Fact sheet : long-stay visa
Themes
Date of update
To settle in France for a period of more than 3 months, citizens of a Third State to the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland should apply for a long-stay visa.
Reasons of stay
Long-stay visas depend on the reason for the foreigner’s stay.
They are issued to:
- Exercise a professional activity or invest in France.
- Study.
- Carry out an internship or training.
- Visit for tourist, family or private purposes.
Helpful tip : Long-stay visas issued for professional reasons allow the holder to exercise a professional activity as soon as the applicant arrives in France, without waiting for the delivery of the residence permit.
Exemptions
In addition to nationals of the European Union, the EEA and Switzerland, citizens of the following countries do not need to apply for a long-stay visa:
- Third country nationals holding a short-stay visa marked “Famille de Français” (“Family of a French national”).
- Nationals of the principalities of Monaco and Andorra, of San Marino and the Holy See.
- Foreign nationals and their families who have acquired long-term resident status* or “blue card” residence permit*, in another European Union Member State.
- Students who have attended school in France without interruption from the age of 16 and are continuing their studies in the country*.
- Foreign nationals resident in an EU Member State who are posted to France*.
*Even if the foreign citizen is exempted from a long-stay visa, he/she is required to apply for a residence permit.
Length of stay and validity
The long-stay visa (VLS) is usually valid for 3 months when the length of stay is supposed to be more than 12 months. It enables the holder to apply for a residence permit on arrival in France.
If the intended length of stay is less than 12 months, the foreign national will be issued with a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), which must be registered in France. The visa is valid for between 3 and 12 months. If the stay exceeds 12 months, an application for a residence permit is required.
Applying for a long-stay visa
Application must be submitted to the French embassy, consulate or to external service providers (VFS Global, TLS, etc.) in the usual applicant’s place of residence. Application cannot be submitted earlier than 3 months before the planned date of arrival in France.
Steps
The application is initiated online via the official website France-Visas.
This first step allows the applicant to verify the need for him to obtain a visa using the Visa Assistant. The user can then apply for a visa via a personal account and then find out how to submit their file, often with the service provider from the Consulate or Embassy.
Thanks to the France-Visas website, visa applicants can now follow the progress of their application directly online.
Processing timescales for long-stay visas can vary from one embassy or consulate to another.
Required documents
The documents differ for each category of visa and depend on the residence permit issued when the visa expires. For information, the Visa Assistant on the France-visas official website lists the specific documents by reason of stay.
The list of the required documents is also available on the fact sheets corresponding to the reason of stay and immigration status : Residence permit – Welcome to France.
Helpful tip : All documents must be submitted in French (originals together with a set of photocopies).
Visa applications are not processed until a complete application has been received.
Cost
Application and visa fees totaling €99 are charged upon submission of an application, regardless which visa category is chosen.
Find the amounts on France-Visas website.
Fees are not refunded if a visa application is unsuccessful.
Formalities upon arrival in France
3 month long-stay visa holder (VLS)
The long-stay visa holder must apply for a residence permit corresponding to his/her situation from the Préfecture of his/her place of residence in France within the 2 months of the start date of the validity of the visa.
The specific procedure is available on the corresponding reasons of stay fact sheets : Residence permit – Welcome to France
3-to-12-month visa holder (VLS-TS)
Upon arriving and within the 3 months of the entry into France, the long-stay visa equivalent to a resident permit (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour – VLS-TS) holder must register on a dedicated website. The long-stay visa is equivalent to a residence permit if it has been registered properly.
The validation procedure is to be followed using the following website: administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr.
Depending on the mention of the VLS-TS, the third country national will be invited to pass a medical exam and/or will have to conclude a contract of Republic integration (CIR).
Helpful tip : To extend the stay in France after the validity dates of the VLS-TS, the holder must apply for a residence permit with the Préfecture within the 2 months prior to the expiration dates of the visa VLS-TS.