Accordingly, the standard fee for the first multi-year carte de séjour (residence card) was increased from 225 euros to 350 euros.
Long-term visa verification fee increased from 200 euros to 300 euros.
There are also significant increases in discounted categories. Student and seasonal worker extension fees increased from 75 euros to 100 euros. The “visa de régularisation” fee required for illegal persons to gain status has increased to 300 euros (100 euros of which are non-refundable).
Home Office officials justify the increase with a “full cost return” approach and the rising costs of biometric cards and anti-fraud systems.
Immigration lawyers, on the other hand, argue that France has now become one of the most expensive countries to obtain legal status in Europe, surpassing Germany and the Netherlands and closing the gap with the United Kingdom.
In the face of the new fee system, it has become even more important for applicants to manage the process correctly. Platforms such as VisaHQ offer support in checking current fees, preparing the necessary documents and accelerating the application process.
For companies, this increase means a sudden increase of 50-60 percent in their assignment budgets per employee. Timing is also critical: While applications made before midnight on April 30 will be processed at the old rate, an automatic additional fee will occur in France-Visas or ANEF systems for all applications made today.
Experts warn that there may be technical disruptions in payment systems this week due to the transition to the new fee system. For this reason, those who have urgent trips are recommended to have their payment documents with them.
Among the groups that will be most affected by the increase are startups that recruit with French Tech Visa and large companies that regularly renew their residence permits every year.
As companies reconsider their budgets for the 2026-2027 period, some are considering turning to the EU Blue Card option, which is valid for 4 years, to balance the cost.
Some other companies plan to run their programs through lower-wage countries (e.g. Portugal).
Although the French government has hinted that it is not planning a new increase until 2028, the possibility of wages being indexed to inflation is not completely ruled out. Therefore, human resources departments need to update their budgets, inform employees and revise assignment packages according to new costs.
