Check what the baby needs to stay legally (titre de séjour, DCEM)
The rules depend on your own nationality. EU, EEA and Swiss families have nothing to do. Checked against service-public.gouv.fr on 22 September 2026.
- Who it applies to
- People who moved to France from another country
- On your timeline
- Paperbump schedules this between 4 weeks and 6 months after the birth
- Official source
- service-public.gouv.fr
- Last checked
- 22 September 2026
What else to know
A non-EU child living in France does not need a residence permit while under 18 — the permit concerns the parents, and the child is attached to their file — but does need a document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM) to leave France and come back without a visa. The parent applies online, and the préfecture then gives you an appointment to collect it; it is not something you queue for at a counter. You need the acte de naissance, the child's passport, proof of your own valid permit, and a 50 € timbre fiscal handed over when the document is issued. It lasts up to 5 years and must be shown alongside the passport. Sort it before you plan any travel, not after the flights are booked. From 16, a child who wants to work or do a work placement does need a carte de séjour of their own.
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