Your French residence permit is about to expire and the préfecture has not decided on your renewal yet? You are not left without papers. If you applied on time, the préfecture must give you an attestation de prolongation d'instruction in your ANEF account. Together with your expired card, it proves that you are lawfully in France.
Key facts
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Who gets it | Anyone whose complete ANEF application was filed on time and whose permit expires before the decision |
| When to file | Between 120 and 60 days before your card expires |
| When it should appear | Before your card expires, automatically, without any request from you |
| How long it lasts | Up to 3 months, renewed until the préfecture decides |
| Can I work? | Yes if you are renewing a permit that allowed work; for a first permit, it depends |
| Can I travel? | Yes for a renewal, with your expired card; not for a first permit |
| Filed late? | No attestation, and a €180 fee |
| Is the ANEF filing receipt enough? | No, it only proves that you applied |
Filing receipt or attestation: what is the difference?
ANEF, the online platform for residence permits, gives you two documents that are easy to confuse:
- The attestation de dépôt arrives as soon as you file. It only proves that you applied. It does not protect you with an employer, a landlord or at an identity check.
- The attestation de prolongation d'instruction appears when your card expires and the préfecture is still examining your file. With your expired card, it proves you are lawfully in France.
Once the préfecture says yes, a third document, the attestation de décision favorable, covers you until you collect your new card.
In 2026, the Conseil d'État, France's highest administrative court, made two things clear. The attestation must be in your account before your card expires, and the préfecture cannot ask you to request it. The court also found that it was often issued late and ordered the State to fix this.
One thing to keep in mind: the attestation keeps you covered, but it does not mean your file is moving. If the préfecture stays silent for 90 days after a complete application, the law treats it as a refusal. See what to do when the préfecture is not responding.
Who is entitled to it
Three conditions must be met:
- You applied on ANEF. Paper applications follow other rules.
- Your file is complete. If an essential document is missing, for example the work authorisation needed to renew an employee card, the préfecture does not have to issue it.
- You applied on time: between 120 and 60 days before your card expires. This also applies when you change status, for example from student to employee, and to the EU Blue Card.
If ANEF itself stopped you from filing on time, the deadline should not be held against you. Keep screenshots of your attempts.
Good to know: if you hold a 10-year resident card or a 4-year multi-year card, your expired card alone covers you for 3 months after expiry.
Not sure whether your file counts as complete, or whether you applied on time? A short consultation is enough to check your dates.
How long it lasts
The attestation is valid for up to 3 months. If the préfecture needs longer, it must renew it before it ends, again automatically. Keep an eye on the end date: between two attestations you have no valid document, and your employer or benefit agencies may suspend your rights.
Can you work and travel with it?
Work. If you are renewing a permit that allowed you to work, you can keep working. For a first permit or a change of status, it depends on the permit you asked for: it is often allowed for family-based permits and talent (famille) cards, and allowed only under conditions for employee and talent cards. The attestation sometimes says "no work" by mistake, which is worth checking.
Travel. The answer depends on your situation:
- Renewal: together with your expired card, the attestation lets you leave and come back to the Schengen area. Travel with your passport, the expired card and a printed attestation, and make sure it is still valid on the day you return.
- First permit, for example after a long-stay visa: the Interior Ministry states that the attestation does not allow you to cross Schengen borders. Travelling is risky: it is safer to wait for the decision or the card.
The filing receipt never allows you to come back.
The attestation has not appeared: what to do
This is the most common and most stressful situation: your card expires in a few days, and ANEF only shows the filing receipt. First check three things: was your filing date within the window, is there an unanswered request for documents, and has your card actually expired yet?
If everything is in order, the préfecture is breaking its obligation, and there are ways to make it act: a formal written complaint, the ANEF contact centre and an in-person appointment, the Défenseur des droits, and in urgent cases the administrative court, which can order the préfecture to issue the document. The right route, and the right order, depend on your dates and on what is at stake: your job, your housing, your benefits. Calling again and again rarely helps.
Applied late: what it means
If you applied less than 60 days before your card expired, or after, the préfecture no longer has to issue the attestation. You only have the filing receipt, which does not protect you, and you pay a €180 fee. Your employer may suspend your contract, benefits may stop, and an identity check becomes a real risk. Your application is still examined, but every week counts.
When it gets complicated
- The préfecture says your file is incomplete, but you believe you sent everything.
- You have an attestation but no decision after more than 90 days.
- You are changing status and your employer wants to know whether you can start.
- You need to travel while your file is pending.
- You applied late and your card has already expired.
- Your attestation has run out and was not renewed.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the attestation de prolongation d'instruction valid?
Up to 3 months. It is renewed for as long as the préfecture has not decided.
Can I travel outside France with an attestation de prolongation?
If you are renewing a permit, yes, together with your expired card. If it is your first permit, the Interior Ministry says the attestation does not allow you to cross Schengen borders.
Can I work with the attestation?
Yes if you are renewing a permit that allowed you to work. For a first permit, it depends on the permit you applied for.
What if the préfecture does not issue the attestation?
Check that your file is complete and was filed on time. If so, the préfecture must issue it, and a judge can order it in an emergency.
Is the ANEF filing receipt enough to stay in France?
No. It only proves that you applied.
Related reading
- Préfecture not responding? What to do when your permit is stuck
- Student to work permit in France: changing status step by step
- The new 90-day préfecture deadline (decree 2026-1001)
- France talent card: which category fits you
Two ways to move forward
Review your file. In a consultation: your dates, your right to the attestation, your right to work and travel, and the risks in your timeline. Book a consultation.
Hand over the follow-up. The firm deals with the préfecture to obtain the attestation or the decision, and goes to the administrative court if needed. Describe your situation and you will receive a proposal for full assistance.
General information under French law as at 31 October 2026. It is not legal advice for your situation.