Increase in fees and new contributions for foreigners, effective 1 May 2026

19^th may 2026

The first issuance of a residence permit will now be subject to a fee of €300 (instead of €200 currently) for most categories, including “Talent”, “ICT – posted worker”, “employee” or “temporary worker” permits.

The validation of a long‑stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS‑TS) will be subject to a fee of €300 (instead of €200 currently).

Certain categories will benefit from a reduced fee of €100, such as seasonal workers, students, au pairs, interns or individuals under the “private and family life” status (family reunification, occupational disease, job search or business creation).

For renewals, the fee will be increased to €200 for standard permits, and to €50 for categories that benefited from the reduced fee at first issuance.

In practice, categories that paid €100 for the first application will therefore pay €50 for renewal.

For foreign nationals who entered France without the required visa, the regularization fee will increase to €300 (instead of €200), of which €100 will be payable upon filing the application (versus €50 previously).

The cost will increase from €55 to €255. It will apply to naturalization, reinstatement and certain declarations of acquisition of nationality (Articles 21‑2, 21‑13‑1 and 21‑13‑2 of the Civil Code). This increase represents a five-fold rise in the cost of the procedure.

• Temporary residence authorizations (APS) : APS, which were previously free of charge, will now be subject to a fee of €100 for issuance and renewal. Certain situations will remain exempt, notably victims of human trafficking or pimping (Article L. 425‑4 of the CESEDA) and beneficiaries of temporary protection (currently Ukrainian nationals).
• Exchange of foreign driving licenses : The exchange of a foreign driving license, previously free of charge, will now be subject to a fee of €40.

These developments result in a significant increase in the cost of administrative procedures for foreign nationals in France. It is essential to anticipate these changes to plan international mobility budgets, inform the employees concerned and avoid any unexpected costs during administrative procedures. We recommend that you factor these new provisions into your budget forecasts and internal organization as of now.