As usual, I have left things to the last minute & applying for a carte de sejour is just one of them.
I have never had one in my 20 year residency here & never have I been asked to produce one but now it looks like now is the time.
One document I will need is a passport & my old UK one expired in November so a new one needed to be applied for but, in keeping with my “maniana” mentality I left applying for it until a couple of weeks ago.
There were a few problems, however.
When I was finally allowed to travel more than 10 kms from home to find a photo booth I could not get a digital photo to work. On the bright side I now have enough printed photos to last me a lifetime!
In the end a friend took one with my digital camera which turned out to be fine!
After being a tad concerned about the possible ten week time schedule I finally went online & applied. It actually only took about 5 minutes - very impressed!
I have just had notification that my new blue UK passport will be delivered shortly so very soon - & in time for me to apply for my CDS - my Franco/Dutch company designed (Gemalto), Polish made British passport, will be delivered by DHL (part of Deutsche Post).
So, The UK has “taken back control”.
So, the UK does not need the EU.
Right.
I applied online too and sent off the old one last week. Hope mine is processed as quickly as yours Mark.
I have to admit that the service from the Passport Office has been very impressive!
Yes , I thought the application was very good and I’m updated on progress.
I applied for my new one the end of last year, on one day I had 3 emails, the first to say the old one had been received, the 2nd saying the new application was approved and was being prepared and a 3rd saying it was being sent!
I’ve applied for 3 in recent years (for me and my kids) and each time it ran smooth as clockwork and was quite quick (about 14 days from start to finish if I remember correctly)…mind you that was before Brexshit actually happened so the international delivery might take a bit longer now.
My kids also have French passports…the system here is much cheaper but more laborious, with multiple trips to the marie (after a wait of at least one month just to get the first appointment, then another month for the second) and the usual contradictions between what you are told to bring / do on the govt website and what the people in the marie say you have to bring / do on the day.
My OH recently renewed his passport. Two weeks beginning to end, the hardest part was getting the courier to find us 
Yes I’ve found the passport service very good. The price seems to go up every time but the process has always been reasonably simple and speedy.
However I’ve recently had to send away to check my national insurance number (laptop stolen long story ) and I’m still waiting. Also son started uni in September and had to apply for a NI and is still waiting! None of my kids were automatically issued as they weren’t living in the Uk at 16. Covid seems to have ground NI services to a halt.
Mine was delivered this afternoon, so three weeks rather than the “up to 10 weeks” quoted on the website.
I’m very happy but I wonder if the time quoted is a ruse?
If they had quoted 3 weeks the service would be considered normal but if you are expecting 10 then 3 weeks looks positively lightning!
Most are quick.
The “up to 10 weeks” is to cover the cases where they don’t really want to give you one at all but can’t think of a good excuse after 7 weeks of trying.
I think they put that on because they often have a rush of applications before the summer holidays because people have not renewed their passports earlier.
We had a family staying in our gite who arrived three days late because they found that their daughter’s
passport was out of date.
They had to return home and went into Newcastle personally to renew the passport.
What a lesson to learn.