The French interior ministry has announced changes to simplify residence permit renewal for foreigners, following criticism of the ANEF platform and prefecture congestion. The new measures aim to reduce delays and improve the overall experience for foreign nationals. In response to a senator's interpellation, the ministry has outlined its plan to improve the rights of foreigners. The changes include managing extension attestations, collecting biometric data, technical adjustments to ANEF, and increased resources for prefectural services.
Since May 4, 2026, the renewal of extension attestations has been automated for all pending residence permit applications. This change ensures that applicants have a valid document during the waiting period for a decision, eliminating the risk of rights being revoked. Additionally, the validity period of biometric fingerprints has been extended from five to ten years, reducing the need for frequent visits to prefectures for fingerprint collection.
The ministry is also addressing technical issues by phasing out the outdated AGDREF system, which has caused problems due to its coexistence with the ANEF platform. The goal is to stabilize the system by transitioning to a single, unified platform. This change aims to resolve the primary cause of technical issues with the online service.
To accelerate the issuance of residence permits, the administration is increasing its workforce. Since April 2026, prefectural services handling foreign nationals' residence permits have been allocated the equivalent of 500 full-time positions over a year. A budget for additional working hours has also been allocated to help teams process the backlog of pending cases.
The ministry's priority is to reduce delays in permit issuance and improve the tracking of administrative procedures for foreign nationals. To achieve this, an instruction was sent to prefects on April 5, 2026, to intensify service management. The ministry is also enhancing training and support for instructing agents to optimize case processing.
The changes aim to improve the experience of foreign nationals renewing their residence permits in France. By automating extension attestations and extending the validity of biometric fingerprints, the ministry hopes to reduce congestion in prefectures and alleviate delays. The increased workforce and resources are also expected to contribute to faster processing times.
The new measures are part of a broader effort to improve the management of residence permits for foreign nationals in France. The ministry's plan includes a range of technical, administrative, and personnel changes to address the challenges faced by applicants and prefectural services. The goal is to create a more efficient and streamlined process for all parties involved.
Key points
- France's interior ministry has introduced new measures to simplify residence permit renewal for foreigners, including automated extension attestations and extended biometric fingerprint validity.
- The ministry is increasing its workforce and resources to accelerate permit issuance and reduce delays.
- The changes aim to improve the experience of foreign nationals renewing their residence permits in France.
