2026 Fee Increases: How Much Do French Visas, Residency Permits & Citizenship Cost Now?

Let’s start with some good news: visa applications themselves are not affected by the new fee increases, as they are handled by visa centres outside of France. Currently, most types of visa cost €99 + any additional processing or postage fees added by the visa centre.

However, the cost of validating your long-stay visa on arrival in France (which must be done within three months of arrival) has gone up. For a Long-Stay Visitor Visa (VLS-TS), the validation process now costs €300 instead of €200.

Most people moving to France will apply for their first residency permit or carte de séjour during their first year – this is essentially your visa “renewal”. Previously, the fee for this application (paid in tax stamps or timbre fiscal) was €225, but it has now increased to €350. For reduced-fee residency cards (for example, family reunification and student visas), the fees have increased from €75 to €150.

The bump in fees continues when it comes to renewing this residency permit in the following years – this now costs €250 instead of €225 or €100 instead of €75 for reduced-fee residency cards.

See the official announcement here.

Fees have also increased substantially for those applying for French citizenship. While previous applications required a €55 tax stamp, this has now gone up to €255. This applies to applications by decree and by declaration (for example, through marriage).

Of course, these application fees aren’t the only costs associated with moving to France. If you’re applying for a multi-year residency card or French citizenship, you may also need to pay for a language exam (and any associated preparatory classes), as well as to take the new Civics Test (which became a requirement on January 1^st, 2026). You may also need to translate foreign-language documents into French, which must be done using a certified translator.

Finally, since May 1st, 2026, there is also a €40 fee for exchanging your foreign driving licence for a French one, which should be done within 12 months of arriving in France.