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Page Summary
Result
Exit and return documents are identified prior to purchase.
To be done today
- Note type and expiry of title
- Identify the correct draft document
- Check official and carrier rules
Check the result
- No simple ANEF capture
- Documents valid on dates
- Return risk assessed separately
Preparing a visit cardPrepare the file for filingRenewal of residence permit: full fileCheck the requirements; the administration decidesSee stepsRenewal of residence permit: stepsIn case of a problemANEF or prefecture without replyDecode statusConfirmation of depositDecode statusAttestation of extension of trainingPreparing a callCalling the Aliens Service
Section actions
Duration: 30 to 60 minutes to check documents; a return visa follows its own deadline
Cost: Free check; visa or prefectural document, if any, subject to tax
Possible online
Who this guide is for
Section actions
- Persons preparing a trip outside Schengen during a renewal
- Holders of a receipt, certificate of deposit, extension or favourable decision
- Users to whom a company, employer or consulate requests proof of right to return
To be prepared in advance
Section actions
Step-by-step procedure
Section actions
- 1Determine the route: travel in Schengen and cross its external border are two different situations. A transit outside Schengen may also require additional documents.
- 2Read the exact title of the document. The ANEF certificate of filing is not a certificate of extension of instruction, and a first application is not a renewal.
- 3Compare your document to the official rule. With a renewal receipt, usually also present the old expired title and passport; with an extension of renewal, the attestation, the old or adapted VLS and the passport.
- 4If you only hold a certificate of deposit, receipt or extension of first application, check before departure the need for a return visa with the French consulate and the prefecture.
- 5Check the dates on the day of the return flight, not just at departure. Ask the carrier what originals will be checked; its prior response does not replace border control.
- 6Take originals and impressions: passport, provisional document, former title/VLS, decision and proof of address. Keep the official source offline.
- 7For family, medical or otherwise urgent travel with insufficient documentation, request individual instruction from the prefecture, consulate or a lawyer before purchasing the ticket.
Documents enabling the return after an exit from the Schengen area
Section actions
Scroll the table horizontally to display all columns.
| Document | Return to France | To be submitted |
|---|---|---|
| Valid residence permit | Yes, subject to entry requirements | Valid passport and title |
| Renewal receipt | Yes | Valid passport, receipt and old expired title |
| Receipt of first application | Return Visa Generally Required | Check consular or prefectural procedure before departure |
| Certificate of deposit ANEF | Don't allow it alone to return | Return Visa Generally Required |
| Certificate of extension — renewal | Yes | Valid passport, certificate and old title or VLS adapted expired |
| Attestation of extension — first request | Not by herself alone | Check the need for a return visa |
| Attestation of favourable decision | Yes | Valid passport and certificate |
Common mistakes
Section actions
- Believing that any ANEF PDF allows the return
- Confounding renewal and first application
- Check dates only at departure
- Forgetting an external Schengen border during transit
- To leave on the assumption that a return visa will be automatically issued abroad
Official sources
Section actions
Important remark
Border control takes into account the document, nationality, itinerary and entry conditions. This table does not replace an individual check with the prefecture, consulate and carrier.
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