Multi-year residence permit (CSP): the complete PDF checklist for 2026

Why this checklist

The Carte de Séjour Pluriannuelle (CSP, the French Multi-year Residence Permit) has, since 2016, become the intermediate sesame between the annual permit and the resident card. It's valid for 2 to 4 years depending on your situation, and its renewal goes exclusively through the ANEF — the prefecture's e-service.

No more queueing at 5 a.m. in the rain. But in return: a fully digital, PDF-based file, with strict technical constraints. And the October 10, 2025 decree added a new mandatory document — the civic exam certificate — for the majority of CSPs.

Here's the exhaustive checklist of documents to provide, their expected format, and the exact procedure to prepare them in less than 30 minutes.

The 12 documents to prepare (general case)

The exact list varies depending on the CSP motive (private and family life, employee, student, French national's spouse, "talent passport", etc.), but the base is common:

| # | Document | Format | Note | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | Passport (all written pages) | PDF | Multi-page, front + back | | 2 | Current residence permit (front + back) | PDF | One file, two sides | | 3 | Proof of residence (< 6 months) | PDF | Electricity, water, internet, rent receipt | | 4 | ID photo to ANEF standards | JPG or PNG | 35 × 45 mm, light background | | 5 | Translated birth certificate | PDF | Original + sworn translation | | 6 | Tax notice | PDF | The most recent one | | 7 | Last 3 payslips | PDF | To merge into 1 file | | 8 | Employer attestation | PDF | Signed by the employer | | 9 | Employment contract | PDF | All pages, signed | | 10 | Integration documents (depending on motive) | PDF | Diploma, training, French level certificate | | 11 | Civic exam certificate | PDF | Mandatory since October 2025 | | 12 | Receipt of the previous application | PDF | If renewal |

To this are added documents specific to the motive: marriage certificate for a spouse permit, school certificate for a student, motivation letter for a status change, etc. The exact list is shown by the ANEF at upload time.

Technical constraints to know before starting

Before scanning or converting anything, a few strict rules:

• Maximum size per PDF: 2 MB (10 MB for a few pieces, but aim for 2 MB by default)
• Required format: PDF, except for the ID photo (JPG or PNG)
• No password protection — the ANEF rejects any encrypted file
• One file = one complete document (not several files for the same piece)
• Pages in the right order and direction — the agent won't tilt their head
• Perfect readability — any blurry or cropped area = piece treated as missing

These constraints cause virtually all ANEF rejections. If you've already had a file refused, see our complete guide: why your PDF is rejected by the ANEF and how to fix it.

Preparing each type of document

Passport and residence permit: a multi-page PDF, in order

The classic pitfall: photographing each page separately and uploading 8 JPG files. The ANEF only keeps one.

The right method:

1. Take a sharp photo of each page (ID page, visa page, all pages with entry/exit stamps for the passport)
2. Convert the whole batch to a single PDF with the images-to-PDF tool — you can drag and drop all images at once
3. Reorder if needed (ID page first is the convention)
4. Verify that the final PDF weighs less than 2 MB. Otherwise, compress it.

For a front/back residence permit: two photos suffice. Front on page one, back on page two.

Payslips: a single PDF of 3 (or 12) pages

The ANEF requests "the last 3 payslips" for a standard CSP, "the last 12" for some situations (renewal after employer change, applications close to the income threshold). These payslips are almost always sent in PDF format by your payroll software — each in a separate file.

The right method:

1. If your PDFs are password-protected (Silae, Lucca, PayFit often send encrypted), unlock them one by one. The password is usually your social security number or birth date — check the accompanying email.
2. Merge them into a single PDF in chronological order: oldest month first, most recent last.
3. If the merged PDF exceeds 2 MB (rare with 3 payslips, common with 12), compress it at "medium" level.

Proof of residence: photo of the original, not the online bill

The ANEF accepts electronic invoices (PDF) and photos of paper invoices. But it rejects screenshots: it needs the official invoice, complete, with the operator's letterhead and a date < 6 months.

The right method:

• If the invoice was sent to you as a PDF: check the size, unlock if encrypted, that's it.
• If you have the paper invoice: photograph it in good light, then convert the photo to PDF.
• If the invoice is on 2 pages: photograph both, merge them into a single PDF.

Translated birth certificate: original + translation in the same PDF

The ANEF wants a single file containing the original AND the sworn translation. Many applicants send two separate files and get rejected.

