Châteauneuf-Grasse · Alpes-Maritimes
French paperwork, handled in English, from first arrival to your ten-year card. You enjoy the Riviera. We do the queuing.
Book a free 30-min call See pricingProud partner of American Expats in France, a Facebook community of over 14,000 expats where we share practical admin tips.
FR : Partenaire fier du groupe American Expats in France, une communauté Facebook de plus de 14 000 expatriés où nous partageons des conseils pratiques.
For most residence cards, the online renewal window opens 4 months before expiry and closes 2 months before. If your card expires soon, now is the time to get your file right.
FR : Pour la plupart des cartes, la fenêtre de renouvellement en ligne s'ouvre 4 mois avant l'expiration et se ferme 2 mois avant. Si votre carte expire bientôt, c'est maintenant qu'il faut préparer un dossier sans faille.
What we do
Take one thing à la carte, or hand us the whole move. Either way, the same person follows your file from start to finish.
FR : Résumé : prestations à la carte ou packs complets, un seul interlocuteur du début à la fin.
Carte de séjour applications, renewals and ten-year card upgrades. ANEF portal, prefecture appointments and follow-up until approval.
Civic exam and French level requirements for first applications. We tell you honestly whether they apply to you, then get you ready.
CPAM registration, Carte Vitale, mutuelle selection and CAF. Properly covered, without the three-month guessing game.
Account opening at expat-friendly banks, insurance setup and the paperwork French institutions actually want to see.
Rental files, EDF, water, internet and home insurance. Settled in days rather than weeks.
Licence exchange, carte grise, vehicle import. Including the checks most people skip until it is too late.
Why it matters
On a renewal, a complete file submitted on time gets you an official extension certificate that keeps you legally resident and, if your card allows it, keeps you working while the prefecture decides. A missing document or a late filing leaves you with a simple filing receipt, which does not allow you to work, and a late filing adds a €180 penalty. One overlooked page can cost you weeks and put your job at risk.
FR : Pour un renouvellement, un dossier complet déposé à temps vous donne une attestation officielle qui maintient votre séjour régulier et, si votre carte le permet, votre droit de travailler pendant l'instruction. Une pièce manquante ou un dépôt tardif ne vous laisse qu'un simple récépissé de dépôt, qui n'autorise pas à travailler, et un retard coûte 180 € de pénalité. Une seule page oubliée peut vous faire perdre des semaines et mettre votre emploi en jeu.
Before anything is submitted, we check every document against the prefecture's own checklist for your card type. If the prefecture asks for a document because of an oversight on our side, we handle it at no extra cost. We can't control how long the prefecture takes, but we make sure delays never come from your file.
FR : Notre garantie dossier vérifié. Avant tout dépôt, nous contrôlons chaque pièce selon la liste de la préfecture pour votre type de carte. Si la préfecture réclame un document à cause d'un oubli de notre part, nous le traitons sans frais supplémentaires. Nous ne maîtrisons pas les délais de la préfecture, mais nous faisons en sorte que le retard ne vienne jamais de votre dossier.
2026 rules
The civic exam and the higher French level apply to first applications only: a first multi-year carte de séjour, a first carte de résident, or naturalisation. If you are renewing a card you already hold, you do not need to sit the civic exam. A lot of people are being sold preparation they simply do not need.
FR : Point clé : examen civique et niveau de français exigés uniquement pour les premières demandes, pas pour les renouvellements d'un titre déjà obtenu.
Our packs
Bundled for the two moments that generate the most paperwork. Both work out below the same items bought separately.
For newcomers arriving in France
For first multi-year or resident cards
Straight answers
In most cases, no. The civic exam and the French language requirement that came into force on 1 January 2026 apply to first applications only, meaning a first multi-year carte de séjour, a first ten-year carte de résident, or naturalisation. If you are renewing a card you already hold, you do not have to sit it.
The first five-year cards issued under the Withdrawal Agreement in 2020 and 2021 are expiring through 2026, and renewal is not automatic. You need to apply before the expiry date. After five years of residence you are usually entitled to the ten-year permanent card rather than another temporary one, and periods before and after the transition both count. We handle these from €395.
The Alpes-Maritimes has two arrondissements. Nice is the prefecture and covers 101 communes. Grasse is the sub-prefecture and covers the other 62, including Antibes, Cannes, Valbonne, Mougins and Biot. Most of the process now happens on the ANEF portal rather than at a counter, but which office your file answers to still shapes how it is handled.
Yes. Every file is handled in English, from the first call to the prefecture counter, and we interpret for you on the spot. When an official document needs a sworn translation, we tell you which one; translations are always at your cost.
Our fees are published on the site and confirmed before we start. French government charges are set by the state, paid by you directly, and always quoted separately, so you know exactly what you are paying us for. As a guide for 2026, expect around €350 for the stamp on a first multi-year card and around €300 to validate a long-stay visa.
You can, and many people do. The catch is that nobody checks your documents before you submit. A proof of address older than six months or a missing certified translation only shows up weeks later, as a request for more documents. We review everything before you click submit.
FR : Oui, et beaucoup le font. Le problème, c'est que personne ne vérifie vos pièces avant l'envoi. Un justificatif de domicile de plus de 6 mois ou une traduction assermentée manquante n'apparaît que des semaines plus tard, sous forme de demande de pièces. Nous relisons tout avant que vous cliquiez sur « envoyer ».
No commitment
We assess your situation, tell you what genuinely applies to you, and recommend the right route. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.
Book my free callCalls start from the next day, so we can look at your situation before we talk.
FR : Les appels sont disponibles à partir du lendemain, pour que nous puissions étudier votre situation avant d'échanger.
FR : Appel de 30 minutes offert, sans engagement. Si une demande est urgente avant la prise de rendez-vous, message direct au 07 46 37 71 29.
