Long-stay visa (stay of more than 3 months to 1 year)

A visa is a sticker affixed by a country's administration to a person's passport to allow him or her to enter and stay for a specified period of time.

You you don't need of this document if you are a citizen European, Andorran, Monaco, San Marino, Holy See/Vatican.

The long-stay visa, type D, allows you to enter and stay in France 4 months to 1 year. It also allows you to move around (without any other visa) in the whole area Schengen, provided that not to exceed 90 days during its period of validity.

If you are an adult, you must apply for a long-stay visa even if your nationality does not require a short-stay visa.

There are different types of visas depending on the reason and length of your stay and your intention to settle you in France.

Long-stay visa as residence permit (VLS-TS): valid for 4 to 12 months

This visa, says VLS-TS, is valid as a residence permit and you do not need to apply for a residence card in the prefecture as soon as you arrive in France.

This applies in particular to the following cases:

• Student
• Employee (holder of a contract of indefinite duration)
• Husband of French
• Talents Residence Card

VLS-TS Validation

Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax in addition to the visa fee.

The Internet approach makes it possible to be in regular stay and to be able to cross the border again from the Schengen area.

Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax

Visa mention "residence card to be requested within 2 months of arrival"

The endorsement shall bear the residence card to be requested within 2 months of arrival. It allows you to enter France and obtain a residence card in the prefecture.

It is given to you in order to benefit from a residence card (annual, multiannual or 10 years depending on your situation), in particular in the following cases:

• Family of French (child aged 16 to 21 or dependent of a French, ascendant dependent on a Frenchman and his husband)
• Professional or independent (tradesman, craftsman, etc.)
• Worker (employee on assignment, EU Blue Card, seasonal, talent passport) or worker family
• Retired or retired spouse
• Artist

Working holiday visa

This visa can only be issued to you if your country is bound by a bilateral "working holiday" agreement with France. It may also be issued without bilateral agreement for Taiwanese nationals.

The duration is set at a maximum of 1 year. You will not be able to extend your stay beyond this date, but there may be exceptions provided for in the agreements.

The regulations vary according to the nationality of the foreigner.

Minor visa in France: valid for 11 months maximum

You can benefit from this visa if you meet the following conditions:

• Under 18
• Follow your education or studies in France for more than 3 months
• Residence of parents abroad

This visa allows you to enter France as many times as you want during its period of validity, without having to apply for a new visa.

Temporary long-stay visa: valid for 4 to 6 months

This visa lasts between 4 and 6 months maximum. It is worth a temporary authorization to stay in France.

It can be issued to you if you come to France in one of the following cases:

• Take a short education
• Perform an artistic activity
• Visitor (you must be able to live off your own resources)

During the validity of your visa, you are exempt from applying for a residence card in the prefecture. At the end, you have to go back 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 employee, student, family of Frenchman or a foreigner regularly settled in France, etc.

You must consult the France-Visas portal to know, depending on your situation, the list of documents to be provided.

France-Visas - Visa Assistants - List of documents to be supplied

Recording of the applicant's data

Your biometric data is stored in a file, called Visabio.

This data is the scanned images of the following information:

• Photo ID
• Fingerprints (except children under 12 years)

You cannot object to this registration (you have a right of access and rectification to the file).

The amount of the visa fee varies. It is expressed in euros or CFA francs, depending on the country.

To find out, you should see Rate country pages of the France-Visas Assistant.

France-Visas - Cost of visa according to country

However, some applicants are exempt from visa fees, including:

• Husband of French
• Non-European family member of a European (other than French) or Swiss
• Seasonal worker
• Turkish, Serbian or Montenegrin wage earner and his family reunited with their families
• French teacher
• Foreign Language Assistant or Reader
• Some working holiday visa recipients
• Holder of a diplomatic or service passport
• Scholarship student from the French government or a foreigners government or a foreign foundation
• Guest from an intergovernmental organization based in France
• Veteran with a free care notebook coming to France for medical treatment

Grounds for refusal of visa 

Any refusal to grant a visa must state the reasons for the refusal.

Appeal against refusal of visa

In case of refusal of your visa application, you can form a ex gratia appeal to the consulate asking it to review its decision.

You can also appeal to the Board of Appeal against decisions refusing entry visas to France (CRRV).

This remedy is obligatory before any appeal to the administrative judge. It is imperative that you present it in 30 days next:

• Either the notification of the written refusal
• Implicit refusal of your visa application (if the consulate has not replied to you within 2 months)

You must give reasons for your appeal (set out the legal and factual elements). You must write it in French, sign it and attach any useful documents.

The VAC can be referred by you, your lawyer, or anyone with an interest in challenging the visa refusal (for example, a family member).

The VAC may:

• Dismiss your appeal (if no reply is received within 2 months, this is an implied rejection)
• Or recommend to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior to grant you the visa

If the VAC rejects your appeal, or if the ministers confirm the visa refusal despite the VAC's favorable opinion, you can file an appeal for cancelation within 2 months. This appeal must be lodged with the Administrative Court of Nantes.

Your long-stay visa as a residence permit may be revoked by the Prefect for one of the following 3 reasons:

• Obtaining your visa fraudulently
• Entry to France for an installation for purposes other than the issuing of your visa
• Disturbing public order

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 may appeal the decision to repeal one ex gratia appeal to the prefect and/or a hierarchical appeal to the minister of the interior.

You can also refer a case to the administrative judge action for annulment in the following cases:

• Administrative appeals have not been successful
• Or directly without going through those administrative remedies

If you wish stay in France, you must file a application for a residence card within 2 months before the end of your visa to the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home.

Find out more on your prefecture's website.