Long-stay visa (stay of more than 3 months to 1 year)
Verified 25 January 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
To enter and stay in France for more than 3 months, an alien must hold a long-stay visa (type D). This visa is granted by the French consular authorities. It is issued most often for education, work or family reasons. Several types of long-stay visas exist depending on the reason for the stay, the duration of the stay and the intention to apply for a residence permit in order to settle permanently in France.
General case
Please note
you do not need this document if you are a citizen European, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Holy See/Vatican.
A visa is a sticker affixed by the administration of a country to a person's passport in order to allow them to enter and stay for a specified period.
Long-stay visa, type D, allows you to enter and stay in France from 4 months to 1 year.
If you are an adult, you must apply for a long-stay visa even if your nationality waives your short-stay visa.
There are different types of visas depending on the reason and duration of your stay and your intention to settle in France.
FYI
it also allows you to move around (without any other visa) in the whole space Schengen, subject to not exceeding 90 days during its period of validity.
Long-stay visa valid for residence (VLS-TS): valid for 4 to 12 months
This visa says VLS-TS, is valid as a residence permit and you will not need to apply for a residence card in the prefecture upon your arrival in France.
You are concerned in particular in the following cases:
- Student
- Employee (indefinite contract holder)
- Bride of French
- Talented passport
FYI
if you are married to a Frenchman, the VLS-TS is issued to you without conditions. You may be refused if your marriage is fraudulent or cancelled or if you pose a threat to public order.
VLS-TS Validation
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax (except temporary worker) in addition to the visa fees.
The online approach allows you to regular stay and to be able to cross the Schengen Area.
Validate a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the fee
Visa mention "residence card to be requested within 2 months of arrival"
This visa shall be marked residence card to request within 2 months of arrival. It allows you to enter France and obtain a residence card in the prefecture.
You will be given a residence card (annual, multiannual or 10 years depending on your situation), in particular in quality:
- family of French people (child aged 16 to 21 or dependent on a French person, ascending to the care of a French person and his or her spouse),
- professional or independent (trader, artisan, etc.),
- of worker (employee on mission, European blue card, seasonal worker, talented passport) or family of worker,
- pensioner or pensioner's spouse,
- artist.
Work holiday visa: valid for 1 or 2 years
This visa can only be issued to you if your country is bound by a bilateral "holiday-work" agreement with France .
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Argentina
This visa is for young people aged 18 to 35. It has a maximum duration of 12 months and you do not have to apply for a residence card.
Canada
This visa is for young people aged 18 to 35. It has a maximum duration of 1 year and you do not need to apply for a residence card.
Russia
This visa is for young people aged 18 to 30. It has a maximum duration of 12 months and you do not have to apply for a residence card. But you have to apply for work permission.
New Zealand
This visa is for young people aged 18 to 30. It has a maximum duration of 12 months and you do not have to apply for a residence card. But you have to apply for work permission.
Other
This visa is for young people aged 18 to 30. It has a maximum duration of 12 months and you do not have to apply for a residence card. But you have to apply for work permission.
Minor visa in France: valid for 11 months
You can benefit from this visa under the following conditions:
- You must be under 18
- You must follow your education in France for more than 3 months
- Your parents must reside abroad.
This visa has a maximum duration of 11 months. It allows you to enter France as many times as you wish during its period of validity, without having to apply for a new visa.
Please note
as a minor, you do not have to hold a residence card.
Temporary long-stay visa: valid for 4 to 6 months
This visa has a duration of between 4 and 6 months maximum. It is valid temporary authorisation to stay in France. It can be issued to you if you come to France:
- to follow a short course,
- or to engage in artistic activity,
- or as a visitor (you must be able to live off your own resources).
During the validity of your visa, you are exempted from applying for a residence card in the prefecture. When it expires, you must return to your country of origin.
The long-stay visa allows you to settle in France. The documents to be presented vary according to the reason for your stay: as an employee, a student, a family of French or a foreigner who is regularly settled in France, etc.
You should consult the France-Visas portal to find out, depending on your situation, the list of documents to be provided.
France-Visas - Visa Assistant - List of documents to be provided
You must submit your visa application (no more than 3 months) before departure to the French consular authorities of the country where you live:
Who shall I contact
Passport validity
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Application for a "residence card to be requested within 2 months of arrival"
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires.
- Must have at least 2 blank pages
- It must have been issued for less than 10 years.
VLS-TS Request
- Your passport must be valid for 1 year from the date of arrival in France,
- It must have been issued for less than 10 years.
Registration of applicant data
Your biometric data is saved in a file called Visabio.
These data are scanned images:
- your photo,
- and your fingerprints (except for children under 12).
You cannot object to this record (you have right to access and correct the file).
Visa fees vary. It is expressed in euros or CFA francs depending on the country.
