An adult identity card is valid for 15 years, while a minor child's is valid for 10 years.

 

In France, it is not compulsory to have an identity card. However, possession of this document makes it easier to carry out everyday transactions for which proof of identity is required.

Proof of identity may be required in the following cases:

• participating in an exam or competition
• register on electoral rolls and voting in elections
• carrying out banking transactions (payment by cheque, in-person withdrawals)
• travelling outside France

 

• Biometric passport
• Temporary passport
• Diplomatic passport
• Urgent diplomatic passport
• Mission passport

 

What is the purpose of a residence permit?

The purpose of the residence permit is to promote the European Union's founding principle of freedom of movement throughout the territory of its Member States.

 

To harmonise standards for residence permits, the members of the European Union have decided to introduce a common residence permit (eRP).

 

What are its main features?

A uniform model European residence permit has been designed containing:

• a digital photograph of the user
• an image of their fingerprints, stored on a microchip.

The new format came into force on 20 May 2011 and is now issued nationwide.

 

What is the role of the ANTS?

The Agency is responsible for the deployment and installation of biometric stations throughout France and provides support to government employees in prefectures and sub-prefectures.

What types of travel documents are issued to foreign nationals?

The "Stateless" travel document

It applies to a person whom no country’s laws treat as a national of that country.

Statelessness may be the result of:

• contradictions between different nationality laws
• the absence or inadequacy of civil registers in some countries
• the succession of states and transfers of sovereignty
• a loss of nationality
• the strict application of Jus sanguinis and Jus soli in certain countries.

“Refugee" travel document

Asylum is the protection granted by a State to a foreigner who is or risks being persecuted in their own country, whether by the authorities of that country or by non-state actors.

There are two forms of asylum protection:

1. Refugee status, granted to foreign nationals:

• fearing persecution in their own country and unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country. Such persecution must be based on race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. This is known as conventional or political asylum.
• who are persecuted in their country because of their action in support of liberty. They may be political or trade union activists, artists, or intellectuals threatened because of their commitment to democracy in their country. This is known as constitutional asylum,
• over which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) exercises its mandate.

2. Subsidiary protection:
Awarded to foreign nationals who do not meet the conditions for obtaining refugee status and who can prove that in their own country they would be at risk of:

• the death penalty,
• torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,
• a serious, direct and individual threat to their life or person as a result of widespread violence resulting from a situation of internal or international armed conflict.

 

The French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) is the body responsible for granting such status.

 

What are their main features?

• There is a charge for issuing the document.
• Applicants must purchase a tax stamp whose value differs by the duration of the document.
• A travel document issued to a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection indicates the country or countries to which the applicant is not allowed to travel. In general, this refers only to the country of origin, but in some cases the fear of persecution may have been established with regard to other countries.

What is the role of the ANTS?

The Agency supervises the design and production of these documents by the National Print Office (L’Imprimerie Nationale).

 

What is the purpose of a visa?

A visa is a secure sticker that is affixed to a passport and certifies that the bearer has been granted right of entry by the issuing State. 

In Europe, a "visa" is defined as any authorisation or decision of a Member State which is required for entry into its territory with a view to:

• an intended stay in that Member State or in several Member States, for a period whose total duration does not exceed three months 
• transit through the territory or transit zone of an airport of that Member State or several Member States.

What are its main features?

The visa format is defined by Community Regulation (EC) No. 1683/95 of the Council of 29 May 1995, amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 334/2002 of 18 February 2002 laying down a uniform format for visas.

It takes the form of a stamp or sticker, which is affixed to a valid passport.
Visas are sometimes required for other countries. To find out whether your destination country requires a visa, consult the country fact sheets on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.
The validity of the visa varies according to the legislation of the host country. This is usually indicated on the visa itself.
There are other forms of visas, such as tourist stamps.