How many Britons and Americans got their first French visa or residency card in 2024?

The number of first-time residency cards issued to Americans increased five percent to reach 13,000 in 2024, provisional official figures show. 

Americans were once again the fifth most numerous nationality for this, after Moroccans, Algerians, Tunisians and Chinese nationals. 

Some 8,400 such cards were issued to Britons, down 10% from 2023. 

The UK does not make it into the top 10. 

However, the total number of valid cards held by Britons is steadily climbing, as newcomers are added to those living in France with five or 10-year Brexit Withdrawal Agreement cards. 

Some 169,991 residency cards were held by Britons as of December 31 – up 3,677, or 2.2%, on 2023.

Read more: French visas and residency card applications: Connexion readers share their experiences

Prior to 2021, Britons did not need a residency card to live in France. 

Number of new cards rises in 2024

In total, 336,710 first-time cards are estimated to have been issued in 2024, up 1.8% from 2023. 

As well as new arrivals, some of these will relate to non-French children in foreign families who have reached age 18 and need their own card. 

Provisional visa figures for 2024 show around three million were delivered in total, with Chinese people receiving the most, then Moroccans, Indians, Algerians, Turkish people and Russians.

However, these overall visa figures are dominated by nationalities that need a visa even to visit France, with tourism the main reason, then work. 

Some 578,000 (up 14%) were refused. A total of 288,000 long-stay visas – more than three months – were issued, down 2.8% on 2023. 

Read more: New language tests for French residency cards: Eight key questions

However, the number of ‘visitor’ visas issued, eg. for retirees and early-retirees moving to France, was up by 0.4%, at 33,700. 

This was the second largest broad category after those coming due to family links in France. 

Provisional figures are also available for asylum seekers in 2024, which show a slight rise overall, apart from for ‘Dublin procedures’, which fell. 

These are applicants who passed via another EU country and who are subject to particular restrictions and possible return unless, for example, they have family links in France. 

There were 158,000 requests at France’s 34 asylum centres, of which the most numerous were by Ukrainians (13,353), then Afghans (10,376) and Congolese (9,294) people. 

Ukrainians quadrupled compared to the previous year. More than 70,000 applications were accepted, up 15.3%.