What happens after the cancellation or withdrawal of refugee status (retrait du statut de réfugié).

Updated October 2026

Losing refugee status does not always mean you must leave France. Here is what happens to your residence card, and the steps to apply for another residence permit.

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What happens to your residence card

When OFPRA or the CNDA ends your refugee status, or when you give it up, the prefecture can withdraw the 10-year residence card you received as a refugee (carte de résident). This is not automatic: the prefecture must take a decision about your case. If you have lived legally in France for at least 5 years, the law in principle protects your card from this withdrawal. Since the 2024 immigration law, this protection no longer applies in some cases, for example a serious threat to public order. The prefecture must also examine whether you can stay in France on another ground, for example:

• Private and family life (vie privée et familiale): spouse, children, strong personal ties in France
• Work or studies (salarié, étudiant)
• Health reasons (étranger malade)
• Exceptional admission (admission exceptionnelle au séjour), for example after many years in France

Gather your documents

The exact list depends on your situation and on your prefecture. In general, prepare:

• Your passport, or any travel document you have
• Proof of address less than 3 months old (justificatif de domicile)
• Recent ID photos
• Proof of your stay in France: old residence cards, OFPRA decision letter
• The decision ending your refugee status (OFPRA or CNDA)
• Proof of integration: French language certificate, school enrolment, employment
• Proof of family or social ties in France: marriage, children at school

Depending on the permit you ask for:

• Work contract and payslips (employee permit)
• A medical report sent to the doctors of OFII, the French immigration office (health reasons)
• Proof of your years in France: bills, lease, tax notices

Apply for a new residence permit

Most applications are now made online on the official ANEF website. Some still need an appointment at the prefecture. Check your prefecture's website for the exact procedure. Choose the permit that matches your real situation. TSA helps you compare the possible grounds and prepare a complete file.

Proof that your application is being processed

When your file is complete, you receive a document proving that your application is being processed: a récépissé or, for online applications, an attestation. Whether it allows you to work depends on your situation and on the permit you asked for. Keep it with you.

The prefecture's decision

The prefecture looks at:

• Your situation since the end of your refugee status
• Whether you meet the conditions of another residence permit
• Your personal and family situation in France

If the answer is yes, you receive a new residence permit. If the answer is no, the refusal often comes with an OQTF (obligation de quitter le territoire français), an order to leave France.

If you receive a refusal or an OQTF

You can challenge the decision before the administrative court (tribunal administratif). The deadlines are very short, and they are written on the decision:

Legal source: article L424-6 of the CESEDA on Légifrance