The right method:

1. Get both PDFs (original + translation from the sworn translator)
2. Merge them with the original first
3. Verify everything is legible and the translator's signature is clearly visible

Motivation letter: to be signed beforehand

For some CSPs (status change, "private life" motive), a motivation letter is requested. If you typed it in Word, export it to PDF, then sign it electronically with the signature tool to add a handwritten signature where required.

The ANEF accepts the embedded signature — no need to print, sign with a pen, and re-scan.

And the civic exam for the CSP?

Since the decree of October 10, 2025, the civic exam has become mandatory for the issuance and renewal of most Multi-year Residence Permits. Concretely, you must attach the certificate of success to your ANEF file — a PDF you receive after taking the exam.

The exam consists of 40 questions, 45 minutes, minimum score of 80 % (32 correct answers). Topics cover republican principles, institutions, rights and social life, and the history of France. The official questions are public, but reviewing them only from the ministry's PDF is tedious and inefficient: few people sustain solo review on 1000+ questions.

If you're preparing your CSP, the complete guide to the civic exam for the multi-year residence permit details exactly what's expected for your situation. For training itself, you can study on Cocorico: the platform takes the official questions, adds two-minute lessons, and adapts revisions to your weak areas.

If you're hesitating between platforms (Cocorico, Le Test Civique, the ministry's PDF), their comparison of preparation tools gives a clear breakdown of each option's strengths and weaknesses.

Once the exam is passed, you receive your certificate as a PDF. Just merge it with the rest of your file (or upload it alone, depending on the ANEF field) — having it well integrated in your submission saves you a prefecture round trip two months later.

The 30-minute routine: your file ready to upload

If you follow the order below, you'll have your complete file in half an hour:

1. Gather all files on your desktop, regardless of current format.
2. Convert what isn't PDF with images to PDF (photos, scans, JPG, HEIC).
3. Unlock encrypted payslips with unlock PDF.
4. Merge what needs to be: multi-page passport, payslips, original + translation of civil status — with merge PDF.
5. Reorder or rotate misplaced pages with reorganize PDF or rotate PDF.
6. Compress what exceeds 2 MB with compress PDF.
7. Sign what requires a handwritten signature with sign PDF.
8. Verify each piece one last time (size, order, readability).

All these tools run in your browser: no sensitive piece leaves your device, neither your passport, your tax notice, nor your payslips.

FAQ

How long does the ANEF take to process a CSP file? Allow 2 to 6 months depending on the prefecture, starting from the date your file is declared complete. That's exactly the window you have to prepare the civic exam in parallel.

My tax notice isn't available yet, can I still submit? Yes, you can submit with the previous year's notice, provided you attach a certificate stating the current year's declaration is pending. The prefecture will request the missing notice during processing.

Do I really have to merge my 12 payslips into a single PDF? Yes, the ANEF accepts only one file per field. Merge them into a single document, in chronological order. If size becomes a problem after merging, compress the result.

Does the civic exam certificate have a validity period? Yes, and it's a tricky question. For details (validity, price, renewal), see the official civic exam certificate guide on Cocorico.

My employer refuses to provide an attestation, what do I do? The employer attestation is legally mandatory in France. Reach out to HR by email (keep the proof), and if persistent refusal, contact the labor inspectorate. Meanwhile, attach your signed employment contract and your latest payslips — a strong signal of your professional stability.

Can I submit my CSP application before my current permit expires? Yes, and it's even recommended. Submit 2 to 3 months before expiry. You'll receive a receipt that covers you until the prefecture's decision.

How do I avoid an ANEF rejection? Three golden rules: each PDF under 2 MB, no password, one file per requested piece. If you've already had a rejection, the ANEF errors guide covers the six most common causes with the exact correction procedure.

Does the ID photo have to be in PDF? No — that's the exception. For the photo, the ANEF requires JPG or PNG to standards (35 × 45 mm, light background, centered face). Everything else in the file is in PDF.

In summary

Preparing a CSP in 2026 means:

• 12 documents to gather, mainly in PDF
• 6 ANEF technical constraints to respect (size, format, no password, etc.)
• 1 new mandatory piece since October 2025: the civic exam certificate
• 7 free in-browser tools to put everything in shape

If you take the time to properly prepare your PDFs upfront, your file passes validation on the first try, and you save the 2-3 round trips that extend the deadlines by several weeks.

And if you haven't taken the civic exam yet, start preparing now — the 2- to 6-month window during which the ANEF processes your file is exactly the time needed to revise calmly.