1. Administrative responsibilities

The administrative service responsible for the handling depends on the category of the member of the personnel concerned:

a. Staff Members (STAF), Fellows (FELL), Graduates (GRAD), Students (DOCT, TECH, ADMI), Trainees (TRNE), Project Associates (PJAS), Experiment Associates (EXAS), Scientific Associates (SASS), Corresponding Associates (CASS) and Guest Professors (GPRO) must contact

• the CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday for the submission of documents, the withdrawal and the restitution of the cartes de légitimation.
• the Cards service for all other matters related to French cards.

The CERN Community Support Centre collects and verifies the legibility and compliance of the documents, ensures that the files are complete, and issue, if applicable, and in particular upon return of cards, a certified true copy of said cards.

Once the documents have been sent by the CERN Community Support Centre to the Cards service, the latter processes the requests with the authorities of the host states, and remains the main point of contact for any advice or information on the various processes described below.

b. Users (USER), Cooperation Associates (COAS, except the COAS LIT) and Visiting Scientists (VISC) must always contact the Users Office that informs them also about the collecting of their French cards.

In the following text these responsibilities are referred to, according to the category of the member of the personnel.

2. First application

Members of the personnel who meet the conditions of award listed above must apply for French cards for themselves and their family members as soon as they have an official address in France or Switzerland and have taken up residence there, within a maximum of two months after taking up appointment.

N.B. Issue of a special AT, FI or CD-type residence permit to family members is a prerequisite for driving a vehicle with green plates.
Requests for French cards for spouses/partners/children must be made as soon as they have moved to France, within a maximum of two months. Beyond this date, he/she will be considered as a resident and will no longer be entitled to a special AT, FI or CD-type residence permit.

The procedure for applying for a French card is as follows:

2.1 Registration of private address

If their addresses have changed since the start of their contracts, members of the personnel must register their permanent addresses on the EDH form Changement d'adresse locale / Change of local address.

2.2 Complete and send the application form

Members of the personnel access the French Card Application Form via EDH, complete the missing fields, and upload the required documents (passport, visa, if applicable, the fiche individuelle duly signed, marriage certificate, birth certificate for family members applications, etc.).

The French Card Application Form can be used for members of the personnel and family members.

A help page is available via the website of the Users Office.

After attaching the documents, the members of the personnel should submit their application to ensure prompt processing (an EDH password is required). Depending on the status of the member of the personnel, the request is then sent either to the Cards service or to the Users Office for approval.

2.3 Substantiating documentation required

In addition, for each card’s application, members of the personnel must hand deliver as soon as possible the following supporting documents exclusively in paper form to the CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or to the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1):

* Documents issued by a Member State of the European Union can be accompanied by a "multilingual document" (UE regulation 2016/1191).

2.4 Processing of the application

The file is sent to the MEAE which issues the French card (approximate delay: 6-8 weeks). Members of the personnel are informed of the arrangements for collecting their Swiss cards upon receipt by the service concerned, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1).

3. Renewal

Members of the personnel are notified of the expiration of their cards by automatic reminders before the cards’ expiry date. The card of each family member must be renewed at the same time as that of the member of the personnel. If members of the personnel have been living outside the local area for more than 12 months, they must contact the Cards service or the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1).

AR and FR-type cards will not be renewed and must be returned to the French authorities. Failing this, a declaration of loss/theft must be submitted to the MEAE (see the procedure "Loss / theft of legitimation documents of the Host States").Applications for extensions must be made in the six weeks preceding the card's expiry date. If the member of the personnel has been living outside the local area for more than 12 months, he must contact the Cards Office or the Users Office depending on the member of the personnel category.

3.1 Substantiating documentation required

Members of the personnel must hand deliver the following supporting documents to CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or to the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1):

• the card to be renewed (and those of the family members where applicable);

• a photocopy of both sides of each card (for the delivery of the corresponding certified copy);

• for non-european citizens, a photocopy of the carte de légitimation suisse (applies only to members of the personnel living in Switzerland and in possession of an EF-type attestation de fonctions);

• a photocopy of the passport or ID card (both sides) still valid;

• a Declaration on honour - French card renewal (applies only to members of the personnel residing in France for more than 10 years and in possession of a special AT, FI or CD-type residence permit);

• a school-attendance certificate for children aged of more than 18 years old;

• a certificate attesting that your children aged over 18 remain dependent ("attestation de prise en charge");

• every 4 years: one recent passport photo (taken within the last 6 months).

Reminder: children in possession of a special card must surrender it when they reach 21 years of age at the latest. Non-European citizens (those from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland) wishing to obtain an ordinary residence permit in order to continue living in France must apply through the local préfecture at least two months before the expiry of the special residence permit, by attaching the certificate of surrender of this permit, issued by the MEAE on express request.

3.2. Processing of the application

The member of the personnel is given a certified copy. 
The file is sent to the MEAE and the renewal will be granted within approximately 6-8 weeks. 
Members of the personnel are informed of the arrangements for collecting their French cards (see procedure paragraph 1).

