Foreign residents planning to renew long-term stay in France could soon face steeper fees. According to a VisaHQ analysis of the Draft Finance Bill 2026 presented to Parliament on 28 November, the government wants to raise the price of the standard ten-year carte de séjour pluri-annuelle from €200 to €300. Most other long-stay visas and residency cards—including talent-passport renewals favoured by multinationals—would climb between 30 % and 50 %.
Budget rapporteurs argue France is merely "aligning with the European median": Spain charges roughly €218 and Germany about €100 for comparable permits. Yet migrant-rights NGOs counter that newcomers already shoulder high startup costs for housing deposits, French-language tuition and social-security enrolment, making another €100 a potential barrier for students and lower-paid assignees.
![French draft budget proposes €100 hike on ten-year residency cards from 2026]()
For employers the headline impact is cost. A family of four on intra-company transfer visas could see total paperwork fees jump by more than €400 at next renewal. HR and global-mobility teams should therefore build higher immigration-cost assumptions into 2026 assignment budgets and update relocation-policy caps.
If adopted unchanged, the new tariff schedule would take effect on 1 January 2026. Companies with renewals due in Q1-2026 might explore filing early in December 2025 to lock in current rates, provided biometric appointments are available. Stakeholders should monitor parliamentary debates in December, where opposition parties have already flagged possible amendments mandating fee waivers for humanitarian cases.
Budget rapporteurs argue France is merely "aligning with the European median": Spain charges roughly €218 and Germany about €100 for comparable permits. Yet migrant-rights NGOs counter that newcomers already shoulder high startup costs for housing deposits, French-language tuition and social-security enrolment, making another €100 a potential barrier for students and lower-paid assignees.
For employers the headline impact is cost. A family of four on intra-company transfer visas could see total paperwork fees jump by more than €400 at next renewal. HR and global-mobility teams should therefore build higher immigration-cost assumptions into 2026 assignment budgets and update relocation-policy caps.
If adopted unchanged, the new tariff schedule would take effect on 1 January 2026. Companies with renewals due in Q1-2026 might explore filing early in December 2025 to lock in current rates, provided biometric appointments are available. Stakeholders should monitor parliamentary debates in December, where opposition parties have already flagged possible amendments mandating fee waivers for humanitarian cases.
