# Is it safe to leave France with an expiring titre de sejour...help me decide!



## egor44

Hi all,

Haven't posted in a while. Hope everyone is doing well and is ready for spring. 

So, I handle my mom's paperwork in France. We are both American citizens, although I am also a French citizen. Last year, when we went to the prefecture, they told us "Don't bother making an appointment for next year...just apply online." Which I did, many months in advance. Imagine my surprise/frustration/agacement when I got a message in early February saying: you've applied to the wrong service so your application has been rejected, please apply to the correct service. So I have, but my mom's titre de sejour is going to be expiring in early April 2022. 

Since I applied in the fall, I was hoping we would have a renewed card but despite my message explaining the situation, I don't now if a month and a half is going to cut it. So, my mom wants to go visit her sister, but this would involve leaving the country in mid-April. 

So, 

1. If she leaves France with an expired titre de sejour, will she have to pay a fine? Be banned from France?

2. As an American citizen, she could just come back in on the automatic 3-month visa, right?

If you were in this situation, would you leave the country or do you think it's too risky?

Thanks in advance for any and all ideas!


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## Bevdeforges

egor44 said:


> 1. If she leaves France with an expired titre de sejour, will she have to pay a fine? Be banned from France?
> 
> 2. As an American citizen, she could just come back in on the automatic 3-month visa, right?
> 
> If you were in this situation, would you leave the country or do you think it's too risky?


 1. As far as I know there is no requirement to show a carte de séjour when you leave France (for any reason). So that should pose no problem.

2. Yup.

3. How long is she planning on being away? The main potential "issue" I would see is that either they try to contact her while she is gone for additional documents or other "clarifications" of her dossier, or if they send her notification that her carte de séjour is ready to be picked up. There is often a time limit on how long the card will be held for pick-up (usually at the prefecture), though in some areas, they may send the card via post (for which a signature will be required). 

If she's going to be gone for more than a couple of weeks or so, you could go down to the post office and have her register a "procuration" so that you could sign for receipt of the card if it arrives while she is gone. (Assuming you're living in France with - or nearby to - your mother.)


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## dpdapper

At least in my case, the application to renew my visiteur carte de séjour was handled fully online. Étrangers en France. Once approved, you receive an email confirming your approval which serves as your récépissé which you can print. It serves to extend your CdS until you are notified that your new card is ready to be picked up at your local prefecture. 

So, if your mother is approved while she is in the US she can simply print the email and, voilá, she has proof her card has been renewed. 

Of course, as Bev said she can return to France without it. The only hiccup I can see is that her passport will be stamped on arrival in France and if she stays longer than 90 days she could be questioned about potentially having overstayed the 90 days allowed for visa-free visits the next time she departs the EU. But I would assume presenting a valid CdS would solve any issue in that regard.


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## egor44

I've just realized I never replied! Thanks for the advice @Bevdeforges and @dpdapper. We wound up getting the temporary recepisse so hopefully that should be enough to get back in


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