You may wish to move to France temporarily or permanently, for personal or family-related reasons, or simply to experience life in France, if you would like to live in France but not work here, the long-stay visitor visa may be an appropriate solution for you. The visa’s technical name in French is “Visa Long Séjour – Valant Titre de Séjour,” (long stay visa – qualifying as a residency permit) also known as a “VLS-TS.” The VLS-TS can be granted for several different reasons, including family stays or a preliminary visa to a Passport Talent residency permit. This article refers to the visitor visa category of the VLS-TS.
The VLS-TS visitor visa is intended for people who wish to remain in France for more than the three-month maximum timeframe allotted automatically to U.S. passport-holders, for example. The VLS-TS visitor visa is particularly well-suited to those individuals seeking to retire in France, individuals of working-age who are seeking to take a sabbatical year in France, or those individuals who wish to continue working in their current position remotely, from France, and who have sufficient savings or steady income to meet the legal requirements for this visa.
Eligibility requirements to satisfy to have your visitor visa application approved
The French long-stay visitor visa allows visa-holders to live in France as a visitor, assuming they meet certain legal conditions. The first and most important of these conditions is agreeing not to engage in any employment-related activity while living in France and not to receive any French-source income during your stay. Article L426-20 of the French Immigration and Asylum Legal Code (the “CESEDA”) states specifically that, for this visa, “[The applicant] must […] undertake not to engage in any professional activity in France”. Next, you will also need to demonstrate that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself for the duration of your stay. This requirement is generally satisfied if applicants have more than the French minimum wage in income or savings for the duration of their visa’s validity (usually twelve months). Finally, VLS-TS visitor visa applicants are also required to provide proof of accommodation in France as well as insurance that meets visa-specific criteria. Each application is unique and exactly what documents must be presented in each case may vary. In some cases, additional legal requirements may apply.
Procedure and timeline
Applicants for a visitor visa must submit their applications from their country of residence or citizenship. You may not apply directly from France, so those individuals already in France must return to their home country to submit their application from there. The timeframe for application processing is approximately two to six weeks.
The visitor visa is generally issued for a period of one year. French immigration authorities issue different types of visitor visas depending on the type of application submitted. It is possible to obtain a visitor visa that can be renewed online directly from France without having to return to your home country, just before the end of the visa’s validity period. This is a specific type of visitor visa. Renewal applications are only approved if the applicant continues to satisfy the eligibility requirements referenced above.
Contact us today for assistance and a personal assessment
If you are seeking information about digital nomad visas to France or want to learn how you can enjoy an extended stay in France, contact us today for an assessment of your personal situation and personalized assistance with your French visitor visa application. The Avocat Grégoire legal team can assist you in efficiently preparing an application that meets the French administration’s requirements, to facilitate the French visitor visa application process for you and to increase your chances of success.
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