How to Prove Ten Years of Presence in France for Exceptional Admission

In 2025, showing ten years of continuous presence in France remains one of the strongest legal bases for an “admission exceptionnelle au séjour” (AES) residence permit under Article L435-1 of the Code des Étrangers (CESEDA). Yet many applicants struggle to convince the prefecture that they have really been here for a decade, especially if part of that time was spent working cash-in-hand or moving between informal addresses. The good news is that French case-law and ministerial guidance accept a surprisingly wide range of documents, as long as they form a coherent timeline.

This step-by-step guide explains how prefectures assess continuity, which evidence carries the most weight, how to fill gaps, and practical tips for assembling a watertight file. Whether you are preparing alone or with professional help, following these best practices can dramatically improve your chances of regularisation.

1. The legal yardstick: “preuve de dix ans de présence ininterrompue”

Prefects enjoy broad discretion when granting AES, but internal circulars dating back to the 2012 “Circulaire Valls” and repeated in a July 2024 instruction require at least one piece of credible evidence for every semester (six-month period) over the past ten years. The Conseil d’État has confirmed that minor gaps may be tolerated if the overall file proves a stable life in France (CE, 2 Dec 2022, n° 461128).

Key takeaways:

• Documentary proof always outweighs witness statements.
• Continuity prevails over legality. Even expired visas, OQTF notifications or asylum receipts still count as presence evidence.
• Quality matters more than quantity – but prefectures expect a chronological table showing sources and dates.

Internal link: If you have received an OQTF, you can still rely on the documents leading up to and following the order to demonstrate presence.

2. The three tiers of acceptable evidence

The grid below synthesises recent prefecture practice across Île-de-France, Rhône, and Bouches-du-Rhône and is consistent with CE rulings.

Tier	Examples	Typical strength	Practical notes
Tier 1 – official administration	Tax returns (avis d’imposition), CPAM attestation, OFII CIR attendance, ANEF filing receipts, court summons, OQTF	Very strong	Prefer documents bearing both your name and an address in France.
Tier 2 – semi-official or corporate	Payslips, employer certificates, bank statements, electricity/gas bills, mobile phone bills, CAF letters, school enrolment certificates	Strong	Bills must show actual consumption, not just contract creation.
Tier 3 – private or circumstantial	Signed rental “attestation d’hébergement”, money-transfer receipts, dated photos with geolocation, parcel-delivery slips, stamped club memberships	Moderate	Use to fill gaps, never alone. Combine with at least one Tier 1 or Tier 2 item for the same period.

Internal link: Our detailed Payslip Checklist for Work Regularisation explains how to secure employer letters that also serve as Tier 2 proof here.

3. Building your chronological matrix

1. Create a spreadsheet with twenty columns – one for each half-year from today back to ten years.
2. Insert available documents, noting exact dates and sources.
3. Highlight empty cells. These are your “document gaps.”
4. Aim for at least one Tier 2 item in every row, plus a Tier 1 item every full year if possible.

Cour administrative d’appel decisions show that applicants with a gap longer than eight months face a 40 percent higher refusal rate. Investing the time to close gaps is worth the effort.

4. Tactics to close evidentiary gaps

● Request duplicates – Utilities can reissue bills for up to five years; CPAM and URSSAF keep PDFs for at least six. Use Article L311-9 of the Code des Relations entre le Public et l’Administration to demand copies if needed. See our guide on reconstructing lost prefecture mail.

● Retrieve digital footprints – Log in to each FranceConnect-linked service (Ameli, Taxes, CAF) and download historical connection certificates. Courts increasingly accept these as Tier 1 evidence because the data comes from a government API. Our tutorial on Digital FranceConnect security shows how to export them.

● Leverage banking archives – Even closed accounts must be archived for ten years under Article L561-12 of the Monetary Code. Ask your former bank’s “Service Clients – Droit d’accès” for statements covering missing months.

● Schools and crèches – If your children studied in France, schools must keep certificat de scolarité records for at least 30 years.

● Municipal sports or library cards – Many mairies stamp enrolment forms with date and address; scan and add these for hard-to-document years.

5. Dealing with address changes and name variants

Frequent moves and spelling inconsistencies break many files. Prevent problems by:

• Aligning addresses – Where possible, add a brief cover note explaining each move and attach your lease or quittance de loyer as corroboration.
• Standardising your name – Use the same order of given names, accents and transliterations everywhere. If past documents differ, add a sworn déclaration sur l’honneur referencing passport spelling.
• Explaining overlaps – If two addresses overlap, show the exact move date and add any sublease agreement to demonstrate legitimacy, rather than letting the prefecture infer absence.

6. Assembling the prefecture dossier

The classic AES “dix ans” file includes:

• CERFA N° 15679*03 completed and signed.
• Full-colour passport copy including blank pages.
• 4 ID photographs meeting ISO/IEC 19794-5.
• Proof of residence (last three months).
• Chronological evidence binder – Sorted by semester with tab dividers.
• Cover letter summarising proof matrix and highlighting integration steps (French classes, tax filing, work contracts).
• Tax stamps – €225 (2025 rate) payable via timbres.impots.gouv.fr.

Pro-tip: Prefectures increasingly require an online appointment via ANEF. Consult our Prefecture Strike Calendar and book well ahead to avoid deadline stress.

7. What happens after submission

1. Deposit receipt (récépissé) – Usually valid six months and renewable. It allows you to work after the first three months if you produce eight recent payslips – see the link above.
2. Additional requests (compléments) – Prefects have 30 days to ask for extra evidence. Reply by registered letter (RAR) within the deadline stated.
3. Decision window – In practice 4 to 10 months. Silence equals implicit refusal after six months, but many prefectures issue written decisions sooner.
4. If refused – You have 30 days to lodge an administrative appeal before the Tribunal Administratif. ImmiFrance can refer you to a specialised lawyer within 24 hours and prepare an emergency référé suspension if removal is imminent.

8. Five frequent mistakes that sink applications

• Submitting generic envelopes with no date stamp or tracking code.
• Relying on employer “promises” instead of actual payslips – the former have low probative value.
• Using photocopies without original presentation – bring originals on appointment day.
• Ignoring maiden versus married names on foreign passports versus French documents.
• Giving up on gaps shorter than three months – they are fixable with creativity (see Section 4).

9. Success story benchmark

A 2024 study by La Cimade on 412 AES decisions in Île-de-France showed a 68 percent approval rate when applicants filed at least one Tier 1 document every calendar year plus a complete semester grid. Those who provided Tier 1 proof for only five years saw approval drop to 21 percent. Persistence and documentation quality clearly pay off.

10. How ImmiFrance can streamline your ten-year proof

Collecting, organising and defending a decade of paperwork is daunting, especially if you are juggling work and family life. ImmiFrance offers:

• A document audit that maps your existing papers against the semester grid and flags gaps.
• Duplicate-request service for utility, bank and social-security archives.
• Prefecture-specific e-appointment monitoring and emergency slot alerts.
• Professionally formatted chronological binders accepted in over 30 prefectures.
• Legal referral to our network of CESEDA specialists for appeals or OQTF overlaps.

Book a confidential eligibility call at https://immifrance.com and move one step closer to the stability of a residence permit.

Bottom line: Ten years of presence is a powerful card – but only if you can prove it. Start assembling your timeline today, follow the evidence hierarchy, and don’t hesitate to seek expert guidance when needed.