Your passport in French administration

The travel document issued by your own country. In France it is the identity document the administration asks for first, and the page your visa and entry stamps sit on.

Yes. Residence permit files, bank accounts and re-entry into France all rest on a valid passport, and only your own country can issue or renew it.

Keep it valid for the whole of your stay, and report a loss or theft as soon as you notice it.

Renewals are handled by your country's embassy or consulate in France. A theft or loss is reported to the French police or gendarmerie.

• Reporting the theft gives you a written record you can show while you wait for a replacement.
• To return to France after leaving the Schengen area you need a valid passport alongside your residence permit, récépissé or return visa.

Renewal is a matter for your own country's authorities, not for the French administration.