I have had permission from Justine Wallington of RIFT to copy and paste this post. Please don’t copy it elsewhere but refer back to RIFT. It is the best explanation I’ve found of the current state of play with WARP renewals
5-Year WARP “Renewals”
This post is mainly for those with 5-year WARP cards, but even if you hold a 10-year card, please read on.
There are two types of Withdrawal Agreement residence permits (WARPs), issued depending on how long you’ve lived in France:
• Permanent (10 years)
• 5-year cards – which are now approaching renewal.
WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW
In the coming days, weeks and months, RIFT will share accurate information about the Démarches Simplifiées (DS) tool created by the Ministry of Interior. This tool is being gradually rolled out across prefectures.
Important:
• Only use the DS tool linked from your prefecture’s official website.
• Use it only if you currently hold a 5-year WARP marked ‘Article 50 TEU/Article 18(1) WA’, expiring within two months.
• This is not a national portal: each prefecture has its own dedicated form.
If your prefecture’s website has renewal instructions but isn’t using the online DS tool (for example, they require you to book an appointment, send documents by post, or complete their own form), follow their instructions carefully and within the timeframe stated - usually 2 months before expiry. If your card expires later than that, keep checking back as your date approaches, in case DS has been rolled out in your department in the meantime.
If your prefecture’s website says nothing about WARP renewal and your card is expiring within the next 2 months, you must contact them urgently (by email or via their contact form) to ask what to do. If you don’t receive a clear response within a few days, we strongly suggest sending a registered letter (lettre recommandée).
We’ll also add a link in the comments to the generic Service-Public site, which explains the official high-level procedure and expected documents. This serves as the default guidance if your prefecture hasn’t yet published anything specific.
RIFT’S ADVOCACY
RIFT has long advocated for a standardised national process. Admins have met with decision-makers in Brussels and Paris, providing evidence and reports to show why such a system was essential to comply with the Withdrawal Agreement (WA).
After our Paris meeting in early 2025 we feared each prefecture would invent its own procedure. We are now pleased that the Ministry of Interior has proposed a standard system, helping to ensure applications are WA-compliant.
THE NEW RENEWAL PROCEDURE
• Rollout: Prefectures are instructed to use DS and to publish renewal instructions on their own websites. Some have started, others will follow.
• Proof of application: You should receive a récépissé at your préfecture and do keep your current WARP. You may need your passport + WARP + récépissé at border controls.
• Numbers: The Ministry says there are 41,150 cards to upgrade, 95% issued in 2021. Five-year cards from 2020 are already expiring and you must “renew” two months before expiry.
• Absence limits: During your first 5 years in France, you shouldn’t have been absent more than 6 months a year (unless with good reason).
• Options to apply in person and by post should be available - especially for the vulnerable.
If your card expires soon and there’s no info on your prefecture’s site, request an urgent appointment. Let RIFT know if you’re refused.
HOW TO FIND THE DS LINK
Here’s one example:
[Dordogne Site] Site
[Dordogne DS link] Dordogne DS link Demande BREXIT : Renouvellement du titre de séjour "Accord de retrait" · demarches-simplifiees.fr
On your prefecture’s website, check under:
• Démarches
• Accueil des étrangers
• Titres de séjour
They may mention Brexit or Article 50. You’re on the right form if your prefecture’s name appears at the bottom.
Please share new links in RIFT (with your department name/number) so others can find them too.
HOW TO APPLY
-
Scan required documents before starting.
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Log in with FranceConnect or create a DS account (secure password needed).
-
Upload your documents (.jpg, .pdf, .doc – not too large).
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
• Valid passport (ID page + relevant entry/exit stamps).
• Recent proof of residence (less than 6 months): utility bill, tenancy agreement/rent receipt, taxe d’habitation, etc. If hosted by someone else: attestation d’hébergement, their ID/passport, and proof of their address.
• Your previous WARP.
• (Optional) Proof of change of status (marriage, divorce, death certificate, etc).
AFTER SUBMISSION:
• Your préfecture checks your file.
• You’ll get an appointment where you must bring originals (passport, WARP, supporting docs).
• You’ll need 3 compliant passport photos.
RIFT GROUP RULES
Please don’t post links to rival groups unless approved by RIFT Admins. This is against our rules and risks sending members down the wrong path.
We do recommend the groups Applying for French Nationality and Applying for a French CdS (Carte de Séjour) and/or visa as they provide excellent support and don’t seek to compete with or undermine RIFT.
WHO WE ARE
RIFT = Remain in France Together.
We are passionately pro-EU and defend the Withdrawal Agreement. It’s not perfect (no onward freedom of movement or voting rights 
) but it protects most pre-Brexit rights. Please don’t undermine those hard-won rights.
WA IN ITS OWN WORDS
• “Procedures shall be smooth, transparent and simple…”
• “Application forms shall be short, simple, user-friendly…”
• “Documents shall be issued free of charge or at the same rate as nationals…”
• “The host State shall not require unnecessary documents…”
• “Authorities shall help applicants avoid errors…”
• “After 5 years’ legal residence, you have the right to permanent residence…” “That right is lost only if absent for more than 5 consecutive years.”
A PERSONAL NOTE FROM JUSTINE
Here’s a photo I took going into a meeting at the EU Commission (Berlaymont, Brussels) last April. It says “United for our Future” - love it! The building was wrapped in plastic for years while asbestos was removed - I once even saw giant rats fleeing down the street! It was a pleasure for me to return again to this building that I walked past every day at Schuman on the way to my office on rue de la Loi and to see it all shiny and imposing.
I first visited the building to see a relative nearly 50 years ago, not long after the UK joined the Common Market. Raised between Brussels and the UK, my family hoped I’d join them working at the EU institutions and be a bridge between my 2 countries. I went my own way, but after 9 years working daily to defend citizens’ rights, perhaps I became that “bridge” after all.
FINAL NOTE FROM YOUR RIFT ADMINS
Not everyone shares our commitment to defending WA rights. Some seek to weaken protections or have prefectures invent their own rules. If you promote anti-EU views or links to rival groups, be aware that our pro-EU admin team may remove you from this private group.
Please stay tuned to RIFT for accurate updates.
Share your prefecture’s DS links here to help others.
Let us know if your prefecture isn’t complying with WA rules — we’ll escalate it.I