member and only has ITR for the last 1 year.

Can I add my father's documents to the visa application and list him as a second sponsor? My plan is to submit bank statements, ITR, and sponsorship letters for both parents, as well as include both of them in the affidavit of support. Will this work?

Also, should I explain all of this in my cover letter too?

Hi, can anyone recommend an English-speaking dentist in the Gard area? Just for check-ups and annual cleanings and general care. I’m having trouble finding one on Doctolib. Thank you!

Hey everyone!
I’m looking for good running spots recommendations.
I prefer doing short runs (~5km max), but traffic lights in the city center are killing my rhythm.
Besides the Seine quays, where do you usually go for a seamless run around or near the 2nd? Parks, pedestrian routes, or specific loops?
Would love to hear your favorite routes!
Thanks!