To find out, you need to go to Rate from the France-Visas Assistant country pages:
France-Visas - Visa cost by country
However, some applicants are exempt from visa fees, including:
- Bride of French
- Non-European family member a European (other than French) or Switzerland
- Seasonal worker
- Turkish, Serbian or Montenegrin salaried worker and his family receiving family reunification
- French teachers
- Foreign Language Assistant or Reader
- Some recipients of a work-holiday visa
- Diplomatic or service passport holder
- Scholar of the French government or a foreign government or a foreign foundation
- Guest of an intergovernmental organisation based in France
- Veteran with a free medical treatment log coming to France
Reason for refusal of visa
Reasons must be given for any refusal of a visa.
Appeal against a refusal of a visa
If you refuse your visa application, you can ex gratia to the Consulate, asking it to review its decision:
Who shall I contact
You can also appeal to the Board of Appeal against decisions refusing entry visas to France (CRRV):
Who shall I contact
This remedy is mandatory before any appeal to the administrative judge. You must present it in 2 months next:
- notification of written refusal,
- or implicit refusal of your visa application (if the consulate did not reply to you within 2 months).
You must state your reasons for appeal (set out the elements of law and fact). You must write it in French, sign it and attach any useful documents.
The CRRV can be seized by yourself, your lawyer, or by any person with an interest in challenging the refusal of a visa (for example, a member of your family).
The CRRV can:
- reject your appeal (in the absence of a reply within 2 months, this is an implicit rejection),
- or recommend that the foreign minister and the interior minister grant you the visa.
Please note
if your appeal is manifestly inadmissible or unfounded, the President of the CRRV may reject your appeal alone, without convening the CRRV.
If the CRRV rejects your appeal, or if the ministers confirm the refusal of the visa despite the favourable opinion of the CRRV, you can file an appeal for cancellation within 2 months. This appeal must be filed with the Administrative Court of Nantes:
Who shall I contact
Your long-stay visa valid as a residence permit may be repealed for one of the following 3 reasons:
- Obtaining your visa fraudulently
- Entry into France for installation for purposes other than the issue of your visa
- Public order disorder.
The prefect responsible for deciding whether to revoke your visa is the one where you are staying or the one where you have been checked.
You can file a case against the repeal decision ex-gratia appeal to the prefect or/and a hierarchical appeal to the minister of the interior.
You can also refer an administrative judge appeal :
- if your administrative appeals have not been successful,
- or directly without these administrative remedies.
Who shall I contact
If stay in France, you must file application for a residence card within 2 months of the expiry of your visa the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home.
Find out more on your prefecture's website.
Student
Please note
you do not need this document if you are a citizen European, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, the Holy See/Vatican.
A visa is a sticker affixed by the administration of a country to a person's passport in order to allow them to enter and stay for a specified period.
Long-stay visa, type D, allows you to enter and stay in France from 4 months to 1 year.
If you are an adult, you must apply for a long-stay visa even if your nationality waives your short-stay visa.
FYI
it also allows you to move around (without any other visa) in the whole space Schengen, subject to not exceeding 90 days during its period of validity.
Long-stay visa valid for residence (VLS-TS): valid for 4 to 12 months
This visa says VLS-TS, is valid as a residence permit and you will not need to apply for a residence card in the prefecture upon your arrival in France.
VLS-TS Validation
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax (except temporary worker) in addition to the visa fees.
The online approach allows you to regular stay and to be able to cross the Schengen Area.
Validate a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the fee
Minor visa in France: valid for 11 months
You can benefit from this visa under the following conditions:
- You must be under 18
- You must follow your education in France for more than 3 months
- Your parents must reside abroad.
This visa has a maximum duration of 11 months. It allows you to enter France as many times as you wish during its period of validity, without having to apply for a new visa.
Please note
as a minor, you do not have to hold a residence card.
Temporary long-stay visa: valid for 4 to 6 months
This visa has a duration of between 4 and 6 months maximum. It is valid temporary authorisation to stay in France. It can be delivered to you if you come to France to take a short course
During the validity of your visa, you are exempted from applying for a residence card in the prefecture. When it expires, you must return to your country of origin.
The long-stay visa allows you to settle in France.
You should consult the France-Visas portal to find out, depending on your situation, the list of documents to be provided.
France-Visas - Visa Assistant - List of documents to be provided
General case
You must submit your visa application (no more than 3 months) before departure to the French consular authorities of the country where you live:
Who shall I contact
Special case of certain foreign students
Foreigners from 43 countries must apply for their visa on the site Studies in France at the time of online pre-enrolment in French higher education.
