To apply for a long-stay visa (type D), make an appointment at the French consulate nearest you in your home country—generally you are required to submit the application in person, but some accept applications via mail. You can request stays of four months up to a year.
The approval process can take anywhere from a couple weeks to several months.
Types Of Long-Stay Visas
Visa De Long Séjour Temporaire: Valable 4 À 6 Mois (Temporary Long-Stay Visa)
This visa allows for a stay of four to six months and you do not need to apply for a residency permit once you’re in France under this visa.
VLS-TS (Visa De Long Séjour Valant Titre De Séjour (Long-Stay Visa)
This visa allows you to enter and stay in the country for four months to a year, but you’ll need to register with the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) to validate it within three months of arrival.
To do this you’ll have to fill out a form that was provided to you by the consulate before leaving home and mail it to the OFII office nearest you (find the office nearest you on their website) along with copies of passport ID pages as well as any pages used to enter the country.
Once received, your application will be registered. After that, you’ll be given an appointment date for a medical checkup and be interviewed by OFII.
At this appointment you must bring your passport, proof of domicile, a photo ID, tax stamps, and the medical certificate if done in advance. For visa renewals, you must apply for an extension with local authorities (préfecture) in the two months preceding expiry.
Carte De Séjour À Solliciter Dans Les 2 Mois Suivant L’arrivée (Residency Permit)
This visa allows you to enter France and request a residency permit at the préfecture within two months of arriving. You can request a stay of a year, multiple years, or 10 years once you’re in country. These are typically granted to retirees, relations of French people, professionals (or independently employed), contractual workers, and artists.
Regardless of which option you go for, when you apply at the consulate.
You’ll need the following documents:
· Passport valid for a minimum period of three months beyond the last day of stay intended in France, i.e., a year and three months minimum for a stay of one year. Make four copies of the identification page and attach them.
· Long-stay application form clearly filled out in black and signed.
· Two photographs: They must be recent, identical, passport-size, on a white background, with the face taking up 70% to 80% of the photograph.
· An OFII form (only available in French) that you will have filled in all the upper part (above the middle section). If your visa is granted, the consulate will stamp this form and give it back to you. You will then fill in the last portion of it upon your arrival in France and send it to the closest local branch of the OFII of your home in France.
Financial Guarantees Needed
· At the minimum, a bank statement of all bank accounts (checking, savings, CDs, etc.) that you own or co-own, with detailed transactions for the past three months and the daily balance.
· Documentation about any funding or assets you have, for example proof of retirement or pensions, or a notarized declaration of your sponsor stating that you will be responsible for all your expenses, together with a proof of your complete assets.
· Written statement, dated and signed by the applicant, saying that you do not intend to have a paid professional activity which requires a work permit.
· Proof of medical insurance with full coverage, valid in France. The insurance should state that under your policy you are covered for medical expenses, emergencies, and hospitalization for a long stay in France, together with the limit amount of coverage, if there is one.
· Notarized deed of your house/apartment or rent contract for the stay in France (for a whole year if a minimum stay of one year is intended), with the address of the rented place, tenant contact information, and the monthly rent amount. If the deed in France has been acquired more than a year prior to your application, you will be required to provide your local French tax return (Taxe Foncière).
· Processing fee, paid in cash, by credit card, money-order, or certified checks. Above all, personal checks are not accepted.
While these general documents will likely be required by all, it’s possible your personal situation will require additional documents.
France immigration recommends always getting in touch with your consulate before applying to verify the list of documents you should provide.
Most importantly, all documents must be translated by a certified translator and must be presented in original, together with one copy.
After living in France for five years on a Long-Stay Residency Card, you can apply for a Permanent Residency Card.
France has two types of Residency Cards, known locally as a carte de séjour or carte de résident.
Most foreigners will be given a carte de séjour. The Permanent Residency Card is valid for 10 years and is automatically renewable.
To apply for a visa, use the term “Consulate General of France” to do an online search.
Each Consulate manages a region. So, you will need to determine which office is responsible for your state.
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