# Travel when 10 yr Carte de Resident close to expiration



## bonjazz (Jul 11, 2017)

I'm contemplating an overseas trip outside of France when 10 year Carte de Resident is close to expiration. It's a bit delicate since each prefecture sets its own rules and where I live, one cannot start renewal process until 2 months prior to expiration. My concern is leaving France and being able to return to France with this Carte near expiration, say within 4 months. 

I know that passport must have 6 months validity, plus it can be renewed online whereas resident card in my locale requires several in-person RDVs at Prefecture and process is several months at best. I haven't been able to find factual info regarding this concern, so hopefully experienced and knowledgeable people here can guide me.


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## mohsel (Sep 27, 2014)

upon your return, will it be valid or have already expired ?
I think unlike the passport which is a document to prove your identity to travel, the CDS is a permission that you can live and travel into a given country, hence even on its last day of expiration you should be allowed in... haven't been in that situation but this is how I think about it ...
saying that, if I were in your shoes, I will go direct the question at the prefecture to see what is the latest that you can return given your card expirey date.


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## bonjazz (Jul 11, 2017)

Thank you for your reply, I would definitely plan to physically be back home in France two months in advance of the expiration date. My husband followed all the rules with his renewal process, (current card expires 2 Oct 2022) but the new CdS is not yet processed and he must physically go to the local prefecture to pick it up, whenever he gets that notification. Because of this, it would be tricky to plan any trip outside of France, with an expired CdS IMHO


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