Regional | Nationality | Application procedure |
---|---|---|
Africa | Benin | |
Burkina Faso | ||
Burundi | ||
Cameroon | ||
Comoros | ||
Congo Brazzaville | ||
Côte d'Ivoire | ||
Gabon | ||
Guinea | ||
Madagascar | ||
Mali | ||
Mauritius | ||
Mauritania | ||
Nigeria | ||
Democratic Republic of Congo | ||
Senegal | ||
Togo | ||
Other | ||
Asia / Oceania | China | |
South Korea | ||
India | ||
Indonesia | ||
Japan | ||
Singapore | ||
Taiwan | ||
Vietnam | ||
Other | ||
Europe | Russia | |
Turkey | ||
Other | ||
America | Argentina | |
Brazil | ||
Chile | ||
Colombia | ||
United States | ||
Haiti | ||
Mexico | ||
Peru | ||
Other | ||
North Africa / Middle East | Algeria | |
Djibouti | ||
Egypt | ||
Iran | ||
Kuwait | ||
Lebanon | ||
Morocco | ||
Tunisia | ||
Other |
The request is made on the site Studies in France at the time of online pre-enrolment in French higher education:
Passport validity
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Application for a "residence card to be requested within 2 months of arrival"
- Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months after your visa expires.
- Must have at least 2 blank pages
- It must have been issued for less than 10 years.
VLS-TS Request
- Your passport must be valid for 1 year from the date of arrival in France,
- It must have been issued for less than 10 years.
Registration of applicant data
Your biometric data is saved in a file called Visabio.
These data are scanned images:
- your photo,
- and your fingerprints (except for children under 12).
You cannot object to this record (you have right to access and correct the file).
Visa fees vary. It is expressed in euros or CFA francs depending on the country.
To find out, you need to go to Rate from the France-Visas Assistant country pages:
France-Visas - Visa cost by country
It should be noted that scholarship students from the French government or a foreign government or a foreign foundation are exempt from visa fees.
Reason for refusal of visa
Reasons must be given for any refusal of a visa.
Appeal against a refusal of a visa
If you refuse your visa application, you can ex gratia to the Consulate, asking it to review its decision:
Who shall I contact
You can also appeal to the Board of Appeal against decisions refusing entry visas to France (CRRV):
Who shall I contact
This remedy is mandatory before any appeal to the administrative judge. You must present it in 2 months next:
- notification of written refusal,
- or implicit refusal of your visa application (if the consulate did not reply to you within 2 months).
You must state your reasons for appeal (set out the elements of law and fact). You must write it in French, sign it and attach any useful documents.
The CRRV can be seized by yourself, your lawyer, or by any person with an interest in challenging the refusal of a visa (for example, a member of your family).
The CRRV can:
- reject your appeal (in the absence of a reply within 2 months, this is an implicit rejection),
- or recommend that the foreign minister and the interior minister grant you the visa.
Please note
if your appeal is manifestly inadmissible or unfounded, the President of the CRRV may reject your appeal alone, without convening the CRRV.
If the CRRV rejects your appeal, or if the ministers confirm the refusal of the visa despite the favourable opinion of the CRRV, you can file an appeal for cancellation within 2 months. This appeal must be filed with the Administrative Court of Nantes:
Who shall I contact
Your long-stay visa valid as a residence permit may be repealed for one of the following 3 reasons:
- Obtaining your visa fraudulently
- Entry into France for installation for purposes other than the issue of your visa
- Public order disorder.
The prefect responsible for deciding whether to revoke your visa is the one where you are staying or the one where you have been checked.
You can file a case against the repeal decision ex-gratia appeal to the prefect or/and a hierarchical appeal to the minister of the interior.
You can also refer an administrative judge appeal :
- if your administrative appeals have not been successful,
- or directly without these administrative remedies.
Who shall I contact
If stay in France, you must file application for a residence card within 2 months of the expiry of your visa the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home.
Find out more on your prefecture's website.
- Code on the entry and residence of aliens and the right of asylum: Articles L211-2-1 and L211-2-2Visa issued to the spouse of French: Article L211-2-1
- Code on the entry and residence of aliens and the right of asylum: Articles L311-1 to L311-8-1Obligation to present, with exceptions, a long-stay visa to obtain a temporary residence card: Article L311-7
- Code on the entry and residence of aliens and the right of asylum: Articles L314-11 and L314-12Long-stay visa required for the issuance of the resident card to the child and ascendant of French: Article L314-11
- Code of Public Administration Relations: Articles L211-2 to L211-4
- Code of Public Administration Relations: Articles L211-5 to L211-6
- Code on the entry and residence of aliens and the right of asylum: items R311-1 to D311-3-3Long-stay visa valid for residence permit and temporary long-stay visa: R311-3
- Decree No. 81-778 of 13 August 1981 fixing the tariff of fees to be collected in diplomatic and consular chancelleries and, in France, by the Ministry of Foreign AffairsCost (fee table: Article 18 B.1 B2. B3. B4.)
- France-VisasMinistry of the Interior
- The steps of applying for a visaMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Work holiday visaMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Countries concerned by the online registration procedure "Etudes en France"Campus France Agency