Indeed. We could have easily done that, having ownership, tax d’habitation and utility bills going back to 2008. However, we chose to use the date we physically moved here, which gave us a 5 year card. I really didn’t want ant sort of uncertainty in the future as to status, and it also seemed dishonest to me.
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Was that a pre WARP 10 year application @SuePJ ?. From what I know, a WARP 10 year application was very simple, as was the 5 year.
The prefecture had our application from 94 on his files so just used the same info apart from OH and death cert. I still went prepared though as it was a good 1.5hrs each way and parking was dire. He also showed us the original cds on his screen via the mairie as you applied through them previously.
We are the same. Do everything by the book and sleep soundly.
Having the golden WA CdS 5yr was key for us and why we emigrated from UK during the pandemic. When 2025 comes around and the 5 year card ends, we’ll complete the process, probably all online by then, and presumably be awarded platinum WA CdS 10yr cards
I did the same. I could have easily justified 10 years for what was required to be submitted but I chose to play it straight and not to get into an irregular situation. So I have 5 years and actually quite fearful about the application when the 5 years is up.
Please don’t be fearful. If I recall correctly, upgrading the 5yr CdSWA is straightforward… when the time comes around… although I think you’ll need to apply before the current one runs out… someone will know for sure…
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No-one knows yet Stella. Nothing has been announced officially.
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Well, my husband and I have until January 2026 to see how others fare as they move from the 5yr to 10yr cards. Not so worried. Vienna looks rather lovely.
Hi Jane… are you referring to the “apply before the CdSWA runs out” ??? or something else.
The CDsWA….no process yet to renew.
Don’t worry! In 5 years time it will all be handled by AI. They’ll check our taxes and print our new cards all within 60 seconds.
Fair enough… but still worth marking the date of expiry clearly in one’s mind… and start asking questions well in advance, in order to avoid paying the 180€…
Les dossiers de renouvellement de titres de séjour doivent être déposés 2 mois avant l’expiration du titre. Attention, lorsque la demande est déposée après l’expiration de la durée de validité du titre, un droit de visa de régularisation de 180€ est exigé.Feb 11, 2022
(I’ve noticed that some things which are Free, are charged-for if the rules aren’t followed to the letter…)
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Thank you @Stella. I’ve popped it into my calendar and added an alert 4 months before ours expire. I’m sure it will all be fine.
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This sort of thing worries me - partly because I’m hopeless at keeping and filing paperwork and partly because I haven’t had a paper statement on an account for about the last 10 years.
I’d say “Have the French not realised it’s the 21st Century and everything is now paperless”, but I know the answer to that 
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Neither had we, but joy of joys the banks do let you download your old statements. It’s just amazingly tedious. And fret not, this was a bizarre moment in time when people were making up the rules as they went along.
Mind you, everyone here always says keep your paperwork, make sure you’ve scanned it and wherever possible only send them copies. Unfortunately we did all our S1 and EHIC stuff before I’d found this place and I have a horrible feeling we gave them the originals and didn’t keep copies, so no idea what we’d do if we needed to send them off again. 
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Let the Banks guard your statements… they’ll do that for a rolling 10 years I believe. When/if the time comes and you are asked to produce 'em… they will be there, waiting patiently.
We handed in our S1 in the years before anyone thought of telling/advising to keep copies… no worries so far… 
… but I do have my Attestation to hand
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The oddity being of course everything I’ve read says that once you have (legally) been here 5 years and a day you have permanent rights. You have a 10 year card… you just have to wait until the current 5 year card expires to get one. I can’t honestly see how they could make a fuss if the plastic card expires if you have potentially already had the rights and entitlements of a permanent resident for potentially 4 years or more.
This is why people like @AngelaR and I were concerned in a previous thread about actually getting the 10 year card in our hands as soon as we had been here for long enough rather than have to wait until the card expires. We are told we have the rights of permanent residents… apparently, but there’s nothing to actually say so other than various statements in the press from the authorities saying “You don’t need to exchange your card until it expires, when you have been here over 5 years you will automatically become permanent resident” or such. If, as this suggests, the card itself is purely a physical representation of the entitlement rather than part of the entitlement, then i guess like the driving license situation, an expired card while not ideal by any means, or an application for a 10 year one, shouldn’t actually affect the residence situation itself, it should be a process to get a new card, not assess entitlement.
It’s a very strange situation and while I have been very vocal about how well the initial process was done and how ‘kind’ France was, it is very frustrating in some sense that they’ve sought to kick the can rather than come up with all these procedures from the outset so they and WARP holders know the score. I’ll forgive them a little as there was some thing called covid though 
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I think they’re a bit busy with Ukrainians right now. Give them a chance.
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I’m not sure anyone is asking for anything right now.
I would not live in SW France/ Brittany/ Normandy if you paid me.
I love reading these stories