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The first Brexit Withdrawal Agreement (WA) residency cards are now coming up for renewal, prompting efforts to create a standardised, though not centralised, renewal process. Not all areas, however, are taking it up.

Groups representing Britons in France have welcomed the move but have called for further information and simplification.

The co-chair of the Rift group for WA Britons, Justine Wallington, said: 鈥淚t's really important that those who urgently need renewal get prioritised. These cards are vital to many for their work, education, travel, healthcare and more.鈥�

We note that, legally-speaking, under the WA, Britons and their close family with 鈥榃A鈥� status (due to living in France before Brexit), obtain permanent residency rights after five years of residency and a card merely certifies this.

The UK/EU joint committee on WA citizens鈥� rights stated that as of January 2022, 105,600 permanent residency WA cards had been issued to Britons and their close family and 46,700 five-year cards.

鈥楶ermanent鈥� cards must be renewed 10-yearly, with very minimal formalities, and confer broad residency rights only lost after five years away from France. 

5-year cards from 2020 due for renewal

for 10-year WA cards, or at any time if the holder has proof of living at least five years in France as their main home.

The first five-year cards, issued in late 2020 to early applicants, are expiring now.

The majority of cardholders applied via a specific national website open from October 19, 2020 to October 4, 2021 and almost 100,000 applications had been lodged by February 2021. Assuming an average three months of processing, a large volume will therefore expire in the late winter of 2025 or early spring 2026.

In anticipation, the Interior Ministry advised prefectures to offer a standardised format for renewal applications, using a template form that they were invited to host on the website D茅marches Simplifi茅es (DS), if possible, by October 2025. 

However, only a minority, such as Calvados, Lot and Dordogne, did so by then.

Some others are still working on it. The prefecture of Gironde said: 鈥淭he prefecture will put in place a specific form on the online application DS as was asked for by the Direction G茅n茅rale des Etrangers en France.鈥� A spokeswoman said it will update its website when this is done.

Morbihan鈥檚 website promises a 鈥榮pecific process鈥� is on the way including a . Finist猫re did not confirm plans to use DS but told us from January specific timetable slots will be offered at Quimper and Brest, on one or two half-days per week, with bookings opening via its website from November.

WA card holders are advised to check their prefectures鈥� websites for information (see also links to some prefecture sites and corresponding DS web pages, as well as more about the standardisation plan).

The obligatory documents are: valid UK passport, proof of residency, such as a utility bill, less than six months old and your previous residency card. 

We note one prefecture is requesting a signed copy of a contrat d鈥檈ngagement (commitment to French Republican values), however this is optional for WA card holders as their rights .

So far, information on prefectures鈥� DS sites suggest two prefecture visits are necessary.

Most state that you will need to make an appointment to bring in three recent passport-style photos and paper copies of your documents. 

'Delays would cause uncertainty'

The Interior Ministry told The Connexion that applicants will then be issued with a 谤茅肠茅辫颈蝉蝉茅 receipt form, valid several months and acceptable for travel if presented with the old card (including for EES border check exemption). 

They will be notified when they can come to receive the new card and will only have to hand over the old card on receipt.

Rift鈥檚 Justine Wallington said the group welcomes the simplification plan but would have liked to see it adopted everywhere and with only one prefecture visit (as when the WA cards were issued the first time) and with submission of photos digitally (eg. as e-photos from booths or photographers).

She added that information on the swap process is hard to find on some prefecture sites and Rift hopes to see updates to national French websites (, , ) that the French government advised the European Commission would be made.

It would also like clearer information regarding the advice on official sites to apply dans les deux mois before expiration (ministry sources told The Connexion three months before is ideal).

Ms Wallington said she visited the European Commission earlier this year to discuss renewals and remains in contact with officials.

 鈥淚f there are delays over renewals, tens of thousands of Britons risk losing legal certainty,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e asked the commission to help ensure five-year upgrades are handled fairly and on time.鈥�

If you are going through the renewal process please share how it went and any tips, including which prefecture, that may help others via feedback@connexionfrance.com.