Can you return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a valid residence permit (titre de séjour)?

Yes, you can return to France after leaving the Schengen area with your valid passport and your valid residence permit (titre de séjour). If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande) or a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande), you must apply for a return visa (visa de retour) at the French consulate in the country where you are staying. To return to the Schengen area, whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions, for example sufficient resources.

Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a valid residence permit (titre de séjour)?

You can return to France with your valid passport and your valid residence permit (titre de séjour).Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
To return to the Schengen area, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources), whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour)?

You can return to France with your temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour) and your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
To return to the Schengen area, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources), whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande) or a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande)?

If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), you must apply for a return visa (visa de retour) at the French consulate in the country where you are staying so that you can return.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande), you must apply for a return visa (visa de retour) at the French consulate in the country where you are staying so that you can return.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
With a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), a prefectoral return visa may be granted in exceptional situations (humanitarian cases, force majeure, etc.). The first-application receipt holder must request the prefectoral return visa before departure in exceptional situations. The first-application receipt holder must pay 6 € in timbre fiscal tax stamps for the prefectoral return visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
With an attestation de dépôt, a prefectoral return visa may be granted in exceptional situations (humanitarian cases, force majeure, etc.). The holder of an attestation de dépôt must request the prefectoral return visa before departure in exceptional situations. The holder of an attestation de dépôt must pay 6 € in timbre fiscal tax stamps for the prefectoral return visa in exceptional situations.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
A prefectoral return visa allows you to return only through a French border.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
To return to the Schengen area, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources), whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), an attestation de prolongation d'instruction or an attestation de décision favorable?

If you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), you can return with your renewal receipt, your expired residence permit and your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
An attestation de prolongation d'instruction issued for a residence permit renewal allows you to return with your expired residence permit or your expired long-stay visa (visa de long séjour), except a visa marked 'Dispense temporaire de carte de séjour', and with your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
An attestation de prolongation d'instruction for a first residence permit application does not allow you to return.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
An attestation de décision favorable allows you to return with your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
To return to the Schengen area, if you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement) or an attestation de prolongation d'instruction or an attestation de décision favorable, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources), whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

What documents do you need to return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) or a temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour)?

If you have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour), you need your valid passport to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour), you need your valid residence permit to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour), you need your valid passport to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour), you need your temporary authorisation to stay to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) or a temporary authorisation to stay (autorisation provisoire de séjour), you need proof that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources) to return to the Schengen area, whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

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What documents do you need to return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande) or a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande)?

If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), you need a return visa (visa de retour) from the French consulate in the country where you are staying to return.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande), you need a return visa (visa de retour) from the French consulate in the country where you are staying to return.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
Exceptionally (humanitarian cases, force majeure, etc.), a récépissé de 1ère demande holder may be granted a prefectoral return visa. The récépissé de 1ère demande holder must request the prefectoral visa before departure and pay 6 € in timbre fiscal tax stamps. The préfet decides freely whether to issue the prefectoral visa. The prefectoral visa permits return only through a French border.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
Exceptionally (humanitarian cases, force majeure, etc.), an attestation de dépôt de demande holder may be granted a prefectoral return visa. The attestation de dépôt de demande holder must request the prefectoral visa before departure and pay 6 € in timbre fiscal tax stamps. The préfet decides freely whether to issue the prefectoral visa. The prefectoral visa permits return only through a French border.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande) or a proof of application (attestation de dépôt de demande), you need proof that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources) to return to the Schengen area, whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

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What documents do you need to return to France after leaving the Schengen area with a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement)?

If you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), you need your renewal receipt to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), you need your expired residence permit to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), you need your valid passport to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a renewal receipt (récépissé de renouvellement), you need proof that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources) to return to the Schengen area, whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

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What documents do you need to return to France after leaving the Schengen area with an attestation de prolongation d'instruction for a renewal or an attestation de décision favorable?

An attestation de prolongation d'instruction issued for a residence permit renewal allows you to return to France. The attestation de prolongation d'instruction must be accompanied by your expired residence permit or your expired long-stay visa (except a visa marked Dispense temporaire de carte de séjour) and your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have an attestation de prolongation d'instruction issued for a residence permit renewal, you need your expired residence permit or your expired long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) to return, except a visa marked 'Dispense temporaire de carte de séjour'.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have an attestation de prolongation d'instruction issued for a residence permit renewal, you need your valid passport to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
An attestation de décision favorable for a residence permit application allows you to return to France. The attestation de décision favorable must be accompanied by your valid passport.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have an attestation de décision favorable, you need your valid passport to return to France.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have an attestation de prolongation d'instruction for a renewal or an attestation de décision favorable, you need proof that you meet the entry conditions (for example sufficient resources) to return to the Schengen area, whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

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What entry conditions must you meet to return to France after leaving the Schengen area?

After you leave the Schengen area, you must prove that you meet the entry conditions to return to the Schengen area. You must prove that you meet the entry conditions to return to the Schengen area whether or not your nationality is subject to a visa. Sufficient resources are an example of the entry conditions to return to the Schengen area.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
With a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), a prefectoral return visa may be granted in exceptional situations (humanitarian cases, force majeure, etc.). The first-application receipt holder must request the prefectoral return visa before departure in exceptional situations. The first-application receipt holder must pay 6 € in timbre fiscal tax stamps for the prefectoral return visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), the préfet decides freely whether to grant the prefectoral return visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande), you must request the prefectoral return visa before your departure.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you have a first-application receipt (récépissé de 1ère demande) and obtain a prefectoral return visa, the prefectoral return visa allows you to return only through a French border.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04