4. Removals from France to Switzerland

4.1 Procedure to follow

The member of the personnel must register his new private address using the EDH form Changement d'adresse locale / Change of local address.

4.2 Substantiating documentation required

Members of the personnel who move from France to Switzerland need to change their French cards, if they already hold one, or, if they did not have one when living in France, must make a first application. 

Members of the personnel must hand deliver the following supporting documents to the CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or to the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1):

• the member of the personnel's card (and that of any family members who hold one), 

• a photocopy of the member of the personnel's card (both sides) and of those of the family members for the delivery of the corresponding certified copy(ies),

• a photocopy of the passport or ID card (still valid, both sides) of the member of the personnel, only.

For the formalities connected with the Swiss card, please see the paragraph 5. Removals from France to Switzerland in the corresponding procedure. For more details, please report to the article "Arrival/change of address in Switzerland and Swiss “Attestation de départ”".

N.B. The EDH document “Change of local address” will only be approved by the Cards Service/Users Office once all the above documentation has been received.

4.3 Processing of the application

The member of the personnel is given a certified copy.

The file is sent to the French authorities (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris) and the card will be issued to the member of the personnel within approximately 6-8 weeks. The cards held by the family members are cancelled.

Members of the personnel are informed of the arrangements for collecting their Swiss cards upon receipt by the service concerned, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1).

For information on the export/import formalities relating to personal effects and vehicles, please consult the web pages of the Installation Service.

5. Removals from Switzerland to France

5.1 Procedure to follow

• For more information contact the Cards Service/Users Office, depending on the member of the personnel category.

• The member of the personnel must register his new private address using the EDH form Changement d'adresse locale / Change of local address.

• As a rule, a long-stay (D-type) visa is compulsory for all non-European citizens moving to France. For more information, please refer to the procedure "Visas for entry and stays in the Host States".

5.2 Substantiating documentation required

Members of the personnel must hand deliver the following documents to the CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or to the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1):

• the original EF-type attestation de fonctions and a copy;

• a photocopy of the card;

• a photocopy of the passport or ID card (both sides);

• a photocopy of the French visa where applicable.

N.B. The EDH document “Change of local address” will only be approved by the Cards Service / Users Office once all the above documentation has been received.

The procedure described in the section 2. "First application" must be followed for:
a) family members who satisfy the conditions for the award of a French card, and for
b) members of the personnel with diplomatic status (staff members in grades 9 and 10).

N.B. Associated members of the personnel employed by a Swiss organization who are not nationals of  EU/EEA/Switzerland cannot live in France, the special French residence permit doesn't authorizing the issuance of a permis frontalier.

For the formalities connected with the Swiss card, please see the paragraph 6. Removals from Switzerland to France in the corresponding procedure. For more details, please report to the article "Arrival/change of address in Switzerland and Swiss “Attestation de départ”".

5.3 Processing of the application

The member of the personnel is given a certified copy.

The file is sent to the MEAE which issues a special residence permit within approximately 6-8 weeks.

Members of the personnel are informed of the arrangements for collecting their Swiss cards upon receipt by the service concerned, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1).

For information on the export/import formalities relating to personal effects and vehicles, please consult the web pages of the Installation Service.

6. Reasons for changing cards 

6.1 Promotion (for Staff Members only)

Promotion to grades 5 and 9 give rise to a change in card for Staff Members who reside in France. Members of the personnel in question are notified of the details by e-mail.

6.2 Change of type of contract, name or nationality

The Cards Service or the Users Office, depending on the member of the personnel category, are responsible for changing the card.

7. Surrendering cards 

7.1 Contract termination

Upon contract expiry, the cards of the member of the personnel and family members must be surrendered to the CERN Community Support Centre (building 33) from 7 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Monday to Friday or to the Users Office, depending on the category of the member of the personnel (see procedure paragraph 1). If necessary, the member of the personnel can be given a certified copy but this does not apply to border crossings within the Schengen area.

Surrendering these cards is a pre-condition for the issue of other documents by the French authorities in the future ("titres de séjour préfectoraux" and regularisation of green vehicle registration plates).

7.2 Continuation of the stay in France

Two months before the end of their contracts, non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals who wish to keep the principal residence in France must enquire at the préfecture of the place of residence for the procedure to be followed in order to obtain a "titre de séjour préfectoral". In which case, a certificate stating that the special residence permit has been surrendered must be obtained from the MEAE through the Cards Service or the Users Office when returning special cards. 

These formalities can be carried out at the earliest two months before the end of the contract, however, persons subject to a short-stay visa in the European area who have surrendered the titre de séjour spécial will then have to ensure that they have a valid visa when travelling outside French territory.

7.3 Special unpaid leave and authorised absence (unpaid)

Members of the personnel who have been granted special leave or an authorised absence (unpaid) must surrender their cards and those of family members before the leave period commences if it lasts more than 2 months and if they leave the local area.

Persons wishing to keep the principal residence in France during the special leave must enquire at the local préfecture for the procedure to be followed.