QUESTION
Is it possible to travel with a residence permit application receipt (récépissé)?

Legally, under the Schengen Borders Code, entry into the Schengen Area from a third country requires holding, as applicable, a visa (where required), a long-stay visa, or a valid residence permit (Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders – Schengen Borders Code)).

According to this regulation, documents that may be considered residence permits include:

• Valid residence permits and residence cards as defined in the regulation;

  
  

• All documents issued by a Member State to third-country nationals authorizing their stay—excluding short-stay and transit visas, as well as temporary permits such as récépissés issued while awaiting the outcome of a first-time residence permit application.

In other words,

1. A récépissé issued while awaiting the outcome of a first-time residence permit application does not allow travel outside and back into the Schengen Area;

2. A récépissé issued during the processing of a residence permit renewal does allow travel, provided it is still valid;

3. Long-stay visas are considered residence permits under the Schengen Code. A récépissé issued when applying for a residence card at the end of a long-stay visa is treated as a renewal receipt and therefore permits travel during its validity period.

   
   

Travel with such récépissés must always be accompanied by, a valid passport, and the expired residence document (previous residence card or long-stay visa).

In practice, some airlines or border authorities may—illegally—refuse re-entry into France for foreign nationals holding a récépissé issued after a long-stay visa has expired, especially when the visa does not explicitly state that it serves as a residence permit (such as non-VLS-TS visas).

As a precaution, holders of a long-stay visa that is not equivalent to a residence permit are advised not to travel outside the EU while their residence permit application is under review.