{"id":2100601,"date":"2026-08-20T09:11:47","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T07:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/2026\/08\/20\/lost-stolen-french-residence-permit-british-citizen-brexit-duplicate\/"},"modified":"2026-08-20T09:15:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T07:15:15","slug":"lost-stolen-french-residence-permit-british-citizen-brexit-duplicate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/08\/20\/lost-stolen-french-residence-permit-british-citizen-brexit-duplicate\/","title":{"rendered":"Lost or Stolen French Residence Permit After Brexit: How British Citizens Can Get a Duplicate and Return to France"},"content":{"rendered":"

For a British citizen protected by the Withdrawal Agreement, losing the physical French residence card is serious, but it is not the same event as losing the underlying right of residence. The practical response depends first on where the card disappeared. A card lost or stolen in France normally leads to a duplicate application through the French administration. A card lost or stolen abroad creates an immediate travel problem: the French consulate may require a visa de retour<\/em>, meaning a return visa, before the holder can board a flight or re-enter France.<\/p>\n

This article concerns a British national who was already lawfully resident in France before 1 January 2021 and holds, or was issued, a residence document marked \u201cArticle 50 TUE\/Article 18(1) Withdrawal Agreement\u201d. The document is commonly called a WARP, short for Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit. It does not cover a British national who moved to France after that date under an ordinary long-stay visa or another French immigration status. The first task is therefore to identify the legal basis printed on the card, its expiry date, the issuing prefecture and the date on which the loss or theft occurred.<\/p>\n

The safest approach is evidence-led and chronological: secure the passport, report the disappearance, preserve proof of the existing status, file the correct duplicate request, and deal separately with travel if the card is missing outside France. A screenshot of an online account can help, but it is not always accepted as a travel document. For the wider refusal-and-renewal route, see the guide to a refused Brexit residence-permit renewal<\/a>; this article addresses the separate loss-or-theft problem.<\/p>\n

I. What does a lost or stolen Brexit residence permit mean, and what should you do first?<\/h2>\n

A. Do British citizens keep their status when the physical card disappears?<\/h3>\n

A WARP is evidence of a protected residence position; it is not the legal source of that position in the same way as a short-stay visa is the source of a visitor\u2019s permission to enter. The distinction matters when a card is lost. A prefecture should not treat a request for a duplicate as if the person were making a fresh application to settle in France. The administration must identify the existing record, confirm the identity of the holder and reproduce the document or issue the appropriate replacement.<\/p>\n

The special French regime is set out in the decree of 19 November 2020, Article 7<\/a>, concerning British nationals who benefit from the Withdrawal Agreement. The provision says that eligible adults residing in France are issued a residence document under the decree and states, in the original text, Ils sont tenus d’\u00eatre en possession d’un tel titre de s\u00e9jour \u00e0 partir du 1er janvier 2022<\/q>. In practical terms, carrying the card is important because it proves the right to reside, work and travel, even though the loss of the plastic card does not by itself establish that the person has ceased to satisfy the conditions of the Withdrawal Agreement.<\/p>\n

The type and age of the card should be recorded before filing anything. Under Article 12 of the same decree<\/a>, a qualifying person who has lived in France for less than five years receives a document bearing the Withdrawal Agreement wording, and the text states: Ce titre a une dur\u00e9e de validit\u00e9 de cinq ans \u00e0 dater de sa d\u00e9livrance<\/q>. A person who has completed the relevant five-year period may hold a permanent document. Article 21<\/a> provides for a ten-year document marked \u201cS\u00e9jour permanent – Article 50 TUE\/Article 18(1) Accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’UE\u201d where the statutory conditions are met, including five years of lawful residence. The length printed on the replacement must therefore be checked against the original record; a duplicate is not an opportunity for the administration to shorten the period without an explained legal reason.<\/p>\n

Do not confuse four different situations:<\/p>\n