French prefectures must rule on residence applications within 90 days
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bladi
From 30 October 2026, French prefectures must in principle rule within 90 days on the relevant residence-permit applications, compared with four months previously. The period starts when a complete application is submitted and may be extended by 30 days in complex cases, according to the decree published in the Official Journal.
From 30 October 2026, French prefectures will have to rule within 90 days on the relevant residence-card applications, compared with four months previously. The period runs from the submission of a complete application, and Decree No. 2026-1001 requires written notification of the decision, according to the decree published in the Official Journal on 29 October.
A prefecture may have an additional 30 days in the event of a particularly complex application, provided it informs the applicant. Its silence for 90 days will continue to constitute an implied refusal. Some procedures nevertheless retain specific time limits: 30 days for an EU Blue Card requested by a holder already established in another European Union country, and 60 days for the ‘talent-researcher’ card, according to the decree.
The text also reduces from 12 to six months after hiring the period during which termination of the employment contract may justify a refusal at the first renewal of a work permit. Involuntary job losses and serious breaches by the employer are among the exceptions provided for by the decree.
For holders of a ‘temporary worker’ card, an involuntary loss of employment may not lead to the withdrawal of the permit during a cumulative period of three months. Employees who find another employer during this period may remain in France while their application is being examined, according to the decree.
