that’s alright Joan…
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I have asked the question
sorry, what question where?
This is not the case at all, if you have permanent residency you can be away for up to 5 years without losing your residency rights. The minimum 183 days / year applies to the temporary 5 year card whilst you are establishing that you are a true resident over a long time.
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nothing unfriendly about the 10 year cards…
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I see, well thanks for that clarification. So would I be right in assuming that come the expiry of the 5 year card you would then be issued with the 10 year ‘permanent’ one?
Only if you have continued to meet the conditions of residency during the 5 years. So if you have broken residency or failed to meet other conditions then it won’t be automatic that you then get a 10 year card. For some it can take much longer to rack up 5 years fully legal residency.
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OK, but surely if you maintain at least 183 days in the country per year and satisfy other things in the same way you did when first applying in theory there shouldn’t be an issue?
As JJones has said… there shouldn’t be an issue if you continue to meet the conditions of Residency during the 5 years…
none of us can really be more specific than that…
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You are either a french resident or you aren’t
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Yes, it’s just that I was considering applying for an additional kind of retirement /visa residency in a country where you only need to spend 30 days there a year, so in theory that shouldn’t interfere
sounds fascinating… can you hold “Residency” in more than one country???
surely you’re Resident in one and Visitor in another… ???
Yes, as long as you have met the 183 day rule and obligations such as turning in a tax return (even if €0 to pay due to the double taxation treaty). If your 5 year card goes beyond your 5 years residence you can either go to your prefecture once you hit the 5 years here or just wait until it expires and then you will get the 10 year one.
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I appreciate I’m becoming ‘one of those people’ who bangs on about the same topic repeatedly every time a related thing is brought up 
but do we have any exact details on how this will work yet @toryroo? I know @AngelaR is in the same position as I am in being a little shy of the 5 years to apply a Permanent card, but between the mental aspect of it being permanent rather than temporary, and the increased time you can be out of France (not that that’s an issue at the moment with Covid but who knows what the future may bring) I would be keen to trade up at the earliest opportunity rather than wait for the 5 year card to expire.
And you have every right to! As soon as you hit the 5 year mark you can go into the pref with your proof of arrival date docs, passport, and current proof of domicile (same list as needed for those that were already over the 5 years) and they will process it. I’d perhaps be wary of putting more work on their shoulders until they have got all the cards out though and leave it until after everyone at least has a card.
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Thank you for yet another fast and detailed answer as always!
Oh yes, definitely, I will likely wait until next year, there’s no hurry to get one any time soon so I’d probably not bother until normal life is resumed a bit more… if that ever happens 
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Having read a few of the posts above I feel just a little smug!
I applied in June this year using the French government web site, submitting one of my early tax returns, a 2020 EDF bill & a copy of my passport. A dossier number arrived by return email. A few weeks ago I was invited to the prefecture in Angouleme for fingerprinting. At the appointed minute I was invited in, asked to confirm my details & sign a document, my thumb prints only were taken & my photo booth picture cut out of the block of 6. Out in 5 minutes with an assurance that my cds will be sent to me in about 6 to 8 weeks.
A friend applied for his last year (pre-Brexit) & is still waiting for his summons to the prefecture although he does have a dossier number.
Funnily enough, I also posted on the subject of driving licences (UK driving licences after Brexit - I'm glad I did not panic!) also in 2019 & was confident until the beginning of this year when things looked a little shaky! However, I felt that nobody would relish a sudden influx of stuck-in-their-ways older drivers being suddenly unleashed onto unsuspecting driving schools & that common sense would prevail. Fortunately it did & the status quo has resumed.
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Not exactly as there is still a huge backlog of people wanting to exchange, and can’t.
‘French govt website’? So you didn’t apply through your local department?
Wanting to change or needing to change?