How does EU Long-Term Resident Card (Resident longue duree-UE) work in France, and who qualifies?

The EU Long-Term Resident Card (Resident longue duree-UE) is one of France's settled-status options. You qualify after at least five years of legal, continuous residence (limited absences are allowed), provided you have stable monthly income — excluding social benefits — French language at B1 level, and you pass the civic examination. The card is issued for ten years.

Its standout feature is EU mobility: it lets you reside in other EU member states for stays over three months without needing a long-stay visa, which is valuable if your life or career may take you across Europe. EU Blue Card holders can reach this status faster — after two years in France, provided they completed at least three years in other EU states under qualifying permits.

First issuance costs EUR 350 (EUR 250 if you already hold a valid permit). France also has a separate, status-based ten-year resident card (carte de resident) granted on grounds such as marriage to a French national or family ties, rather than a fixed residence period. Because language and income rules have tightened recently, confirm the current conditions on service-public.gouv.fr, and ACME can help you determine which long-term card fits your circumstances.