WA Permits - Technical Guide
Please note the application portal is now CLOSED. However the type of evidence required to prove lawful residence by 31 December 2020, remains the same.
"ONLINE RESIDENCE PERMIT APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR BRITISH NATIONALS AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS RESIDING IN FRANCE OR COMING TO SETTLE IN FRANCE BEFORE 31 DECEMBER 2020
Who is this service for?
This online service is intended only for British nationals and their family members, of British nationality or third-country nationals, residing in France or coming to settle in France before 31 December 2020.
Other British nationals, who will arrive in France as of 1 January 2021, will have to apply for a residence permit at the prefecture, and not on this site.
If you have already applied for a Brexit residence permit without agreement, between 9 October 2019 and 31 January 2020, you do not need to reapply online. Your application has been considered and will be processed by the prefecture before the obligation to hold a residence permit is enforceable against you.
From when will the residence permit be compulsory?
British nationals residing in France or coming to settle there before 31 December 2020 must apply for a residence permit online on this site before 1 July 2021.
NB The portal was due to close on 30 June 2021 but on 1 July 2021, the French government announced that the online application portal will remain open until 30 September 2021 for those who were unable to apply by 30 June 2021. If you submit your application from 1 July 2021 to 30 Sept 2021, please indicate in the comments section of the online form the reason for your late application.
Possession of a residence permit will be compulsory from 1 October 2021 for anyone over the age of 18. Until that date, your rights in terms of residence, professional activity and all your social rights will be maintained.
Minors (under 18) are exempt from the obligation to hold a residence permit. They do not have to apply online.
EU residence permits issued to UK nationals and their family members will no longer be valid from 1 October 2021.
An online application must be made on this site to obtain a residence permit bearing the words "UK withdrawal agreement from the EU".
How to prepare your online application for a residence permit?
To apply, you will need to send a photographed or scanned copy of your passport as well as one or more other additional documents depending on your situation (see table link).
Make sure you have all these documents before you start your online procedure.
Photographed or scanned documents must be in .pdf, .png, .jpeg or .jpg format.
Each document transmitted as a supporting document must have a different name.
The maximum size of each file cannot exceed 5 MB.
The form is entered in several steps. You will be asked to upload the corresponding supporting documents. Then, a page dedicated to observations will allow you to optionally leave any details you deem useful.
At the end of the procedure, you can check the information provided on the summary page, before confirming your online entry so that your application for a residence permit can be registered.
It is possible to start an online application and finalise it later. To do so, you will need to click on the tracking code located at the top left of the page to exit the procedure. You have 20 days to complete your procedure. After this period, the data entered will be automatically deleted.
What are the steps of the procedure?
After validating your request online, a confirmation of your request will be sent to you by e-mail with a registration acknowledgement number.
Once your file has been processed, an e-mail will be sent to you by the prefecture services in order to set an appointment at the prefecture to finalise your application (receipt of the photograph and taking of fingerprints).
Your residence permit will then be sent to your home by post.
In case of difficulty in your procedures, you can consult our frequently asked questions or write to contact-demandeenligne-brexit@interieur.gouv.fr. "
